BAR ROSSO

A

Abbacchio: lamb

Abruzzese or all’abruzzese: From or in the style of the Abruzzo region of Italy; usually spicy.

Aceto: balsamic- Balsamic vinegar

Acuqua: water

Acquacotta: A vegetable soup, generally spiced with peppers and thickened with bread, at times containing egg and cheese. A dish typical of coastal Tuscany and upper Latium, but one that varies widely depending on the location.

Affettati: cold cuts, sliced meats

Affumicato: smoked

Agliata: A garlic sauce, sometimes containing crushed walnut meats. Comes in numerous regional variations, most notably from Piedmont, Abruzzo, and Liguria.

Aglio dolce: Garlic that has been previously chopped and soaked in milk to make it “sweet” (often used in Piedmont).

Agnolotti: A Piedmont’s stuffed pasta which was born as a way of using left-over meats, agnolotti are made differenly depending on the meat available, local habits, and the preferences of the cook. To prepare the stuffing, various kinds of roasted and boiled meats are used separately or in combination, and a cured meat is always included; escarole is the vegetable of choice, although Swiss chard or spinach are sometimes used, and rice cooked in mild is often added for a lighter texture. Agnolotti can be served in a broth, tossed with melted butter and fresh sage, or lavished with a truffle sauce or gravy from roasts.

Ajada: garlic, walnut, and bread-crumb sauce

Albese: prepared with truffles

Alici: anchovies

Alzata: tiered fruit or cake stand

Amaretti: Dry cookies made of ground almonds, egg whites, and sugar, ideal in the creation of stuffings and dessert but also excellent eaten on their own.

Amatriciana: A pasta sauce, originally from the town of Amatrice in the province of Rieti (in the region of Latium) and a variation on the original Abruzzese version which contains no tomatoes. Amatriciana is made bu sautéing a cured meat called guanciale (from the pork cheek) in olive oil, then adding minced onion and cooking until golden. Tomatoes are stirred in, as well as a pinch of chili pepper or black pepper. The pasta that is typically used is long pasta: either perciatelli or bucatini. Since guanciale is rarely available outside Italy, pancetta is frequently used instead.

Ammiscato: Mixed; alludes to an assortment of pasta shapes usually added to bean soup.

Amorosi: elongated, tubular, twisted pasta

Anatra: duck

Animelle: sweetbreads

Anolino: filled pasta traditionally prepared in Parma and other neighboring cities. The filling is generally made with bread crumbs soaked in very dense meat gravy, to which egg and grated cheese are added. They are cooked and served in a strong beef broth or consommé. In Italy, this ancient dish has many variations. Parma and Piacenza are the principal cities where anolini are made, and are sometimes called “anvein.”

Aranciata: orange drink, orange soda

Arancini: Deep-fried rice balls from Sicily, also popular in Naples and Rome. These “little oranges” (the literal translation of their name) are made of boiled rice mixed with eggs and grated cheese, and filled with a spoonful of ragù or a piece of melting cheese. Each ball is covered with flour, beaten eggs, and bread crumbs. Finally it is deep-fried in olive oil until golden.

Aragosta: lobster

Aretina: all’ Arezzo-style; typically contains duck, ham, vegetables, and nutmeg.

Arista: duck

Arrosto: roasted

Avemarie: literally “Hail Mary’s”; a small pasta for soup, named after and resembling the beads in a rosary.

B

Babà al rhum: yeasted sweet is baked and soaked in a rum syrup until it is entirely imbued with the rum’s aroma and flavor. The most famous are from Naples, where it was prepared for the aristocracy.

Baccalá: This is dried codfish, salted or sundried, often present in the menus from Veneto. A legacy of the Norwegians, and found in the cuisine of many Mediterranean countries, it can be prepared in a variety of ways beginning with a long soak in cold water (24 to 48 hours). The water should be frequently changed during the softening process. Though baccalá can be fried in strips or even eaten raw, the most familiar version involves cooking the cod very, very slowly in milk.

Baccalá mantecato: common dish native to Venice, consisting of salted cod cooked very slowly with milk, onion, olive oil, garlic, anchovy filets and parsley for at least four hours.

