Lesser Known Italian Dishes?
- Thread starter sammien94
- Start date
Well... I don't know if this is an Italian dessert per se, but many Italians seem to enjoy the crêpe! Literally, it means pancakes 
Those thin ones, not the American pancakes eaten with syrup.
In fact, there are quite a few crêperias that have opened over here lately, I've only been to one of them (I make my own pancakes at home so there's no need to pay €2 to €4 for 1 pancake all the time!) and I have to say, I was pleasantly impressed. They make them with 'regular' dough or cocoa dough, they add the filling of your choice (jam, nutella, I didn't need to hear the rest, I stopped at nutella
), and they sprinkle "stuff" on the filling or on top of the folded crêpe (nuts, almonds, bombons, powdered sugar... ecc., ecc....).
Again, I don't think this is an Italian dessert, but it's certainly one that has gained popularity lately.
Those thin ones, not the American pancakes eaten with syrup.In fact, there are quite a few crêperias that have opened over here lately, I've only been to one of them (I make my own pancakes at home so there's no need to pay €2 to €4 for 1 pancake all the time!) and I have to say, I was pleasantly impressed. They make them with 'regular' dough or cocoa dough, they add the filling of your choice (jam, nutella, I didn't need to hear the rest, I stopped at nutella
), and they sprinkle "stuff" on the filling or on top of the folded crêpe (nuts, almonds, bombons, powdered sugar... ecc., ecc....).Again, I don't think this is an Italian dessert, but it's certainly one that has gained popularity lately.
Well... I don't know if this is an Italian dessert per se, but many Italians seem to enjoy the crêpe! Literally, it means pancakes
In fact, there are quite a few crêperias that have opened over here lately, I've only been to one of them (I make my own pancakes at home so there's no need to pay €2 to €4 for 1 pancake all the time!) and I have to say, I was pleasantly impressed. They make them with 'regular' dough or cocoa dough, they add the filling of your choice (jam, nutella, I didn't need to hear the rest, I stopped at nutella
Again, I don't think this is an Italian dessert, but it's certainly one that has gained popularity lately.
I think crepes have gained popularity everywhere Rosie. These shops are opening up all over UK. You can have mars bars and snickers and god knows what else. Its so yummy and goes right to your hips.
Hmm. The average person... My first guess would be very heavy on calzone. The average person might have only seen the dish, but not what it is called and how it is made in the Italian kitchen. I only ever discovered discussed of how calzone is cooked or prepared from this forum and would not have known about the cooking process otherwise. Also I didn't know it was fried pizza. The second would be all the sweet pastries Italians have for breakfast.
Testaroli are the ancestor of pasta. Kind of flour pancake cut in pieces and cooked in hot water ( not boiling, fire must be turned off )
I had to look this up and knew it must have been from Liguria because of the pesto. It is a pancake or crepe that is cut up and then boiled and drained and the pesto is used as the sauce after wards. Apparently you only dip them int eh boiling water. Although it looks good, I'm not sure about a boiled pancake, but it is known as poor food from the North, like polenta is known in the South.
A pancake - yumm - boiled and drained in pesto - uhm.. I'm not so sure it's yumm anymore! But I guess life's too short not to taste it at least once!
Liguria is pretty close to where I live.... so now I know what I'll be ordering next time I visit! Although, not every restaurant / food joint offers the same quality food. Even 2 pizzerias can sell the same Pizza Margherita, but it will not have the same taste.
Anyway, I just thought of another lesser known Italian dish: the "gnocco fritto" or "torta fritta". I don't even know how to translate it in English. It's basically a mixture of flour, water and lard which is fried in... more lard.
It doesn't sound like the yummiest dish ever, but trust me, they are SO GOOD! I've had these for the first time 2 years ago, at a Grape Festival in Emilia Romagna. They served them as a dish and an Italian friend recommended I at least try them! They look like this:
And as you can see, you eat them with slices of salami & prosciotto
But I guess life's too short not to taste it at least once! Liguria is pretty close to where I live.... so now I know what I'll be ordering next time I visit! Although, not every restaurant / food joint offers the same quality food. Even 2 pizzerias can sell the same Pizza Margherita, but it will not have the same taste.
Anyway, I just thought of another lesser known Italian dish: the "gnocco fritto" or "torta fritta". I don't even know how to translate it in English. It's basically a mixture of flour, water and lard which is fried in... more lard.
It doesn't sound like the yummiest dish ever, but trust me, they are SO GOOD! I've had these for the first time 2 years ago, at a Grape Festival in Emilia Romagna. They served them as a dish and an Italian friend recommended I at least try them! They look like this:
And as you can see, you eat them with slices of salami & prosciotto
Those Testaroli almost reminded me of an appetizer I had at a restaurant once, where they tossed tortilla chips in some kind of buffalo style sauce, then sprinkled some kind of crumbled cheese on them (Cojita I guess?). You had to eat them right away because they became limp sort of like what was pictured there, but they were delicious! And if you took too long to finish them off, you simply used a fork to eat the rest, lol.
As for lesser seen dishes on Italian menu's around here in the US, I don't often see Saltimboca - which is a veal cutlet with fresh sage and Parma ham rolled up, dredged in flour, and sauteed in butter and wine.
Zabaglione is another favorite of mine - it's like a sweet custard made with Marsala wine. It's often served with fresh fruit, and it can be served either warm or chilled.
Or for a cocktail, perhaps a Negroni - which is believed to have originated in Italy. It's a great palate cleanser at the end of a meal. It's a mixture of gin, red vermouth and a bitter organge liquer (Campari). I like a splash of soda in mine too for some fizz.
As for lesser seen dishes on Italian menu's around here in the US, I don't often see Saltimboca - which is a veal cutlet with fresh sage and Parma ham rolled up, dredged in flour, and sauteed in butter and wine.
Zabaglione is another favorite of mine - it's like a sweet custard made with Marsala wine. It's often served with fresh fruit, and it can be served either warm or chilled.
Or for a cocktail, perhaps a Negroni - which is believed to have originated in Italy. It's a great palate cleanser at the end of a meal. It's a mixture of gin, red vermouth and a bitter organge liquer (Campari). I like a splash of soda in mine too for some fizz.