There's is nothing quite like touring the Italian countryside; with every region offering a new adventure and culinary experience. The mountains of the North and it's cuisine rich with butter, creamy cheeses like fontina and hearty dishes like Osso Bucco and risotto.
Head slightly south to the Emilia-Romana region and you are greeted with some of the most famous Italian delicacies, wheels of nutty aged Parmesan, melt-in-your-mouth Prosciutto di Parma and complexly flavored (and highly regulated) Balsamic Vinegar of Modena or Reggio Emilia made from native Trebbiano or Lambrusco grapes (once you taste the real thing, you'll never want to use the standard grocery store variety again!).
Travel all the way south to Sicily, and you'll think you've arrived in a different county. Sicilian cuisine is truly a melting-pot influenced by it's central location (smack in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea) and the many groups who once laid claim to this tiny island. Each of the most famous dishes of the region seem to take a bit of the island's rich history and combine it into one incredibly flavored dish. Caponata for example is a mix of eggplant, peppers spices and nuts, a delicious marriage of Arab, Greek and Spanish influence. Or look to Cuscusu alla Trapanese made from the North African staple Couscous and filled with the regions best seafood.
Now that you may be longing to jump on a plane and experience these varied tastes for yourself, we decided to pull together some of our favorite Italian dishes from the feedfeed community so you can experience the vastly diverse cuisine of Italy at home. While it may never replace a once-in-a lifetime tour, they will certainly fill your kitchen with irresistible new flavors and comfort food classics!
Homemade Pasta There are few things more satisfying in life than transforming a few humble ingredients (flour, eggs, olive oil and salt) into homemade pasta. The texture is unlike anything out of a box, and although the process my seem intimidating, it's actually quite simple and can even be made without any special tools.
This recipe is for our basic pasta dough. You could use a traditional hand-crank pasta machine to roll it into fettuccine or use a few common kitchen tools to shape it by hand, as seen here.
Add this spooky homemade pasta to your Halloween Menu! The color comes from fresh pumpkin and activated charcoal. We were lucky enough to have @saltyseattle on our snapchat (thefeedfeed) to show us the step by step recipe, which you can view in full, here!
This cappalletti pasta (which translates to "little hats") is filled with roasted butternut squash studded with fresh sage and creamy goat cheese. Once cooked, it's tossed in a rich garlic butter sauce.
There is a chill in the air stateside which calls for piping hot bowls of slow-cooked food! Check out these Italian renditions for the ultimate Sunday Supper.
Bagna Cauda, which translates to "hot bath" comes from the Piedmont region of Italy and is a popular dish during the holidays. It's made by simmering garlic in a mix of olive oil and herbs, and sometimes anchovies and butter. It's served similar to fondue, and is delicious to dip bread into, or even raw or roasted vegetables.
This simple to make fresh ricotta is delicious on top of crostini. Set out some toasted bread along with the ricotta and assorted toppings like roasted red peppers, olives, roasted butternut squash, shredded Brussels Sprouts and cured meats and let guests DIY.
We've teamed up with Ballarini USA to share recipes inspired by Italy's rich food culture and today only we're giving away 20 of their amazing non-stick pans with built-in thermopoint indicator (so you know when the pan is ready to cook with!). These pans are crafted in Northern Italy, where this cookware has been made for over 127 years! Click here for all of the details and a chance to win!
Remember to add #feedfeed to your cooking, baking & drink making social media posts for a chance to be featured on our Instagram feed & on the site.