Bagna cauda: “hot bath”, this is a typical sauce of Piedmont. Flavor from crushed, sliced or minced garlic is underscored by a generous amount of minced anchovies; these are skillfully incorporated into olive oil and unsalted butter, which are melted and kept hot at the table in a fondue pot. Raw vegetables like radishes, peppers, cabbage, carrots and cardoons are used for dipping in this sauce, and cooked vegetables like turnips and potatoes are often served as well.

Bagnapan: seafood soup thickened with bread

Bagnèt: In a dialect of Piedmont, this means sauce. A red and a green version are common, and both are used to accompany bollito misto, a typically Piedmont’s assortment of boiled meats. The red bagnèt features tomatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic that are cooked for half an hour, to which wine vinegar and sugar are added; the sauce is simmered for two more hours. The green bagnèt is a piquant blend of anchovies, hard-boiled egg yolks, parsley, garlic, capers and bread that has been soaked in milk and squeezed dry, extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

Bagozzo: hard, sharp Grana cheese, otherwise known as Bresciano

Bain-marie: Known as a water bath in America or a bagnomaria in Italian, this refers to the technique of immersing a pot of food in a hot water bath to cook it gently and evenly, much like a double-boiler. The technique is often used for chocolate dishes, custards, mousses and other delicate dishes. The water in the lower bowl or pan should be hot, but never boiling.

Balsamico extravecchio: Real balsamic vinegar is always vecchio (old), but the most flavorful and aromatic is extravecchio (extra-old). To get its seal of extra-old approval, an extravecchio must be aged at least 25 years, and sometimes up to 100 or more years (as opposed to the 12 years required of a regular balsamico tradizionale).

Basilico: basil

Bastarda: salsa butter sauce, thickened with egg

Bastoncini: small, stick-like pasta for soup

Batufolli: polenta balls prepared with meat sauce and Parmesan, traditionally placed in a pyramid

Bavette: pasta similar to Linguine

Bel paese: a variety of well-known mild, soft, pale yellow cheeses from Lombardy

Besciamella béchamel: a white sauce

Bigoli: A type of pasta from the Veneto region in which the dough (flour, eggs, melted butter, salt, milk) is worked until pliable, cut into small stick shapes, and extruded through a special instrument called a bigolaro. The resultant rough texture gives a surface that is excellent for absorbing sauces. Egg noodles are a suitable substitute.

Biscotti: cookies

Bisna: polenta made with beans, sauerkraut, and onion

Bistecca alla Fiorentina: Florentine steak is a hefty T-bone cut of Chianina beef, named after the Val di Chiana where these cows are raised. The meat is not fatty and more flavorful than other types of meat. To prepare the steak, the meat is grilled quickly over charcoal and seasoned with extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. For best results, it should be 2″ thick.

Bocconcini: small mozzarella balls

Bodino: (budino) baked veal stuffed with layers of vegetables and prosciutto

Bollito: boiled

Bolognese: Outside Bologna, and especially outside Italy, the term refers to a meat sauce for pasta. (In Bologna, it’s known simply as “ragù.”)

Bonarelli: thin ribbons of pasta

Bonet: Piedmont’s desert. First, a caramel is prepared and poured while hot into the bottom of a baking dish. An egg custard typically flavored with crumbled Amaretto, rum, and melted chocolate is poured over the caramel base while is baked in a water bath.

Bottarga: made from salted and pressed fish roe, bottarga is an orange hued bar with an intense flavor. Most commonly identified with Sardinian and Sicilian cooking, bottarga is made with grey mullet in Sardinia and tuna in Sicily.

Braciola: chops

Brasato: braised beef

Bresaola: Made from lean beef (top-round, rump, or filet) bresaola is a savory cured meat native to the Valtellina area in Lombardy. The meat is lightly salted, marinated in wine and herbs, and dry-cured. Bresaola can be aged for long periods of time or very briefly. Its flavor intensifies as it ages. The best way to savor Bresaola is raw, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with pepper.

Brovade: peasant food from the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia based on sliced turnips macerated from a month or so in grape skins. The turnips are most often served as an accompaniment to meat dishes, but they can also be folded into pasta e fagioli or other soups.

Brodo: broth

Bruschetta: toasted bread seasoned with garlic and drizzled with olive oil, at times served with tomatoes or other various toppings

Brutti ma buoni: “Ugly But Good,” light almond macaroons from Northern and Central Italy may look ugly and irregular but taste absolutely delicious.

