Cooking Italian? Don't Forget These Basic Italian Ingredients

Italian food is one of the most delicious cuisines in the world and Italian dishes like pizza are famed all over the globe. In order to make the best Italian dishes, it is important to have some knowledge about typical ingredients.

This will help you to choose the right ingredients to make Italy's top dishes and it will also give you the ability to create your own dishes by combining these delicious ingredients like a seasoned chef.

Sun-dried tomatoes are one of the nicest ingredients for cooking with. The best ones are marinated in garlic, oil, spices, and herbs and you can use them in dressings, pasta dishes, pizza recipes, and salads. You can also get dry sun-dried tomatoes and you should slice these and keep them in olive oil for the best results. Canned artichokes are also great for pizza recipes. Fresh artichokes are nice if you add some oil to them, as well as salt and black pepper, and grill them over a charcoal fire for a smoky taste.

Have you tried prosciutto? This salt-cured, aged ham is thinly sliced and makes a nice addition to pizza and pasta. You can also use it in sandwiches and to make canapes. Wrap a chicken breast in prosciutto for a delicious dinner.

Pesto sauce is made with Parmesan, pine nuts, basil, lemon juice, and garlic. It is wonderful with salad, pasta, pizza and in sandwiches. You can also use it to top fish or lamb for a taste of Italy.

Olives and Olive Oil

Olives and olive oil feature in many recipes from Italy. Olives are healthy because they are high in antioxidants and monounsaturated fatty acids. They are good for both your cholesterol level and your heart. Extra virgin olive oil has the same health benefits.

Extra virgin olive oil is made from the first press of the olives and is the best quality of olive oil. You can also get seasoned olive oil, which adds a nice flavor to marinades. You can drizzle a little olive oil over your favorite pizza recipe to add flavor.

Famous Italian Cheeses

Cheese features in many of Italy's dishes and there are various kinds of cheese to choose from. Mozzarella is widely used because it melts so well. Combine mozzarella cheese with sliced tomatoes and fresh basil leaves for a simple yet delicious salad.

Mozzarella is also used as a pizza topping on many different types of pizza. Bocconcini cheese is soft mozzarella, which is not ripened. It comes in little balls and it is great for making pizzas, salads, and panini recipes.

Provolone cheese is semi-hard and the best provolone cheeses come in sealed wax casings and tied with strings. This is a really flavorful cheese. Parmesan is an aged, grainy cheese that is nice grated over pasta dishes and risottos. You should use fresh grated parmesan for the best results since ready-grated parmesan is not real parmesan.