Top 10 tastiest Italian dishes you should try at least once – part 1

Pasta and pizza are the most popular dishes worldwide, and they both came to us from sunny Italy. The traditional cuisine of this truly unique country is so varied and amazing that it would be impossible to encompass in a single article.
Nevertheless, we here at Dishdames have compiled the top ten most famous and delicious Italian dishes. Be sure to give them a try!

1. Panini

This traditional Italian grilled sandwich made of wheat bread and filled with ham, mozzarella, tomatoes, and pesto sauce became well-known thanks to its simple yet delicate taste.

Ingredients (4 portions):

• 8 slices of wheat bread
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 7 oz (200 g) Mozzarella
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons of pesto sauce
• fresh basil leaves to taste

How to cook:

1. Spread pesto sauce on 4 slices of bread.
2. Cut mozzarella and tomatoes in circles, then lay out the tomatoes over the pesto, and put the mozzarella on top.
3. Add the basil leaves if you wish, and complete your sandwiches with the remaining bread.
4. Heat the pan and fry the panini in butter for 3 minutes on each side.

2. Panna Cotta

This dessert is real feast of taste made of cream, sugar and vanilla. The name of this Ambrosian dessert means “boiled cream” in Italian, and it’s a dish that’s home to Northern Italy.

Ingredients:

• 2.2 lbs (1 L) heavy cream
• 5.3 oz (150 g) ground raspberries (not obligatory)
• 0.7 oz (20 g) gelatin
• 20 additional raspberries (not obligatory)
• 2-3 tablespoons of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla

How to cook:

1. Pour the cream in a small pan, put on a low heat, and add sugar and vanilla.
2. Dilute gelatin in a small amount of warm water, then pour it in the heated cream. Mix well until smooth — the gelatin should dilute. Pour the dessert into dessert bowls.
3. Put raspberries into each bowl.
4. Put into the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to firm.
5. Sauce the dessert with ground raspberries or any other berry sauce and serve.

3. Chicken Parmigiana

One of the most popular dishes in Campania and Sicily, it has become just as famous in the US. Tender chicken fillet, baked in tomato sauce with parmesan — isn’t it a perfect partner for beloved spaghetti?

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
• 2/3 glassful of breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 pod of red chili pepper
• 1.7 oz (50 g) of parmesan
• 1 chicken breast
• 1/2 glassful of sifted flour
• 1 bundle of basil
• 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 slices of mozzarella
• 1 egg
• 4 spring garlic cloves
• 3-4 large tomatoes
• 1-2 small onion

How to cook:

1. Clean chicken breasts from skin and bones, wash, and dry with a towel. Cut breasts in half lengthwise. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, crushed garlic and basil. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, stir, and put into the fridge for an hour.
2. Prepare the sauce. To do this, fry a finely diced onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until translucent, then add crushed garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes (either pulsed in blender or grated) and chili pepper flakes. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until excess liquid evaporates. Add chopped basil in the sauce.
3. Prepare 3 bowls for coating. Use the first for flour, break an egg in the second and add some water, and mix bread crumbs with finely grated parmesan in the third bowl. Roll each piece of fillet in three bowls (flour, then egg, then breadcrumb mix) one by one, and lay the coated chicken out on an oiled baking sheet or casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
4. Take the fillets out of the oven, add tomato sauce and a slice of mozzarella on each. Put them back to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes.

4.Decorate with a basil twig and serve.

No other ice cream can compare to the taste of original Italian Gelato. It’s rightfully considered the sweet fine cuisine of Italy.

Ingredients:

• 8.8 oz (250 ml) whole milk
• 8.8 oz (250 ml) 33-35% cream
• 4 yolks
• 5.3 oz (150 g) sugar
• 1 vanilla pod or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

How to cook:

1. Pour milk, cream, and 1/2 of the sugar in a non-stick pan. Put on low heat, and heat until small bubbles appear, stirring occasionally. Don’t boil! Remove from heat and add vanilla extract.
2. Separate the yolks from the whites and carefully whisk the yolks.
3. Add the rest of the sugar and continue to beat. Pour in some hot mixture and beat for 1-2 minutes. Pour the mixture of yolk and sugar into the bowl with milk and cream and continue to beat. Heat the mixture over low heat, stirring continuously.
4. Measure the temperature of the mixture using a thermometer. It’s extremely important to not overheat it. Your pastry cream is ready when it begins to thicken and reaches 185°F (85°C). As soon as your cream starts bubbling, turn off the heat. The scalded cream is ready when it’s thick and tough enough to cover the back of a spoon or spatula.
5. Tammy your cream in a chilled deep bowl to avoid curds. Keeping the bowl over ice allows the mixture to cool faster. When the cream is cool enough, pour it into the ice-cream freezing machine. Consult the instructions to know freezing time; it usually takes 20 minutes to half an hour.
6. After that, lay out the ice cream into an airtight container and put in a freezer for another 30 minutes.

5. Risotto

Alongside spaghetti, Italian risotto is considered one of the most well-known Italian dishes. As rice is the main ingredient, this dish allows you to experiment endlessly with fillings and add any ingredients you desire.

Ingredients:

• 35.3 oz (1 kg) chicken fillet (breasts and thighs)
• 1 celery rib
• 2 onions
• 1 carrot
• 3.5 oz (100 g) butter
• 7 oz (200 g) dry white wine
• 7 oz (200 g) Arborio rice
• 1.8 oz (50 g) parmesan
• salt and pepper to taste

How to cook:

1. Dice chicken breasts and thighs, but don’t throw out the bones. Put chicken bones, whole celery, carrot and 1 onion in a pan. Add pepper, salt and 53 oz (1.5 liters) of water. Scald and boil on low heat for half an hour. Strain off the soup stock and pour 17.6 oz (500 ml) into a clean pan, then leave to simmer.
2. Melt 2.3 oz (65 g) of butter in a stew pan, add 1 chopped onion and chicken. Fry on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is golden brown. Add wine, salt and pepper, then boil for 12-15 minutes to evaporate the liquid.
3. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously, until rice is translucent. Add enough soup stock to cover the rice and, stirring continuously, cook until the soup stock evaporates. Then, add the soup stock again and continue cooking, stirring occasionally.
4. Continue this process for about 20 minutes until the risotto is ready, then remove the stewpan from heat. While the risotto is still hot, add the remaining butter and grated parmesan. Cover and wait for 5-7 minutes. The risotto is ready!