Italian Cuisine
An authentic Italian meal is a true culinary experience, an enrichment. Italians enjoy leisurely meals of many courses, with a great melding of flavors, aromas, colors and textures. And virtually every dish--seafood, pasta, breads, soups, stews, grains--is wonderfully seasoned with aromatic spices.
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Essential Herbs & Spices for Italian Cooking
While Italy's twenty distinct regions boast no less than twenty distinct culinary approaches, certain spices are central to most Italian fare. Here's a look at some of the Italian cook's most important spices:
Basil: Perhaps the most important spice in the Italian kitchen, basil distinctively flavors Italian minestrone, pasta saucec s, salads and dressings, breads and marinades. You'll often find it alongside oregano, and it's the traditional basis for pesto.
Oregano: Although a strong spice, oregano partners well with other spices--especially basil--in Italian cuisine. You'll find it works in virtually every tomato-based dish, and in a variety of sauces, soups, meat, fish, and egg dishes, pizza, and vegetable dishes (especially eggplant).
Parsley: With its fresh color and flavor, parsley is used as a garnish, but also as a subtle seasoning in soup stock, meat marinades, salads and dressings, and pasta sauces. One traditional Italian pasta sauce relies upon parsley, anchovies and garlic.
Garlic: Garlic is found in most cuisines, but it's indispensable in Mediterranean dishes. Use it in sauces, stews, soups, salad dressing, pasta sauces, casseroles, breads, grains, and croutons. For convenience, it's available in flakes, granules, and powder.
Italian Blends: For the ease of prepared blends, try Frontier Italian Seasoning, Herbs of Italy, Spaghetti Seasoning, Cheese & Italian Herb Seasoning, and Venetian Blend. Toss any with hot pasta for a quick dinner or cold pasta for a tasty side. Sprinkle on bread before grilling or making croutons, or add to soups, casseroles, or any dish you'd like to make the piece de resistance.
more essential spices for Italian cooking...
No time to make your own pasta sauce? Try Simply Organic Pasta Seasoning Mixes – they're fresh, flavorful and fast! Choose from Alfredo, Garlic Pasta Sauce and Sweet Basil Pesto.
We've got all the gadgets you'll need to start your Italian cooking extravaganza, from garlic gadgets, to a bread keeper, salad spinner, oil bottles and more.
Olive Oil
A staple in Mediterranean cuisine, olive oil is used for cooking, dipping crusty breads, drizzling on salads, and tossing with pasta. Touted for its health benefits, olive oils are identified according to regions in which they're produced, much like wines.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are the basis for innumerable Italian dishes. Dried tomato flakes are a convenient way to keep tomatoes on hand for soups, sauces, and casseroles. They have a rich taste, a bit deeper than fresh tomatoes. In fact, many recipes specify dried tomatoes for this distinct taste.
