Essential Italian Cuisine Ingredients

Florentina

Florentina

Community Member
Jun 15, 2013
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I have done research on the internet to find the best Italian ingredients to use for healthy dishes. What I found was this: tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, beans, nuts, red wine, dark leafy greens and whole grain. It seems that a Mediterranean-style diet may lead to weigh-loss and reduced risk of depression. What other traditional healthy Italian ingredients can I add to my dishes?
 
I though only wine alone was responsible for Italians being so happy and not depressed :rolleyes::D (joke)

I think that, besides everything you mentioned, you could add some spices such as oregano and basil. I think they're typically Italian.
I know chili is good too, but I'm pretty sure that's not a traditional Italian spice.

Also, some other spices often used in the Italian cuisine are: coriander, nutmeg, pepper, saffron, salt, and vanilla.

I don't know what you mean by dark leafy greens though, could you please elaborate?
 
I think dark leafy greens refer to vegetables such as broccoli, and salad ingredients such as chard, Kale and collards. It is filled with vitamins (A, C and K) and fiber. I think I sound like an encyclopedia, but I must admit that I found this information on the internet. :)
 
Rosie said:
I though only wine alone was responsible for Italians being so happy and not depressed :rolleyes::D (joke)

I think that, besides everything you mentioned, you could add some spices such as oregano and basil. I think they're typically Italian.
I know chili is good too, but I'm pretty sure that's not a traditional Italian spice.

Also, some other spices often used in the Italian cuisine are: coriander, nutmeg, pepper, saffron, salt, and vanilla.

I don't know what you mean by dark leafy greens though, could you please elaborate?
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Try Cavallo Nero - a dark green almost black looking cabbage. Cook it the way you normally would, chop it up and add a little olive oil and black pepper and mixed spice - delicious hot or cold. If you want it a bit creamy add a spoon of Ricotta cheese and stir it through
 
Italians love their meat too. Their great secret is the fact that they don't use too much of it and they use seasonings and flavours to get the best from it. Fresh produce without additives is also a bonus.
 
Try to use extra virgin olive oil instead of normal olive oil as it has so much more flavour but I guess it depends on the dish.

Parmesan cheese or Grana Padana cheese can be found in almost all Italian homes. It's main use is to sprinkle on top of pasta dishes but is also used in many other dishes.
 
Oh, I am now so hungry for Italian food! Especially the meat (MoltoBene) and the wine (Rosie). ;) On a more serious note, Italian food is truly delicious. I think the secret is the Parmesan cheese, natural ingredients and variety of spices. Thank you for the advice, I am certainly making notes of it all.
 
@Chillout: I have both extra virgin olive oil as well as simple olive oil in my cupboard and frankly, I still have no idea what the difference is :D I even tasted it and to me they taste the same. What brands can you recommend to notice the difference?

Cheese is indeed an essential ingredient here. It's contagious too!!! I now use cheese on almost everything I cook.
Just yesterday I made some stuffed egg plants and, even if the stuffing is supposed to be made with veggies, cheese was the main ingredient! Delicious Italian cheese! :rolleyes::cool:
 
There is only one Parmesan cheese and it is indeed Parmigiano Reggiano. Grana Padana is similar and produced nearby so it does make a good second choice. It costs a little less but is still a great cheese and some prefer it to Parmigiano Reggiano.
 
Rucola (rocket) is used in quite a few Italian dishes, It may not be an essential ingredient but is very popular in salads, on top of the pizza and cold pasta dishes.
 
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