Are you fond of Italian cuisine? Italian food is delicious and it is more on the healthy side too. If you want to whip up some Italian pasta and sauces at home, you should know the most favorite Italian cooking ingredients used. This way, you can experiment with the flavors and get that exact taste you are craving.
Favorite Ingredients in Italian Cooking
Pasta – Oh boy, everyone seems to love pasta. Italians use pasta as their source of carbohydrates since they are not rice-eaters. Pasta is great for those on a diet because it can easily make you full. There are different types of pasta like macaroni, spaghetti and fettuccini just to name some. There are pastas made of squash and spinach too if you are a health buff.
Olive Oil – When cooking anything Italian, you must have olive oil. This is a staple of Italian cooking. It is really an essential you cannot simply do without in cooking Italian delights. It adds flavor and richness to Italian dishes.
Garlic – One of the reasons why Italian dishes are healthy is because garlic is always used. The more garlic used in Italian dishes, the better the flavor will be. Italians prefer the garlic to be minced. Sautéing garlic in olive oil just smells divine.
Basil – To bring out the best flavors of your pasta sauces, you should always have fresh basil in your kitchen. Other fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary are great in adding unique flavors to paste sauces and dishes too.
Tomatoes – Whether fresh, cooked or paste, tomatoes are very important in Italian cooking. Most red pasta sauces are tomato-based. Tomato also adds flavor in Italian dishes, especially Italian pizza.
Parmesan Cheese – Can you imagine eating pasta without parmesan cheese. Surely, you cannot. Parmesan is an essential ingredient. It is crumbly, dry, and just really perfect for pasta. If you cannot find parmesan cheese, PiaveVecchio and Grana Padano are great substitutes.
Pesto – Pesto is great for easy meal preparation as well as adding flavor to pasta. It is very easy to make if you want. Just mix sage or spring greens with olive oil and let the leaves immerse in the oil. You can use pesto as pasta sauce, a mild filling on bread or as a bread dip.
Mascarpone – Mascarpone is a soft cheese; it is great to use as a pasta topping. Ricotta is a partner of mascarpone. Both of these ingredients are often used to cook lasagna.
If your family really likes Italian meals, make sure you have these ingredients in your kitchen. Even the kids can make their own preferred dishes.
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