The 50 Best Italian Recipes: Tasty, fresh, and easy to make!

By Adams Media

They’re fast. They’re flavorful. And they’re right at your fingertips. The 50 Best Italian Recipes is an appetizing selection of delicious dishes that bring your restaurant favorites right to your kitchen. From Lobster Ravioli to Anisette Cookies, there’s plenty included so you can whip up satisfying and tasty snacks and meals. Enjoy! They’re fast. They’re flavorful. And they’re right at your fingertips. The 50 Best Italian Recipes is an appetizing selection of delicious dishes that bring your restaurant favorites right to your kitchen. From Lobster Ravioli to Anisette Cookies, there’s plenty included so you can whip up satisfying and tasty snacks and meals. Enjoy!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Release date: Nov 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781440534447

Adams Media

At Adams Media, we don’t just publish books—we craft experiences that matter to you. Whether you’re diving deep into spirituality, whipping up delights in the kitchen, or planning your personal finances, our diverse range of lifestyle books, decks, journals, and more is designed to feed your curiosity. The Adams team strives to publish content that celebrates readers where they are—and where they’re going.

Book preview

The 50 Best Italian Recipes Cover

The 50 Best

Italian Recipes

Tasty, fresh, and easy to make!

Adams Media, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Avon, Massachusetts

Contents

Introduction

Lentil Soup

Pasta and Bean Soup

Caprese Salad

Antipasto

Gorgonzola and Fig Salad

Arugula Eggplant Salad

Tortellini Salad

Green Bean Salad

Prosciutto and Melon

Olive and Garlic Bruschetta

Stuffed Roma Tomatoes

Artichoke Leaves

Portobello Mushrooms Stuffed with Clams

Classic Tomato Sauce

Fra Diavlo Sauce

Béchamel Sauce

Alfredo Sauce

Classic Flatbread

Herby Flatbread

Cheese Pizza

Egg Bread

Classic Pasta

Whole-Wheat Pasta

Egg-White Pasta

Gnocchi

Scallop Pasta

Classic Meat Lasagna

Lobster Ravioli

Baked Vegetable Casserole

Stuffed Shells

Cheese Tortellini

Classic Risotto

Shrimp, Scallop, and Lobster Risotto

Creamy Polenta

Three Meatballs

Pork Sausage

Chicken Sausage

Bean and Vegetable Sausage

Classic Italian Meatloaf

Osso Bucco and Polenta Dumplings

Rack of Lamb

Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Parmesan

Shrimp Scampi

Red Snapper with Risotto

Biscotti

Italian Bread Pudding

Cinnamon Rolls

Zucchini Cake

Anisette Cookies

Also Available

Copyright Page

Introduction

When you think of Italian cuisine, you might picture something closer to what is actually Italian-American cuisine—a big departure from authentic Italian food. Since generations of Italian immigrants brought their family’s recipes from their native villages to America over the years, subsequent generations have adapted and altered these dishes due to the unavailability of particular products, the influence of American cuisine, and their families’ preferences. Your favorite Friday night pizza may look nothing like what some native Italians consider their signature dish!

Compiling a comprehensive collection of recipes to represent the food of Italy is an impossible task. Due to the number of regions in Italy as well as the influences of other cultures and variety of dishes that can be prepared in Italian style, you’d need quite the kitchen to prepare every Italian dish in existence even once. So where do you begin?

We have gathered fifty of the best Italy has to offer in this one convenient cookbook. From hearty and comforting Pasta and Bean Soup to classic Chicken Parmesan to crispy and sweet Anisette Cookies, you’ll find these delicious, easy-to-make favorites will soon become some of your family’s most-requested dishes.

Italian cuisine is largely based on family tradition and is characterized by fresh ingredients and simple preparation. Though some of these recipes are already altered from their original state, you should feel free to further customize them to your own tastes and the tastes of your family. You can add and subtract ingredients to make foods creamier, sweeter, more colorful, or more nutritious. No recipe is sacred, and Italian cooking is all about experimentation—and togetherness.

So what are you waiting for? Put on your apron, spread a red-checkered tablecloth, open a bottle of your favorite warming Chianti or crisp and bubbly Prosecco, and enjoy The 50 Best Italian Recipes!

Lentil Soup

This comforting, high-fiber soup requires you to brown all veggies first so that all the flavors and nutrients can be released to make a savory, full-flavored soup that can be served as an appetizer, or as a perfect lunch on a cold winter’s day.

Serves 10

Ingredients

¹⁄2 pound pancetta (or substitute ¹⁄4 pound