Bruz: also called bròs, is a cheese preparation typical of Piedmont and Liguria. It is made by mixing together left-over bits of robiola or goat cheese, adding grappa or brandy, olive oil, vinegar, chili pepper or peppercorns, and salt, then placing the mixture in hermetically sealed terra-cotta pots to ferment and become spicy. The fermented cheese is slathered on warm toasted bread and grilled polenta.

Bucatini: dried pasta that looks like spaghetti but is hollow. Typically, bucatini are served with tomato- or meat-based sauces.

Buccellato: traditionally wreathed-shaped sweet of Lucca in Tuscany, buccellato was often prepared to celebrate confirmations. It is a simple dessert, made of leavened dough enriched with eggs, sugar, and butter or lard; dried citron or Marsala are sometimes folded in. There are endless variations of buccellato, and every baker has his or her special touch.

Burrata: a soft mozzarella whose soft center is a combination of cream and finely chopped mozzarella curds. Traditionally made from buffalo’s milk, today Burrata is made with cow’s milk. Highly perishable due to its creamy center, Burrata lasts only a couple of days in the refrigerator. Pair with fresh tomatoes, crisp basil, and a generous drizzle of olive oil.

Burrida: Sardinian specialty is not a soup like the similarly named burridda of Liguria, but rather a way of dressing fish from the shark and skate family. The fish is poached in an aromatic broth with onion, carrot, celery, parsley and a wedge of lemon, then served with a flavorful garlic sauce stretched with mild vinegar and thickened with crushed pine nuts or walnuts.

Burro: butter

C

Cacciatore, alla: “hunter-style”; alludes to the varying methods of stewing lamb, chicken, veal, and rabbit. Northern ingredients typically include tomatoes, while those of central and southern Italy predominantly use rosemary, garlic, and vinegar.

Cacciuco: Tuscan stew made by the Etruscans as long as three thousand years ago, it is made either with fish and seafood or with meat. In both cases, many varieties of meat or fish are cooked with vegetables and given an especially sharp flavor by a generous quantity of garlic and chili pepper. The seaside town of Livorno is famous for its fish and seafood cacciucco.

Caciocavallo: type of hard cheese, typical of Sicily, somewhat similar to provolone, which is made of whole milk, processed without cooking, and aged for at least two months. Though it is often smoked, its flavor is also affected by the amount of time it is aged.

Cacio e pepe: pasta, usually spaghetti or other long pasta, topped with grated pecorino romano cheese and black pepper

Cacioricotta: hybrid between caciocavallo and fresh ricotta, cacioricotta is a hard cheese made from sheep’s milk and cow’s milk in Southern Italy. A specialty in Apulia and Basilicata, cacioricotta is excellent grated over pasta, especially orecchiette, or even shaved over salads.

Calamari: squid

Caldo: hot

Calzone: A savory turnover made with pizza dough, folded over itself, and then baked or fried. Traditional stuffing for calzone involves the use of tomatoes, mozzarella or fresh ricotta, and salami. The types of stuffing vary in different Italian regions.

Canavesani: agnolotti pasta stuffed with rice, beef cooked in red wine, cheese, truffles, cabbage, and garlic.

Canederli: dumplings made with cubed leftover bread soaked in milk, water, or broth then enriched by speck and/or cheese and herbs. Canederli are served to accompany hearty, flavorful dishes like stews, boiled meat or soup.

Canestrelli: scallops

Canestrini: small pasta for soup (may also allude to anything shaped like a small basket)

Cannellini: white beans

Cannoli: Sicilian specialty named for its pipe like shape and intended as a treat at carnival, cannoli spread through Italy and were eventually a fixture in almost every pastry shop. The elaborately flavored dough is rolled and shaped around a metal cylinder, then deep fried. When cool the crisp cookie-like tubes are filled with a sweetened ricotta mixture enriched with candied fruits and small bits of chocolate. The origins of cannoli, also called Turkish hats, can be traced back to the Saracens or even to pre-Christian times.

Cannoncini: sweet pastry shell. Cannoncini literally means little cannons, a reference to the pastry’s slim, tubular shape. Cannoncini are made by rolling a single strip of puff pastry dough around a thin metal cylinder, and then baked. Most cannoncini are filled with something sweet, such as pastry cream, whipped cream, sugary almond or pistachio paste, or fruit jam.

Cantucci, cantuccini: Tuscan almond cookies that resemble small biscotti; traditionally dunked in Vin Santo.

