Vegetarian Italian Cuisines
It is not difficult to find some fantastic vegetarian Italian restaurants in any part of the world.
Their mouth watering menu has a wholesome mixture of soups, salads, lovely pastas to crusty breads. Most of the cooking relies on the local rice known as Arborio and the cuisine enjoys a rich lineage of cheese.
Italian food is fresh and lively with the use of plenty of olives, spices and herbs with tomato being an integral part of Italian cooking.
As someone rightly stated, Italian cuisines is the mother of Southern European cuisines.
Italian cuisines also has several variation based on the different regions but they all retain the basic theme and touch of Italian cuisines
Sauces lie at the heart of Italian cooking. And serve as an accompaniment to almost every dish whether it is pasta, meat dish or baked vegetables.
Some of the renowned Italian recipes are listed below:
Alfredo: is a white sauce which is made from butter and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. However these days heavy cream is added to enhance flavor and richness, mainly in U.S. This sauce best complements a dish referred to as fettuccine pasta.
Arrabbiata: in Italian for “angry”, this zesty tomato based sauce is given an extra spicy flavor because of the addition of hot chilli peppers. This sauce best complements any plain pasta recipe, but is best enjoyed with penne pasta.
Bolognese: Also called ragu alla Bolognese, which translates into a strong meat based sauce from Bologna Northern Italy, the place of its origin. Prepared an assortment of fresh vegetables, herbs and meat (beef) ingredients lend it a characteristic dark shade. Lastly a bit of wine, cream and seasoning is added to further concentrate flavors It is usually tossed with pastas or drizzled and served.
Carbonara: originated during the World War II and has 2 distinct versions. One is American (much richer) and second Italian. Prepared eggs, cream, Parmesan and bits of bacon, this sauce is cooked with any type of long pasta such as spaghetti, linguini, or fettucini.
Marinara: classic Italian tomato sauce made, which serves as a versatile base for many great Italian dishes. This sauce not only pairs well with pastas, but can also be used as a dip for finger foods, topping pizzas, burgers and sandwiches.
Probably one of the popular perplexing thoughts a person has when they transition to vegetarianism is keeping their diet filled with a variety of fun, diverse, and nutrient-dense foods. It can sometimes feel like you’re cutting many options out since you are no longer consuming meat, andit may seem you are losing even more options if you’ve also decided to cut dairy and eggs from your diet as well. With a little creativity, planning, and forethought, you might be surprised how much variety you can achieve with your new vegetarian diet - perhaps even more than your meat-eating days!
There are a few simple substitutions you can experiment with and use as substitutions in your favorite meat recipes.
Milk and other dairy products can also be easily replaced with vegetarian-friendly items. Try soy milk, soy margarine, and soy yogurts, which can be found in health food or Oriental food stores. You can also make nut milks by blending nuts with water and straining, or rice milks by blending cooked rice with water.
A good method to introduce beans to the diet is to use them instead of meat in favorite dishes, like casseroles and chili. Because of their many health benefits, beans should be eaten often. Some great examples are chickpeas, split peas, haricot, lentils (red, green or brown), and kidney beans.
Many seeds and nuts are available both in and out of the shell, whole, halved, sliced, chopped, raw, or roasted. Cashews, peanuts, walnuts, almonds are some easy-to-find favorites. Sunflower and sesame seeds are excellent choices for spicing up salads and other vegetable dishes.
And don’t worry that you’ll have to give up your favorite Mexican, Italian, or other favorite dishes now that you are vegetarian. Many of them can still be enjoyed and only need slight variations. Some popular and easily convertible dishes include: pasta with tomato sauce, bean burritos, tacos, tostadas, pizza, baked potatoes, vegetable soups, whole grain bread and muffins, sandwiches, macaroni, stir-fry, all types of salad, veggie burgers with French fries, beans and rice, bagels, breakfast cereals, pancakes, and waffles just to name a few. The freezer sections of most big grocery stores carry an assortment of vegetarian convenience foods such as veggie bacon, burgers, and breakfast sausages.
So get in the kitchen and let your creativity lead the way! You will probably be amazed just how much more variety your diet will have as a result.