What is the History of Italian Cuisine
While the ruling classes in Ancient Rome had feasts of roasted game, fish, wine, and exotic foods, peasants ate what we now call a Mediterranean diet: wine, bread, olive oil, cheese, and seasonal vegetables. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Italy’s regions created their own culinary identities that still exist today. Think of risotto in Milan, pizza in Naples, and seafood in Sardinia. Today, Italian restaurants, pizzerias, and trattorias featuring classic Italian fare can be found in almost every country.
These 11 essential ingredients create the foundation of Italian cuisine.
Extra virgin olive oil. While olive oil is often used in cooking, higher quality extra virgin olive oil is used as a garnish to add a peppery flavor. It is also used as a dip for Italian bread like focaccia or drizzled over salad. Learn more about olive oil in our complete guide.
Balsamic vinegar. True balsamic vinegar is produced in the Italian region of Modena or Emilia-Romagna. This dark, well-aged vinegar is used in marinades and dressings. Learn more about vinegar in our complete guide.
Garlic. Garlic is one of the most popular ingredients throughout the country, especially sautéed in olive oil to create a flavorful cooking base. Learn more about cooking with garlic here.
Pasta. Pasta is a mix of flour, eggs, olive oil, water, and salt. There are many varieties based on the shape and the region they’re from. Popular types include spaghetti (long, thin strands of pasta); penne (tube shapes from Liguria); tagliatelle (thin pasta ribbons from Bologna); fettuccine (long, flat pasta from Rome); and pappardelle (flat, wide pasta ribbons from Tuscany).
Pasta sauce. Think marinara (tomatoes, garlic, onion, olive oil, and basil; this is Italy’s most famous sauce); Pomodoro (Italian for “tomato,” this sauce uses the same ingredients as marinara but is a thicker, smoother sauce); bolognese (meat like pancetta, beef, and lamb are simmered in a tomato and wine sauce); and pesto (basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, and grated parmesan cheese are blended together into a green sauce served over pasta, fish, or spread on bread).
Fresh tomatoes. Brought to Italy in the sixteenth century, Italians first thought tomatoes were poisonous. Now they are the heart of Italian cuisine. Learn more about tomato varieties in our guide.
Oregano. Dried oregano leaves add an earthy flavor to marinara sauce, pizza, salad dressing, or grilled meats.
Capers. “Capperi” are pickled flower buds from the Flinders rose bush. These small, salty green orbs are a popular ingredient in Mediterranean dishes like chicken piccata and puttanesca sauce.
Porcini mushrooms. In Italy, porcini mushrooms are found under pine and oak trees, especially in Tuscany. Porcini's, either fresh or dried, are added to sauces cooked in risotto, or simmered in a wine sauce to add texture to a dish. Learn more about porcini mushrooms here.
Basil. Basil is a fragrant green herb with a smokey, minty taste, and the most popular herb in Italian cooking. Basil is often used in tomato sauce, in Caprese salad, and is the main ingredient in pesto sauce. Learn more about the culinary benefits of basil here.
Italian cheese. Ancient Romans created varieties of cheese by aging and smoking them. Hard cheeses have a grainy texture and are shaved over salads or grated over pasta. Popular varieties include Parmigiano-Reggiano from Parma in the Emilia-Romagna region and Grana Padano from northern Italy. Pecorino are cheeses made from sheep’s milk. A soft cheese like mozzarella is used to melt over meals, like lasagna and pizza.
Red wine, white wine. To many, Italy is practically synonymous with wine. Wine has certainly been part of Italian.
While we do think of pasta as culturally Italian food, it is likely the descendent of ancient Asian noodles. A common belief about pasta is that it was brought to Italy from China by Marco Polo during the 13th century. In his book, “The Travels of Marco Polo,” there is a passage that briefly mentions his introduction to a plant that produced flour (possibly a “breadfruit tree”). The Chinese used this plant to create a meal similar to barley flour. The barley-like meal Polo mentioned was used to make several pasta-like dishes, including one described as “lagana” (lasagna). Since Polo’s original text no longer exists, the book relies heavily on retellings by various authors and experts. This, combined with the fact that pasta was already gaining popularity in other areas of Italy during the 13th century, makes it very unlikely that Marco Polo was the first to introduce pasta to Italy.
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