Capellini: fine strands of pasta “fine hair”, usually used in soup

Capocollo: name of both a cut of pork and a cured meat obtained from the upper part of the neck and the shoulder of pork, mostly prepared in central and southern Italy. Meat and fat are cut into large chunks and flavored with different spices in different regions, and cured for four months to one year.

Caponata: Sicilian dish featuring cubed eggplant, celery, and onions- previously fried- paired with tomatoes, raisins, pine nuts, olives, vinegar, and sugar.

Cappelletti: ring-like band of stuffed pasta with a peaked point in front and a pinch in the back. Different fillings are used to stuff cappelletti, but the two most typical are a delicate meat purée or cheese.

Capperi: capers

Caprese: “of Capri”; mozzarella and tomato salad with basil

Capriolo: venison

Carbonara: alla, sauce which is typically paired with spaghetti in the region of Lazio. This sauce is prepared by sautéing cubed guanciale in lard and adding it to beaten eggs and Pecorino Romano.

Carbonnade: robust stew hails from the northern region of Val d’Aosta but is also common in France, where it is called carbonade. (In the rest of Italy, it goes but the name of carbonata.) To make carbonnade, lean stewing beef is cut into strips, dredged in flour, and browned in hot butter; onions are stirred in and browned, then is deglazed with a full-bodied red wine, and salt is stirred in. As the meat cooks and the sauce reduces, more wine and a generous amount of pepper are folded in; the end result is a rich, densely sauced stew best accompanied by steaming hot polenta.

Carciofini: artichoke

Carni: meat

Carpaccio: raw beef filet in paper-thin slices seasoned with olive oil, mustard, lemon, and pepper, but today carpaccio can also be of raw fish or vegetables.

Carpione: A treatment for freshwater fish, particularly carp, trout, and eel. It means frying the fish in olive oil, then marinating it with vinegar and aromatic vegetables for up to one week. Carpione is usually presented as an appetizer.

Carta da musica: a staple in Sardinia, carta da musica is an extremely thin bread that owes its name to its parchment-like appearance. Its preparation is lengthy and complicated; a yeasted dough is prepared with durum flour and all-purpose flour, left to rise, kneaded, stretched repeatedly with a rolling pin, left to rise again, baked, cooled, and baked again until dry and crunchy.

Cartellate: traditional Christmas sweet from Apulia. Cartellate is yeasted dough flavored with olive oil and wine, shaped like a flower, and fried in hot olive oil. Once patted dry, they are dipped into a hot syrup (usually grape must, sometimes honey) and cooked until they float to the surface. They are then dusted with cinnamon and confectioner’s sugar and served at room temperature.

Cassata all’abruzzese: This spectacular cake was born in Sicily, where it took its name from a deep, rounded bowl called quasat in Arabic. In Abruzzo cassata consists of four layers of sponge cake imbibed with centerbe, each spread with nougat, croquant, or chocolate pastry cream, and it is a specialty of the town of Sulmona.

Casoeûla: Traditional Milanese dish for the cold fall and winter months, made of Savoy cabbage and pork. It’s usually accompanied by steaming polenta.

Cassola: old Roman Jewish desset, fresh ricotta is beaten with sugar and eggs, then cooked like a pancake in a hot pan with a little olive oil until golden on both sides. When done, cassola is firm and brown on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside. Some elaborate variations include cinnamon, cognac, or grated lemon zest.

Castagnaccio: classic Tuscan winter cake, deriving its name from castagna or “chestnut” since the cake is made from chestnut flour, sugar, olive oil, and spices.

Cavatelli: made with semolina flour, water, and salt, the pasta is cut into 1″ pieces, the center is flattened so that the borders curl upon themselves, forming a characteristic oval shell shape. Cavatelli’s one of the most popular pastas in southern Italy.

Cavolo: cabbage

Cavour: alla Sliced meat served over fried or baked slices of polenta, at times also accompanied by chicken liver purée or grilled mushrooms.

Cavolfiori: cauliflower

Cedro: A very large fruit that resembles a big lemon found only in the southern part of Italy. The harvest is between October and December, but the fruit, prized for its aromatic peel and essential oils, is used year round. After candying, the peel is used in a variety of desserts.

Celeria: Also called sedano rapa (celery root) or sedano di Verona (Verona celery), this root’s flesh is tender and aromatic, with flavors reminiscent of celery stalks, parsnip and parsley. It’s popular in autumn dishes from Northern Italy, especially in the Piedmont and Verona areas.

