I had very fond memories as a child of Sunday dinners we had as a family. Italians value nothing more than family and good food and this was how our Sundays revolved around. I especially loved Sundays that coincided with some very special occasions like a cousin’s birthday or a going away party because the simple family feast turns into an elegant Italian Fine Dining experience.

Coming from a very large family, my grandparents’ house would fill up with so much laughter and loud conversation as the little ones (me included) would play to our hearts’ content while the grown ups remained in the kitchen—tossing the antipasto, boiling pasta for the “primi”,  roasting the “secondo” and making the “dolci”. If you do not know what these Italian terms mean, they are the basic courses of an Italian Fine Dining meal.

Traditionally, you start with an “aperitivo” or the cocktails in English. This is usually an herb and citrus infused liquor that the adults drink before the start of the very long and heavy meal. After that is the “antipasti” or the appetizers. This can include thin slices of prosciutto or some olives, artichoke hearts, anchovies in olive oil.

This is followed by the “primi” which usually includes substantial, hearty dishes like risotto or pasta (both rich in carbohydrates). The “primi” is followed by a “secondi” or the main dish which usually involves pork, chicken, fish and beef. This can be accompanied with a side dish or a “contorno” that can be either a salad or cooked vegetables. Finally you have the “dolci” or the dessert that can include a special combination of fruit and cheese on top of the real dessert. That is followed by a demitasse of espresso and a digestive.

When we go to an Italian restaurant, we automatically choose any dish which sounds really familiar to us like pasta, spaghetti or penne. But Italian cuisine is such a diverse cuisine which runs more than simple Spaghetti Bolognese or tiramisu. Just like any other cuisine, the Italian culinary world has a few special ingredients that, if incorporated in any of the authentic Italian dishes, are real must-haves.

First thing that you simply must try when sampling Italian dishes are those with pinnoli or pine nuts. The Italian pine nut is usually added to pasta dishes, included as a component of pesto or as the main ingredient for a dessert. When added as an ingredient for pesto, pine nuts are mixed with some basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese with a light drizzle of olive oil. The entire thing when blended together creates a wonderful aroma that pleases the appetite. Other dishes that go well with pine nuts is the antipasti baked goat’s cheese which is basically cheese wrapped in bacon with some pine nuts an baby greens.  

Next to pine nuts, you will want to sample any Italian dish with carnelli beans or white kidney beans. These beans taste very light and creamy, and are often added to soups and stews as in “past'e fagioli” or pureed white bean soup with pasta. A wonderful inclusion of carnelli beans can be tasted in a dish called “braciole” or braised beef with prosiutto, fontine and the buttery white beans.

Another ingredient which you should be a look out for when checking out Italian restaurant menus is sun-dried tomatoes. Otherwise known as “pomodori secchi” by the Italians, this method of preserving tomatoes harvested during summer leaves a distinct sunny taste that is unmistakable in any authentic Italian food which calls for this ingredient.

Italy is known for its cured meats. Almost every region has a local ham or any special meat for that matter. They have as many original cured meats as they have wines and cheeses. In appreciating authentic Italian cuisine, you will have to sample their cured meat and nothing beats pancetta and prosciutto. Pancetta is the Italian equivalent of bacon and is primarily seasoned with peppercorns. This dry, cured meat is best tasted in dishes like “tonnarelli con belga” which is mainly thick pasta ribbons with pancetta and Belgian Endive sauce.

Prosciutto in the other hand is the similar dry-cured ham, but with a more delicate taste than the former. It is served in very thin slices, and most Italians enjoy this cured meat with melon. Another way to enjoy prosciutto is just as it is. Some authentic Italian restaurants will serve prosciutto as part of their antipasti, but be careful that they serve prosciutto that comes from Parma or San Daniele.

Italian cuisine is really very unique. There is nothing more delectable than pasta cooked to perfection (soft in the outside yet still crunchy when you bite on to it) and a very light sauce to bind everything. This is the kind of cooking that I grew up with, the thin crust pizzas topped with nothing but the fresh basil, crisp tomatoes and the soft mozzarella.

Although I can tell which is Italian and which is not even with my eyes closed, it is sad that a lot Americans are fooled into thinking that just because it says pasta and you do see spaghetti with tomato sauce it’s automatically Italian even when it’s not. Believe me, there are a lot of restaurants that have Italian names, and even decorate their place that you would think you’re actually in Italy, but do not serve the original Italian dishes.

You cannot imagine my frustration every time my friends and I walk into a so called authentic Italian restaurant and find out that their bread isn’t baked fresh (the way Italians serve bread) and that they put way too much sugar in their cakes that you feel the need to jog right away to burn the calories that you just ate. One thing to consider is balance.

Italian cuisine is all about balance. Italians like to let the natural flavor of their ingredients to be enhanced so they do not add too much seasoning. They do not like to mask their dishes in sauces so expect that they do not serve more sauce than what your pasta actually needs.

Italian Fine Dining Blog