Even if you’re not hungry, if you pass an Italian pizzeria or bakery , the appetizing smells will distract you from the road. The aroma of freshly baked bread, snacks or pizza is hard to resist and this is one of the reasons why pasta is so popular in Italy .
Probably only local craftsmen know the answer to the question why Italian pasta is so irresistible , but most of them jealously guard their secrets.
Why can’t we resist smelling Italian pasta?
What determines the perfect taste and aroma of each dish ? In the first place are the products, because without them we can not start cooking any dish. They must be of good quality, and with regard to Italian products there is no doubt that they are.
For pasta, such as pizzas, breads and pasta, flour is very important and it can’t be anything. There are many types and in order to get good recipes you need to use flours with certain characteristics.
Durum or soft wheat flours differ significantly. The type of flour most commonly used in Italy for everyday use is 00. It does not contain wheat bran and is therefore pure white.
There are 00 flours intended for bread, pizza and other pasta products with gluten levels from 5 to 12 percent . In Italy, wheat is generally ground to varying degrees of fineness, from 2, which is the coarsest, to the finest 000.
In addition to flour for pasta, a number of other products are used, such as:
- quality Italian cheeses and other dairy products
- sausages and meat products
- vegetables
- ripe under the rays of the hot Italian sun
- happy hen eggs
- olive oil
- rich bouquet of green spices and many others
Quality products make Italian pasta not only delicious, but also very healthy. They are part of the Mediterranean diet, which is recognized as a healthy diet, having thousands of followers around the world.
Also important for the quality of the pasta are the developed dozens, and in some dishes and hundreds of years, recipes. They are passed down from generation to generation , along with secret ingredients and technology.
However, products and recipes are only the necessary prerequisite for cooking , and a soul the dishes are inspired by master bakers, pizzerias and chefs, whose professions are highly respected in Italy.
Popular Italian pasta
Pizza
The queen of Italian cuisine – pizza, deservedly occupies one of the first places in popularity of Botusha, and has gradually conquered the whole world. It is not very difficult to prepare , and its perfect taste and aroma depends on the use of quality products and adherence to a certain theology.
A very important point is choosing the right flour . Italians use mainly flour type 00. It contains more gluten than other flours, which helps to obtain a crispy crust. Pizza sauce is simple and fresh or canned tomatoes are more suitable than ready-made tomato paste.
Many pizzerias do not pre-prepare the sauce, but put tomatoes directly on the dough. To garnish the pizzas to use a wide variety of products – sausages, cheese, mushrooms, olives, seasonal vegetables and much more.
It is characteristic of Italian pizzas that they are thin and pleasantly crunchy. Most are almost liquid in the middle as a result of the rich tomato sauce, and at the same time have a crispy and well-toasted crust.
Mozzarella, basil and olive oil are typical ingredients for many types of Italian pizza.
Among the most popular pizzas are:
- Margarita
- Quatro Formaggi
- Calzone
- Quattro Stadjoni
- Fruti di mare
- Capricciosa
- Neapolitan
- Diavolo
- Pepperoni and many others
Bread and pastries
Ciabatta (Ciabatta) is one of the most consumed Italian breads, is also known in our country. It is characterized by a large amount of liquid in the composition of the dough (70% of the total mass). In appearance, it is recognizable by its dark bark and highly porous interior. It has a delicate, slightly salty taste.
Focaccia Genovese (Focaccia Genovese) is the bread emblem of Liguria, which is made from wheat flour, olive oil, salt, water and yeast. This delicacy can be consumed both for breakfast and for a late night meal.
At dinner the focaccia may be accompanied by a glass of chilled white wine . For a richer taste and aroma, various products can be added to the classic recipe. For example for making focaccia with onions, it is finely chopped and added to the dough.
Focaccia can be sprinkled with chopped olives, mushrooms or sage. More modern options include stuffing of meat, cheese, tomatoes. There is also a sweet version with nuts and raisins.
In Veneto traditionally bake bread Bovolo (Bovolo). This product stands out among its brothers with its unusual spiral shape. Bread is kneaded from flour from soft wheat, water, salt, yeast and beer . The leavened dough is divided into pieces, which are twisted into a spiral. The result is great – small golden buns weighing up to 150 grams.
Mikhetta (Michetta) is a type of bread distributed in Lombardi and especially popular in Milan о. It is easily recognizable by its characteristic star shape. To prepare it flour is mixed with water, malt and yeast.
The dough rises for at least 16 hours and acquires perfect elasticity. Due to its delicate structure and exceptional taste, Miketa is used to make sandwiches , but loses some of its crunchiness within a few hours after roasting.
Rural bread Pane Cafone is most typical of the Campania region, but is widespread and liked throughout Italy. The special thing about its preparation is that the dough is made from a mixture of wheat and semolina . The combination makes the taste of bread richer and more refined.
Its bark is crispy and hard. Cafone once appeared as food for the poor, but is now considered one of the best breads in Italy.
Genzano is the pride of the bread houses of Lazio.
Its weight varies widely – from 0.5 to 2.5 kg., and its bark is dark in color. The aroma of Genzano is described as the smell of fresh grain, and the taste is pleasant with a slight acidity . Just cut it and pour a little olive oil and you can go without another meal.
Pan Caciato (Pan Caciato) is delicious bread with cheese from the classic Italian cuisine . Its composition, in addition to the standard flour, yeast and water, also includes olive oil, Pecorino cheese, walnuts and raisins.
Once risen, the dough is cut into pieces weighing 650 grams and allowed to rise. It is baked in a preheated oven and spreads an incredible aroma.
Scarpelle (Scarpelle) is one of the most unusual breads in Italy. In fact, its ingredients are quite ordinary – flour, water, salt and yeast. The difference comes from the way of heat treatment, because it is not baked, but fried in olive oil. The result is appetizing cylinders with an irregular shape with a golden crust.