Centerbe: A strong digestive from Abruzzi made from infusing a variety of medicinal herbs in alcohol for at least one month.

Cetrioli: cucumber

Chitarra: “guitar”; a wire apparatus for cutting sheets of fresh pasta in order to form square-shaped maccheroni or spaghetti.

Ciambella: This word can refer to any ring-shaped cake, big or small, including donuts. Ciambelle vary widely in their ingredients, but always contain flour, eggs and a leavening agent. Two classic ciambelle are torcolo, a braided cake from Umbria with raisins and candied fruit, and buccellato, a Tuscan cake with anise and raisins.

Ciambotta: vegetable stew made with potato, tomato, eggplant, onion, and peppers

Cibreo: A Tuscan stew of chicken giblets, very popular in nineteenth century cooking. According to Pellegrino Artusi’s 1891 recipe, the giblets are stewed in broth with butter, salt and pepper, then topped with a sauce of egg yolk cooked with lemon juice, flour and broth.

Cipolle: onions

Coda: oxtail

Confetti: (1) Sugar-coated, or Jordan, almonds, traditionally presented to guests at weddings; (2) Anything that looks something like confetti (i.e., small and multicolored-for example, small chopped-up vegetables used as a garnish).

Coniglio: rabbit

Cornetto: Croissant, roll; a crescent-shaped bread likened to the croissant, but with dough different from that used in the French-style flaky pastry.

Costoletta: cutlets

Cotechino: A sausage which was first produced in Emilia and later in Veneto. Made from pork and lard, it was originally wrapped in pigskin. A favorite of Rossini and very popular in Rome, cotechino is most often served on lentils.

Cotognata: An ancient sweet made from purée of quince cooked in sugared water until it obtains a rosy color. Left out to dry for two day, it is then cut into shapes, cubes or lozenges, rolled in crystallized sugar, and stored in glass jars.

Cotto: cooked

Cozze: mussels

Crescenza: A mild, fresh cow’s milk cheese from Lombardy. It has a delectable, creamy taste and texture and is very spreadable; it must be consumed immediately as it will quickly turn sour.

Crespelle: Italian version of crêpes, crespelle are made with eggs, milk, flour, and a touch of olive oil (some prefer butter). The ingredients are cooked into nearly transparent disks on an ungreased griddle. Crespelle can also be sweet if sugar is added to the batter.

Crostini: bread that is sliced into rounds or squares, toasted or grilled, and topped with various spreads and ingredients, it becomes crostini

Crudo: Raw, rare; for salami and fish, the term often means “cured.”

Cucina: kitchen

Culatello; it’s an expensive and rare cured meat, product of Parma. Generally formed into an oval, and weighing as much as seven pounds, it is made using a posterior muscle of a pig’s haunch (the same haunch that is used for prosciutto). Culatello is made from very lean meat and required, during its very long aging, a humid climate - just the opposite of prosciutto, which has much more fat and needs to mature in a very dry atmosphere.

D

Dado: bouillon cube

denti di cavallo: “horse’s teeth”; an industrial pasta shape similar to rigatoni but smaller

Dentice: snapper (fish)

Diavolo: spicy sauce

Diavolillo: The super hot chili from Abruzzi and Molise. Diavolillo nearly defines the cooking of these two regions. Since Abruzzo and Molise are fond of spicy food, you’ll find minced chili infusing in local olive oil, ready to pour on soups, marinades for meat or poultry, and most commonly to sauce spaghetti: spaghetti al diavolillo is a signature dish of the area.

Digestivo: a liqueur (e.g., amaro or grappa) consumed after eating to aid the digestion

Dindo: turkey

Ditali: “thimble”; short tubes of pasta; ditalini are smaller versions, usually for soup, while ditaloni are larger.

Dolce: (n. and adj.) sweet; dessert

Dolceforte or dolce e forte sweet and sour (Tuscan); a game sauce made with vinegar, sugar, spices, raisins, and chocolate

DOP Denominazione di Origine Protetta “Denomination of Protected Origin.”: An official seal given to outstanding foods with an exclusively regional importance.

