Culinary Inspiration from Italy
We've recently been exploring Italy and can't wait to share what culinary delights we have come across. Sun-ripened olives, creamy mozzarella, wood-fired bread and rich red wine; our taste buds are tingling just thinking about the dishes we have tasted during our adventures.
We hope that these recipe suggestions inspire you to bring a little taste of Italy to your own kitchens.
Margherita Pizza
An Italian classic and the original pizza flavour for good reason. Make the dough yourself, use quality buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil and homemade tomato sauce. We love this recipe from Taste Atlas:
Authentic Pizza Margherita Recipe
Panzanella
On a hot summers day there's nothing quite like the vibrant flavours from cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinaigrette and olives. You can never go past a good Jamie Oliver recipe:
Panzanella (Tuscan tomato & bread salad)
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Simplify your cooking with a classic Italian pasta dish of garlic, chilli, olive oil and parsley. You'll be surprised at how something so simple can be so delicious.
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio. The Authentic Recipe
Pesto Genovese
There's store brought pesto and then there's traditional, homemade pesto genovese. Hunt down a store selling authentic Italian ingredients and pair this rich variation of the classic pesto with trofie pasta.
Calamarata Pasta
If you're a seafood lover then this is definitely a unique recipe to give a try. Make sure your calamari is brought fresh (ideally from a seafood market) for the best flavours. This recipe is super simple once you have the calamari and only takes 20 minutes:
Italian Calamarata Pasta (with calamari & tomato sauce)
Calazones
I'm not sure who decided to fold a pizza in half but they are a genius. Oozing with cheese and adaptable to any flavours you prefer. The calzones original purpose was to be a transportable pizza - brilliant and delicious.
Pasta al Limone
One trend you would have noticed by now about Italian pasta is the simplicity and this lemon pasta is no exception. The perfect amount of creamy, zesty, cheesy flavours combines into this addictive recipe. This is the best recipe we've found that replicates what we tasted in Italy:
Chianti Classico
Chianti wine is any wine produced in the Chianti region of central Tuscany. It's a medium-bodied wine with notable earthy and rustic aromas. Perfect to accompany your rich tomato pastas, meats and pizzas. Just look out for the Chianti DOGC seal of approval.
Lemoncello
Last but certainly not least is lemon liqueur, mainly produced in Southern Italy. Be warned that this is incredibly sweet. Store in the freezer and sip slowly straight from a shot glass.
Buon Appetito!