Italian Restaurant - Staples of the Cuisine

In general, you may notice that an Italian restaurant is not focused on an abundance of different ingredients for each dish. In fact, simplicity is often the focus of the appetizers, entrees, and desserts. It is not how much you use but the quality of the ingredients that you plan to work with. There are a few items that can be found in multiple dishes.

Olive Oil

Without olive oil, an authentic Italian restaurant may have some trouble getting meals out to the tables. As a base to cook meat, fish, and poultry with, it can be found in most main course. It is added to sauces to change the texture, taste or appearance. Some restaurants have olive oil sitting at the table for customers to dip bread into while waiting for the meal to proceed.

Olive oil is also used in pesto. A mix of basil, nuts, and sometimes cheese, pesto can be used on pasta, spread onto bread or added to a salad dressing for a little extra flavor. It has a lot of versatility in restaurants and if you have never given this item a choice, consider scanning your menu for an item containing pesto on your next visit

Tomatoes

Most people automatically associate the tomato with dishes found in an Italian restaurant. Spaghetti and lasagna, both well known to the cuisine, contain tomatoes in the sauce and sometimes in a more solid form in the dish. It is said that the plum tomatoes often make some of the best tomato sauce however each chef often has his or her own preference when it comes to the ingredients found in the sauce.

Pasta

There is no way to just generally order pasta in an Italian restaurant. There are so many different varieties that customers often get confused by the different names and which pasta they represent. Many people have heard of spaghetti, linguini, and even penne pasta but there are several others that often make an appearance in the cuisine. They include things like fusilli, tortellini, and ravioli to name a few. If you find yourself confused, consider asking your server about a dish's specific ingredients. There are a few dishes that still work well if a customer chooses to switch the type of pasta.

Meats and Vegetables

There are endless combinations of meat, vegetables, and pasta in an Italian restaurant. Chicken, pork, and different types of seafood are often used. Aside from tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and artichokes often make an appearance. If the menu seems a little confusing at first, consider telling your server what type of meat and vegetables you enjoy. From there, he or she can recommend several dishes that include those specific ingredients.