Dragoncello: tarragon

E

Eliche: helical pasta

Elicoidali: short, curly, tubular pasta

Erba cipollina: chive

Erbazzone: pie made from spinach, pancetta, eggs, and Parmesan; pizza with herbs; dessert version made with beets, ricotta, almonds, and sugar

Etto: A unit of measure, used for many different kinds of food purchases. Equivalent to about ¼ pound.

Eugubino: Of Gubbio or Gubbio-syle; cappelleti all’eugubina an egg pasta, said to be the richest in Italy (traditionally made at Christmas and eaten until Epiphany).

F

Fagiolini: string beans, green beans, haricots, or any bean eaten along with its casing

Fagioli: beans

Farfalle: “butterflies” or “bowties”; bowtie pasta

Farcito: stuffed

Faro: One of the oldest grains in Italy, farro is similar in appearance to spelt. Appreciated since the time of the Ancient Romans, farro is still successfully cultivated in Italy, particularly in the central regions of Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio.

Fedelini: very thin, spaghetti-like pasta

Fegato: liver

Fettuccini: “little ribbons”; the basic flat egg noodles as they are known in the southern half of Italy (known as tagliatelle in the northern half).

Filanti: soft cheese

Filetto: tenderloin

Finocchio: fennel

Finocchiona: Tuscan Salami from finely ground pork flavored with fennel seeds, garlic, salt, and pepper is aged for a period between 7 months to 1 year before being put on the market.

Fiori di zucca: The golden blossoms found at the ends of zucchini. These flowers can be eaten stuffed, sautéed, battered and fried as a tasty snack. With their vibrant color, they’re also excellent as garnish.

Focaccia: a flat bread, usually flavored with oil and herbs, but seasoned, filled, and topped in a variety of ways

Fondente: flourless cake; baking chocolate, bittersweet chocolate

Fontina: cow’s milk cheese used as the main ingredient for Fonduta. Originary of Val d’Aosta is also used in to make delicious dishes with Polenta and Crespelle.

Formaggella: Found throughout Italy is a pasteurized cow’s milk cheese used as a table cheese or as a filling for savory pies. it has a delicate, buttery flavor, a cylindrical shape, and a crumbly texture.

Forno: oven

Freddo: cold

Fregola: ancient form of pasta made from semolina flour combined with water. A staple of the cuisine of Sardinia, fregola looks like many little pellets that are dried and then are boiled in seafood soups or seasoned with tomato sauce or even served cold in salads.

Fresina: flat pasta strands, wider than tagliatelle

Friselle: large, round breads with a hole in the center. Very dry and crisp, because baked twice, they need to be soaked in or sprayed with water to let it soften up a good accompaniment for any meal or just topped with fresh tomatoes and a drizzle of olive oil.

Frisuli: pork parts stewed with spicy peppers and used to enrich soup or stuff pitta

Frittata: omelet

Frittelle: Hot, deep fried or pan-fried fritters, either sweet or savory. Sweet frittelle are eaten during Carnival. Savory frittelle can be made with almost any ingredient on hand, including anchovy and tuna, chickpea flour, chunks of cheese and-in Sicilyeven jellyfish.

Fritto: fried, deep-fried

Frollini: shortbread cookies

Frullato: Italy’s version of the milkshake, made with milk and fresh fruit (not to be confused with a thick shake).

Frutti di Mare: shellfish

Fruttini: marzipan fruits (Tuscan)

Fungetiello: pasta sauce made with black olives and capers

Funghi: mushrooms

Fusilli: corkscrew-shaped pasta made with semolina flour and water. The name derives from the word fuso which means “twisted”, due to its spiral shape.

G

Galletta: cracker

Gambero or gamberetti: shrimp (or crayfish)

Garganelli: a handmade short pasta whose dough consists of ribbed, rolled squares made of flour, water, and Parmesan

Gelato: ice cream

Genovese: alla Genoa-style; a style of preparation using olive oil, garlic, and herbs.

Genovese: carne alla Neapolitan beef stew made with onions and tomato sauce (often used as a pasta sauce)

Gianduja: A hazelnut-chocolate confection from Piedmont.

Giardiniera: (1) pickled vegetables; (2) vegetable soup made without beans or lard; (3) mixed vegetables

Gorgonzola: blue cheese

Grana padano: Produced in Lombardy since the turn of the millenniumis one of northern Italy’s greatest cheeses. Made from cow’s milk with the addition of serum, rennet, and bacteria, grana is briefly soaked in salt brine and aged for two years. Younger wheels are best eaten at the table in small chunks, while older ones are best for grating.

