[I:http://www.naturmeds.info/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/RaniMahajan16.jpg]The vegetarian variety of Italian Recipes is popular the world over. There is wide range available and one can find them easily with so many Italian restaurants and fast food restaurants scattered all over the globe.
The menu has a diverse mix of salads, soups, crusty breads and tasty pizzas. Cheese is used generously and Arborio which is the local Italian rice is utilized in quite a few cuisines.
Italians add life to their food with various herbs, spices and fresh olives primarily cooked in olive oil. Tomatoes are an essential part of every day cooking.
As someone rightly stated, Italian cuisines is the mother of Southern European cuisines.
Like Indian and Chinese, Italian cuisine also has several regional variations. But unlike the rest, Italian cooking has least blending so as to preserve the unique flavor of every dish.
Sauces lie at the heart of Italian cooking. And serve as an accompaniment to almost every dish whether it is pasta, meat dish or baked vegetables.
List of popular culinary sauces
Alfredo: is really a white sauce which is prepared from butter and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. However these days heavy cream is added to boost flavor and richness, mainly in U.S. This sauce best complements a dish referred to as fettuccine pasta.
Arrabbiata: in Italian for “angry”, this zesty tomato based sauce is given an extra spicy flavor because of the addition of hot chilli peppers. This sauce best complements any plain pasta recipe, but is best enjoyed with penne pasta.
Bolognese: Also referred to as ragu alla Bolognese, which translates into a robust meat based sauce from Bologna Northern Italy, the place of its origin. Made with an assortment of fresh vegetables, herbs and meat (beef) ingredients lend it a distinctive dark shade. Lastly a bit of wine, cream and seasoning is added to further concentrate flavors It is usually tossed with pastas or drizzled and served.
Carbonara: originated during the World War II and has 2 distinct versions. One is American (much richer) and second Italian. Made with eggs, cream, Parmesan and bits of bacon, this sauce is cooked with any type of long pasta such as spaghetti, linguini, or fettucini.
Marinara: classic Italian tomato sauce made, which serves as a versatile base for a lot of great Italian dishes. This sauce not just pairs well with pastas, but can also be used as a dip for finger foods, topping pizzas, burgers and sandwiches.
For further information and videos on pasta recipes and other Italian food please browse Italian Recipes