5 Classic Italian Treats You Should Try

Mar 15, 2025 | Italian cuisine is one of the most popular in the world. The first classic that most people think of is probably pizza. But there are many more dishes and specialties that you should try. We present five absolute highlights and their authentic recipes from this southern European country.

Vincenzo’s Plate: Spaghetti alla Carbonara

May 7, 2023 | As the instigator of a Carbonara revolution, transforming the way this traditional dish is made around the world, I tried an endless number [of recipes] while in Rome. Given [that] I have been cooking it for decades and not wanting to steer to far from the original, I did my best to study how some of the best chefs in Rome made it. What a sacrifice!

Every year, I attempt to make a carbonara that tops the last, but I think this 2023 spaghetti carbonara might just be my best one yet! It's so creamy, yet has a crunchy bite at the end. And I am going to teach you a great new cooking technique to get the perfect sauce.


Click here for the recipe, then click on ‘more’.

Vincenzo’s Plate: How to Pick the Right Pasta for Every Sauce

Feb 8, 2025 | Pairing pasta with the right sauce is something I am really passionate about! While any sauce can technically go with any pasta, if you really want to elevate your dish and savour every bite, choosing the perfect match can really change how a dish comes together, not to mention how it tastes!

If you’re anything like me (a pasta lover through and through), you’ve probably noticed the massive amount of pasta shapes out there. Fun fact: there are over 500+ types of pasta, each crafted for a specific purpose. From the ridges on rigatoni that cling to hearty sauces to the delicate strands of spaghetti perfect for lighter, silky options, every shape is designed to create a perfectly delicious pasta dish.

In this guide, we'll explore some of the most popular pasta shapes and the sauces that complement them best. Let’s get into it!

Vincenzo’s Plate: Spaghetti aglio e oglio

Mar 8, 2020 | SYDNEY | Spaghetti aglio e olio is one of the world’s top ten dishes and it’s not hard to understand why! With just a couple of ingredients and barely any time, you can serve up one of the most traditional Italian dishes that exists: Spaghetti aglio e olio. The most important thing to remember is to cook your pasta al dente and use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can find. Give it an extra kick with fresh or dried peperoncino and it really is the perfect match.

Le Pastificio de Nicola: Italian Savory Easter Pie – Torta pasqualina

Apr 15, 2019 | Torta pasqualina, a delicious spinach and egg pie traditionally eaten on Easter Sunday in Italy. Traditionally served cold, this pie will keep well in the fridge, but is at its best when served straight after it has cooled, perhaps with a nice glass of white wine.

Get the full recipe by clicking here and then by clicking on ‘more’.

WIKIPEDIA: Torta pasqualina »

El Pastificio de Nicola: Lasagne Bolognese – Beef Lasagna

Oct 19, 2019 | The lasagne Bolognese is a classic of Italian cuisine. It is famous worldwide. This version made Bologna style, with layers of egg and spinach pasta, a traditional meat ragú and a creamy Bechamel sauce, make this a rich and delicious meal.

Click here for the full recipe, then click on ‘more’.

El Pastificio de Nicola: Busecca alla milanese (Milanese-style Tripe)

Jul 7, 2023

For the full recipe, click here and then click on ‘more’.

British Event Host Gaby Huddart Interviews Chef Valentina Harris

Oct 15, 2024 | Join London-based celebrity interviewer Gaby Huddart for a fascinating interview with legendary culinary expert and cookbook author Valentina Harris. During this conversation, Chef Harris recalls her early years in Italy, where her love for cooking began at age six, nurtured by her Anglo-Italian family of gourmets. She shares highlights from her prolific writing career, including from The Italian Regional Cookbook, a comprehensive guide to the cuisine from each of Italy’s twenty regions that took her more than ten years to compile. Chef Harris also delights Gaby with samples of her latest culinary creations.

Broadcast on Viking.TV on October 15, 2024.

El Pastificio de Nicola: Panzanella: The Perfect Italian Salad for Summer

Jan 31, 2024 | Panzanella, a traditional Italian dish, is a salad composed of stale bread and vegetables, ideal for summer. It's quick and easy to prepare; however, it benefits from some resting time to allow the flavors to fully blend. This dish serves perfectly as an appetizer or a light, speedy lunch.

For the full recipe, click here, then click on ‘more’.

How Saffron Risotto Is Made in Italy | DW Food

Feb 10, 2024 | Risotto is a simple dish with just a few ingredients, and yet many people fail at making it.

The perfect risotto can only be achieved with a lot of patience and instinct. Head chef Elvis Dollenga from the Milanese restaurant Risoelatte shows you all the tricks on how to prepare Risotto alla Milanese perfectly and how to achieve that special, creamy consistency.

