Italian Recipes

What most Americans think of as Italian recipes featuring pasta and tomato sauces is really the cuisine of Southern Italy, suitably modified for American tastes. Spaghetti and meatballs, for example, is an Italian-American recipe since in Italy pasta is a side dish and not an entree.

Pizza, a dish now so widely eaten as to be considered 'global cuisine', was considered 'ethnic cuisine' in the United States during the 50s and 60s. Now, of course, pizza is as American as a hamburger.

Pasta is the basis for many Italian recipes and comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Spaghetti and macaroni are the most common, but penne - long cylinders of pasta - and shell-shapes that are stuffed are also widely used.

Most Italian recipes call for pasta that is cooked al dente or to the tooth. That is, the pasta should not be so soft that there is nothing to chew, but cooked enough that there is no dryness in the center.

When you boil the pasta, stir the noodles shortly after you put them in the water so they do not stick together. Unattended pasta in water will bond together in a sticky mess.

Certain herbs and spices are characteristic of Italian recipes:

• Basil - one of the prime constituents of pesto sauce, basil is used dry or fresh. It imparts a slightly sweet 'green' taste to foods and is also widely used in Thai and Vietnamese cooking.

• Thyme - adds a sweet, almost licorice flavor to foods.

• Oregano - this is the main herb people think of when they think of tomato or spaghetti sauce. The smell alone says 'Italian'.

• Garlic - mmmm. No introduction necessary. Use fresh garlic whenever possible. Peel cloves and crush or push through a garlic press. Now that's Italian.

Be sure to check out our fast growing selection of Italian recipes! .

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