Granita: sweet, refreshing drink that has the consistency of a grainy ice cream. Granita is obtained by chilling fruit juices or other flavored syrups. The mixture is stirred several times during the freezing process in order to break the ice crystals and to obtain a homogenous mass of fine, icy grains. Usually Granita is served in long juice glasses with a spoon.

Granchio: crab

Gricia: alla This sauce is the “white” version of amatriciana, another Lazio sauce that hails from the town of Amatrice in the province of Rieti. Guanciale is first sautéed in olive oil, then minced onion is added and cooked until golden; a pinch of chili pepper or black pepper gives a little kick. Some versions include garlic, which is cooked down with the onion.

Griglia: grilled

Grolla: cup made of wood or earthenware also known as “the cup of friendship” because it is used to share warm drinks, usually spiked with grappa or other liqueurs, with friends. It is native of Val d’Aosta.

Gröstl: combination of potatoes and onions, typically cooked in a skillet with beef or speck. There are numerous variations on gröstl. Some are flavored with garlic, others with chives, oregano or cumin. Gröstl is often serve as a cake to be cut into wedges, either hot or at room temperature, and is an ingenious way to use leftover meat in Trentino-Alto Adige.

Gnocchi: dumplings of any kind, but typically small potato and flour dumplings.

Guanciale: meat from the cheek of the pig which gets lightly rubbed with salt, freshly ground black pepper or chili peppers, and then cured for three months.

Gubana: sweet in the shape of a spiral or wreath commonly baked in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, gubana is often confused with presnitz. A version made in the town of Civiale boasts a puff pastry made with egg and brandy and a filling of nuts, almonds, raisins, pine nuts, candied citron and orange, Malaga wine, stale bread cooked in butter, sugar, egg yolks, and beaten egg whites.

Gulasch: One of the most noted Hungarian dishes; gulasch was originally a soup of thinly sliced meat cooked with onions. Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, incorporated gulasch into its cooking repertoire.

I

Imbrecciata: thick soup made with mixed vegetables and grains

Imbrogliata: of eggs, “scrambled”

Impanato: breaded

Impastoiata: polenta with beans cooked in tomato sauce

Incapriata: A simple presentation of fava beans and bitter chicory. The fava beans are boiled, puréed, and topped with sautéed bitter chicory. The two are then doused with fruity olive oil and eaten together is native of Apulia.

Indiana: all’ with curry

Indiavolato: deviled (spicy)

Indiviola: endive

Indugghia: typical Calabrese sausage, Indugghia is made with a combination of the meat, lard, liver, and lungs of the pork and is eaten raw.

Inglese: all’ English-style-usually meaning boiled or poached-with the possible addition of butter and cheese

Insalata: salad, also meaning lettuce

Insalata russa: Russian salad; cooked vegetables prepared with a large amount of mayonnaise and sometimes gelatin

Integrale: “whole”, “complete”; whole wheat, whole grain

Irinate: unsweetened doughnut-type dough filled with meat (ragù) and peas, and then deep-fat fried

Italico: a soft, mild, white cheese similar to Bel Paese

J

Jàccoli: Thick spaghetti, always handmade, and usually served with hearty sauces.

Jota Friulian: minestrone whose ingredients include beans, sauerkraut, and port

K

Kaiserscharrn: simple dessert from Trentino-Alto Adige, made by filling crespelle with stewed fruit, cutting them into thin strips, and serving them hot with fresh cream. Given the region’s heirloom apple varieties, they are often stuffed with local apples, prunes and cherries.

Kaminwurzen: is a smoked pork sausage from Trentino-Alto Adige

Kanostrelle: type of waffle

Knodel: Canederli in Italian are dumplings evolved as a way of using leftover bread in Trentino-Alto Adige. Most versions begin with rye or dark bread that is cubed and soaked in milk, water, or broth, then enriched by speck, liver (leberknodel), or cheese. Knodel is served as accompaniments to hearty, flavorful stews like gulasch or boiled meat, or as a filling garnish for clear broths.

Krapfen: sweet yeasted fritters filled with vanilla or lemon pastry-cream or fruit jam then dusted with confectioner’s sugar.

