Are you planning a food and wine trip to discover the taste of summer? Are you a food lover, always on the lookout for new dishes and specialties to enjoy during your travels? In this article we’ll explore the best-known traditional dishes of summer in Italy.
Italy offers an extraordinary historical and artistic heritage and stunning scenery in a single nation: lakes, rivers, plains, mountains, sea and much more. Alongside all this is Italian cuisine, featuring a vast array of ingredients that are used to prepare a wide variety of fabulous traditional recipes.
In this article, we’ll discuss some typical Italian dishes with very different flavors. These are some of Italy’s most popular dishes, which you definitely shouldn’t miss during your summer holiday here.
Although it may not seem like a typical summer recipe, Parmigiana di Melanzane – eggplant parmigiana – is the perfect “packed lunch” food to enjoy on the beach.
It’s a versatile dish, delicious as a first course, a main course or, in smaller portions, a side dish. In any case, the recipe – which may seem laborious but is actually very simple – creates the perfect wholesome and tasty dish.
If you’d like to learn how to make it with guidance from a chef, we recommend this cooking class. You’ll find out how to fry the eggplant for a perfect parmigiana. You’ll also learn the secret to the perfect combination of mozzarella, parmesan and tomato sauce.
An excellent Italian dish with multiple DOC variants, salad takes pride of place on Italian tables throughout the summer. But how to make the perfect salad? No-one knows!
Specialty salad vegetables can be perfectly paired with many different ingredients in thousands of combinations to suit all tastes. But one thing is certain: the essential salad dressing is based on olive oil and vinegar. And what if you want to make your salad extra special? Instead of ordinary vinegar, try adding a few drops of balsamic vinegar. It’ll completely change your experience.
Not sure which balsamic vinegar to use? First, try a tasting of this superb product: from now on, you won’t be able to live without it!
The first thing that springs to mind when it comes to Italian food is fresh pasta. It’s easy to make: every Italian has tried their hand at pasta at least once in their life.
You’ll need just a few ingredients: water, flour, salt and, in some cases, eggs. But how to combine the ingredients perfectly? What’s the ideal mix? Which sauce is best suited to summer, and to the region where you’re staying?
You’ll find out the answers to these questions during a cooking class, during which, with guidance from an expert chef, you’ll learn all the tricks to making a perfect pasta dish.
You’ll also learn how to create the perfect lunch for your summer days on the beach or in the mountains: pasta in salads, or with meat, fish or vegetable sauces. There are endless possible combinations!
This dessert is eaten with a spoon, and is much loved for its delicate taste and creamy texture.
It’s the perfect dessert for any occasion, especially in summer, when a garnish of fresh seasonal fruit enhances its delicious flavor and delightful freshness.
The origins of panna cotta are something of a mystery, but it’s thought to have been invented in the early 20th century in the Langhe area of Piedmont. However, one thing we do know is that it’s fairly easy to make.
If you’ve never tried your hand at making it and you would like to learn, we recommend a visit to Florence, where you can try this cooking class and learn all the secrets of this traditional dessert.
One of the quintessential Italian products, loved, exported and imitated all over the world: it’s the king of desserts: gelato.
In Italy there’s a deep-rooted ice-cream making tradition. In fact, home-made gelato is always preferred because of its many benefits, such as (apparently) its low fat content. Gelato is made using fresh milk, cream and fruit or other quality ingredients, without the addition of fats.
It’s a must in summer, and every visitor to Italy should try it at least once in their lifetime.
But did you know that there are some very unusual flavor combinations? Have you ever tried gelato with balsamic vinegar? However, it must be a high-quality balsamic vinegar, such as those you can sample during one of our tastings.
These are just a few of the many Italian summer dishes that are known and loved all over the world. Which one is your favorite?