The special thing about Risotto alla Milanese: the saffron gives it its yellow hue. In the 16th century, one of the apprentices working on the stained-glass windows of Milan Cathedral is said to have added saffron to the white rice to give it its special color. Today, Risotto alla Milanese is a classic of Italian cuisine.

Italy is still the largest rice exporter in Europe. The rice is grown in the Po Valley, which is also known as the rice bowl of Europe. So it's no wonder that the traditional Milanese dish is risotto. You need risotto rice (only this releases the starch during cooking and constant stirring to create the special creaminess), freshly cooked beef stock made from bones and vegetables, white wine, Parmesan and butter. And of course: saffron.

CREDITS:

Report: Andrea Horakh
Camera: Domenico Cannata
Edit: Monika Wenczel
Supervising Editors: Ruben Kalus

Dinner In Rome - Lidia's Italian Table

Nov 15, 2021 | A popular dish in Lidia's first restaurant in Queens, New York, and still a favorite in her home today, Lidia shares her recipes with us…

Lasagna & Caesar Salad - Lidia's Italian Table (S1E12)

Oct 12, 2021 | Caesar salad is a staple on the Italian-American table, even though it’s origin in Mexican. Lidia’s version is the best of both, and shows us why it is probably America’s most popular salad. And who doesn’t love lasagna? Lidia’s is classic Italian-American lasagna, steeped in her special meat sauce.
For Lidia’s website, click here.

Saltimbocca alla Romana: How to Make Rome’s Most Popular Main Dish

Oct 28, 2023 | Saltimbocca alla Romana is so good, that it literally “jumps into your mouth” - that’s what it means in Italian. The veal cutlet with prosciutto and sage is one of Rome’s most popular main dishes and an absolute classic in Italy’s capital.

This traditional Roman dish is a true culinary gem, known for its elegant simplicity and bold flavors. In this video, we dive into the history and origins of Saltimbocca alla Romana, uncovering the ingredients and techniques that make it a favorite in Italian households.

How Authentic Ragù alla Bolognese Is Made in Italy

Nov 11, 2023 | Italy is famous for various pasta dishes and one of the most popular is: Ragù alla Bolognese. This meaty tomato sauce is known far beyond Italy's borders and is an absolute classic of Italian cuisine. But how is it prepared correctly? Why is the original recipe kept in the Bologna Chamber of Commerce? And why shouldn't you use spaghetti for this dish - as many people do? Let's find out!

Stanley Tucci Makes Chicken Cacciatore

Sep 15, 2023 | “Each Italian family seems to have its own variation on this classic dish,” says Stanley Tucci, actor, cookbook author and host of the series Searching for Italy. This version hails from his mother’s side of the family, and it includes tomatoes — an ingredient that cooks on his father’s side of the family typically omitted from their chicken cacciatore. Stanley recommends serving this hearty one-pan meal with a medium-bodied white or a light red. | Tucci™ by GreenPan™ Exclusively at Williams Sonoma

Regrettably, I cannot provide a link to the full recipe, even though one is provided, because it doesn’t work here in Europe. The ingredients and method are not available on YouTube, either; therefore, if you wish to make it, you will have to wing it from what can be gleaned from the video itself. It looks tasty and delicious, I must say. – Mark

Nigellissima | BBC Select

Sep 28, 2023 | Bring incredible Italian cuisine into the kitchen and using everyday ingredients with Nigellissima. This Italian cooking series sees the celebrated chef share her passion for pasta, puddings and more. Recreate these easy to follow Nigella Lawson recipes and bring delicious Italian dishes to the plate.

Featured Nigella Lawson Italian recipes include Shortcut sausage meatballs, Italian roast chicken with peppers and olives, Pork loin with Parma ham and oregano, Sicilian pasta with tomatoes, garlic and almonds, Sardinian couscous with clams, Squid and prawns with chilli and Tiramisini.


Stream the full series with BBC Select here.

Nigella Lawson’s Super Easy Lemon Linguine | Nigella Bites

Oct 31, 2018 | Nigella shows us how to make her quick and easy lemon linguine, using only a handful of ingredients that you don't even have to cook!

Risotto Alfredo* | Akis Petretzikis

May 26, 2022

Get the recipe here.

* 'Alfredo' denotes a sauce incorporating butter, cream, garlic and Parmesan cheese. It is named after the Italian chef and restaurateur Alfredo di Lelio.

Alba’s Home-made Lemon Cake | Torta al limone italiana

May 25, 2023

Click here and then click on ‘show more’.

Ina Garten's Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash | Barefoot Contessa | Food Network

Sep 23, 2021

Get the recipe here.