Italy is one of the top 20 most visited European countries in the world. Its historical monuments, its catacombs, and its beaches attract more than 2.3 billion tourists per year. However, there is another area where Italians excel: gastronomy. From Massimo Bottura, now considered the best chef in the world, to Simone Zanoni.

According to the Four Seasons George V Hotel chef, Italian gastronomy is conquering the world. Therefore, whether it’s on the menu of Michelin-awarded restaurants or on the menus of small neighborhood snack bars, don’t miss the opportunity to try the following 6 dishes. A delight for the eyes as much as for the taste buds.

1. Spaghetti with Bolognese sauce

Bolognese, or more precisely “spaghetti with Bolognese sauce,” is one of the typical Italian recipes. The Bolognese sauce or “ragù” that makes it famous originates from the Bologna region. Cooked in a particular way and with fresh ingredients, the flavor of the “ragù” is a real taste pleasure.

If you want to have a taste of it, order directly on the website of Italian specialty restaurants. However, if you feel like an Italian chef, call on SICA to provide you with the best ingredients made in Bologna!

2. The minestrone

This is without a doubt one of the wonders of Italian cuisine. Minestrone is highly appreciated for its balance between health and taste. It is a vegetable soup whose particularity lies in its components. The choice of this dish is ideal for the delight of your guests’ taste buds.

Moreover, it is difficult to give a “classic” recipe to prepare, given the many regional variations. However, minestrone soup is always accompanied by pasta, cheese, and a bottle of excellent white wine. Generally, this recipe is popular on party or wedding menus but tends to become more prevalent in everyday life of consumers.

3. Caprese salad

The Caprese salad, or “Insalata Caprese” in Italian, is a traditional culinary specialty originating from the island of Capri. It is a delicious salad composed of:

• Tomato
• Mozzarella cheese
• Basil
• Olive oil.

It may seem innocuous, but all the ingredients in this salad have been thought out to give it a soul. From the presentation on the table to the cutting of the tomato and the spoonful of oil, everything is done so that the Caprese salad transports its guest to Italy.

4. Polenta

Polenta is corn flour that is very popular in northern Italy. It is generally presented in the form of semolina-based pasta. Polenta often accompanies dishes with sauce and is a hit with beef bourguignon and a little grated parmesan.

Of course, like all delicious Italian dishes, polenta is cooked in different ways in different regions. A tip: serve polenta as a starter for Sunday aperitifs with friends or family.

5. Lasagna

Lasagna is pasta in the shape of large plates. In the 13th century, Gavius Apicius, a famous gastronome and cook spoke about lasagna for the first time. Since then, it has been the pride of Italy and one of the country’s showcases.

Thanks to globalization, it is now possible to cook this dish at home in just a few minutes. The simple recipes of lasagna are based on minced meat and cheese. However, there are many variations, such as:

• Vegetarian lasagna
• Gorgonzola and spinach lasagna
• Cabbage, lasagna, etc.

6. Pizza

The pizza, perhaps, was born in Naples, a city that claims its paternity and where it certainly knows the addition of tomato sauce to season the thin layer of pasta.

It soon becomes one of the glues of the national unity and the gastronomic flag of our country in the four corners of the world, with results sometimes discreet and often improbable; you can find pizza everywhere you go. But indeed, the Margherita was born in Naples, the most famous and simplest of pizzas that, together with tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil, also brings the colors of our flag to the plate.

A gastronomic tour in Italy cannot be separated from a real Neapolitan pizza, perhaps tasted in Spaccanapoli and without the enrichment of too many unnecessary ingredients. Of course, nowadays there are good and even excellent pizzerias all over the country. This humble dish often becomes an excuse to be a base of perfect pasta with gastronomic refinements placed on top as a topping.

But the pizza of the basic consumer, whether Italian or foreign, remains in financing a two-way choice between the soft Neapolitan style pizza or the crispier Roman style. But suppose you want to taste a good and authentic pizza. In that case, you have to do it in Italy: where you can find pizzas and similar preparations Italy, Naples, Rome, Palermo, the Ligurian Riviera of Ponente.

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