2. List of Italian Food
• Here is some typical Italian food:
• Pizza: probably the most famous Italian dish, it
was invented in Napoli/Naples around 1860
• Calzone: just a folded up pizza
• Pesto: thick green sauce with olives, herbs and
olive oil, pine kernels and parmiggiano
cheese.
• Gelato: ice-cream is an Italian invention
• Lasagna: layered pasta dish with tomato,
mozzarella cheese and mince meat filling.
• Mozzarella: Italian cheese balls, originally
made from buffalo milk
3. Different Types Of Pasta
Here are a few pasta shapes and the meanings of
their names:
farfalle = butterflies
penne = quills / pens
fusilli = spindles
spaghetti = strings
vermicelli = little worms
conchiglie = shells
tortellini = little pies
fettucine = little slices
4. Italian Meals
• The main meal of the day is at lunch time.
The word for 'the lunch ' is il pranzo.
You start with antipasti: these are nibbles like olives, cheese and
salami, followed by.........
il primo (the first course which is pasta or minestrone) then
il secondo (the main course which is meat or fish with salad or
vegetables)
then there is fruit and perhaps a dessert.
Finally there is espresso coffee
• Before eating a meal, Italians say to each other 'Buon appetito!‘
This means 'Good appetite!' and it is wishing everyone a good
appetite so that they enjoy their meal.
5. Food For Special Occasions
• At Christmas, Italians eat a special bread-cake
called
il panettone.
On the 1st. of January, Italians eat lentils for
good luck in the new year.
At Easter, they eat a special bread-cake in the
shape of a dove. It is called la colomba.
6. At Home
• On the dining table in Italian homes there is
always water, wine and bread. An Italian
superstition is not to place bread upside-down on
the table as it is considered to bring bad luck!
Here is some vocabulary: il vino bianco - white
wine
il vino rosso - red wine
il pane - bread
l'acqua - water
7. Italian Food Places
Ristorante - serves all foods but not pizza.
Trattoria - serves all foods but not pizza. This is an 'informal'
restaurant where you may be expected to share your
table with strangers.
Pizzeria - specialises in pizza.
Agriturismo - a restaurant on a farm, serving home-
produced food.
Tavola calda - self-service restaurant, literally meaning
'hot table.'
Rosticceria - a 'take-away' serving roast meat, especially
chicken.
Paninoteca - a sandwich shop bar.
Spaghetteria - specialises in pasta.
