Category "italian-cuisine"

Nixtamalized cornmeal for polenta?

Do Italians ever use nixtamalized cornmeal ("grits") for polenta, or would they no longer call that polenta? This translation dictionary gives some examples of

Are egg-less pasta typically made with durum flour?

When making an egg-less type of Italian pasta, which type of flour should I use for the dough? And why? Or, can you make decent egg-less pasta using all the

What variety of tomato is typically used in Italian, canned, peeled tomatoes?

I'm experimenting with different brands of canned tomatoes and I just bought some Italian peeled tomatoes, the brand it Petti. Here is a image of the can. I w

Why is bolognese cooked for so long?

Most bolognese recipes advise to simmer the sauce for 4 hours, some even advise to simmer longer than that. Until I heard about that, I had a recipe, which was

Won't fresh pasta sheets in lasagna overcook?

Most lasagna recipes require 30-45min of baking. Fresh pasta however only requires 2-4min of cooking. If I use fresh pasta in lasagne, will it not overcook? E

Is fresh pasta just good marketing? [closed]

I noticed some questions about fresh Lasagne sheets and it reminded me of something I heard, but sadly too long ago to be able to attribute al

Is spaghetti and bechamel sauce an authentic Italian dish?

I have seen instances where people mix white sauce / bechamel with spaghetti or macaroni but never seen a reputable chef to do so. This mix is sometimes mistake

What is this discoloured patch in my smoked prosciutto?

I bought an Italian selection of cooked meats from a well-known British supermarket chain, which begins with T and rhymes with Fresco. Within this selection is

Are chilies a common ingredient in Italian cooking?

I just read this article in CNN "Eating chilies cuts risk of death from heart attack and stroke, study says" and when I read this line: Carried out in Italy

Fry onions and garlic before adding to the sauce?

I am making a tomato sauce for pasta but I am not sure whether to put the garlic and onions into the sauce raw or to sauté them first? What would be the

panna cotta gelatine and size/form

Suppose I've found my "sweet spot" for the amount of gelatine for a recipe of panna cotta which has been tried only for individual portions that are either turn

Why are my homemade Manicotti Shells doughy?

I handmade fresh pasta sheets for my manicotti recipe. Without cooking the pasta sheets in boiling water I stuffed the sheets (shells) with the cheese filling

Is there a way to make bacon a decent substitute for pancetta in Italian dishes?

I live in a place where Pancetta is really hard to find, and when I do, it's completely overpriced. When I make some Carbonara or Gricia, both recipes from wher

Lack of structure in a no-knead pizza

I hope this question is not too vague but let me try anyway. I followed a NK recipe for a pizza with the following baker's percentages 100% flour with 13% prot

White dots on pizza or focaccia after baking

Sometimes I prepare a pizza dough that is a "direct" knead, no fancy preparations, works with all-purpose flour, rises in a couple of hours with regular yeast,

I love the combination of pesto and chicken. Is there a reason traditional Italian cuisine seems to shy away from it? [closed]

They just seem to go together perfectly without the need to add much more to make a tasty dish. However, for some reason, it doesn't seem to a

Is there a quintessential Italian hot sauce?

Fill in the blank: Franks is to America what Cholula is to Mexico what Sriracha is to Vietnam what ______ is to Italy. One of my recipes which is a spin on Oric

What's a good substitute for basil in pesto sauce?

I'm making some pasta at home with a pesto sauce. The recipe I'm referring to asks for some basil leaves to go along with the pine nuts in the food processor. U

Can I make baccala (Italian salted cod) at home relatively easily?

I would like to make some Italian baccalà dishes. However, I am unable to get my hands on baccalà. Also I have a box of frozen cod fillets sitting

Does authentic Italian tiramisu contain large amounts of espresso?

I see a lot of tiramisu recipes that soak savoiardi in pure undiluted espresso coffee. Usually the recipe asks for a cup or more of espresso. As a person who re