Kuscus: sweet semolina and pistachio cake

L

Laberinto: “labyrinth”; hollow, helical pasta

Laccato: (1) lacquered; (2) coated with a honey-based sauce prior to roasting (to produce a “lacquered” crust)

Laganelle: narrow lasagna noodles, usually served in soup with beans, hot peppers, and pecorino

Laianelle: ricotta-filled, moon-shaped ravioli made entirely by hand, without even the use of a rolling pin; usually stuffed with ricotta and covered with goat meat ragù

Lampascioli: plant cultivated exclusively in southern Italy whose edible bulbs are eaten raw or pickled. Similar to the onion in appearance, the bulbs are bitter and can be found in greenmarkets throughout the country.

Lanache: homemade Pugliese hard-wheat pasta resembling thin tagliatelle and often sauced with stuffed mussels and pecorino

Lancette: small pasta for soup

Lardo: aged, cured pork fat made to be eaten as an antipasto, or used as a flavoring. It’s classified as a cold cut rather than a cooking fat, and comes in white slabs resembling bacon. For a perfect antipasto, lardo can be sliced paper-thin and eaten on toasted crostini.

Lasagna: or lasagne broad ribbon-shaped pasta, usually in plural; while width of ribbons can vary, narrower ones are often served in a bowl with sauce.

Latte di mandorle: “almond milk”; milky liquid extracted from almonds to be used in sweets

Latte fritto: fried custard dessert

Lattemiele: sweetened whipped cream drink, or whipped cream

Latticini: fresh cheeses; milk products

Lauro: bay leaf

Leberknodelsuppe: filling soup that combines a rich meat broth with leberknodel. It is a traditional first course in Trentino-Alto Adige.

Leccarda: alla drippings; served with the sauce made from the drippings of a roast

Lenticchie: lentils

Lepudrida: vegetable soup with pork or beef

Lesagnetes: type of tagliatelle sauced with cheese or butter, or with ground poppy seeds

Lesso: boiled

Licurdia: spicy vegetable soup of Calabria; spicy Calabrian pepper sauce

Limonata: lemon soda, lemonade

Linguine: thin, flat, spaghetti-like pasta strands “little tongues”

Lombrichelli: thick, handmade spaghetti

Lucanica: light pink in color is a type of sausage from Basilicata that can be eaten raw or cooked. Lucanica can be found throughout Italy but in different versions. Lucanica is prepared with both the fat and the lean parts of pork shoulder, and then seasoned with salt, pepper, and spices. The spices that are used are what differentiate one lucanica from another.

Lumellu: dried pork with hot peppers

Lunette: half-moon ravioli (potentially referring to anything small and moon-shaped)

Lupo diMare: lobster

M

Macche: baked polenta slices prepared with sausage or other toppings

Maccherone: tubular pasta “macaroni”

Maccheroni alla chitarra: quintessential pasta dish of Abruzzo. Fresh pasta is made using semolina flour and eggs, rolled thin and pushed through steel wires arranged in a wooden frame. The pasta is typically served with a chili pepper-laced tomato sauce or a ragù of lamb or beef.

Macedonia: fruit cocktail or salad, a dessert

Machetto: paste of salt-preserved anchovies and sardines

Maiale: pork

Malfade: long fluted noodle

Mallegato: Tuscan blood pudding

Malloreddus: tiny dumplings made of semolina flour, flavored with saffron, shaped into inch-long pieces, and rolled over a sieve to form their characteristic grooves and indentation. Usually Malloreddus are served with simple tomato sauce or a rich lamb ragù.

Maltagliati: made from the trimmings of lasagna and other homemade pastas, maltagliati are an irregularly cut egg-and-flour pasta native to Emilia-Romagna. This type of pasta is most often eaten in vegetable-based soups.

Mandorlato: almond cake, almond paste, nougat

Manfrigul: chopped pasta for soup

Mantecato: ice cream”whipped” (alludes to bulk ice cream scooped from a tub)

Manzo: beef

Maraschino: clear, dry liqueur made from the marasca cherry. It can be sipped as an after-dinner drink or used in Italian pastries and frozen desserts. Candied maraschino cherries are named after this liqueur, which used to be an ingredient in their manufacture.

Marscarpone: cream cheese

Marzotica: ricotta aged for a few weeks until it obtains its characteristic aroma and pungency. (Apulia)

Mariconda, minestra: soup of egg, bread, milk, cheese, and stock

Mariconde: little pasta dumplings for broth

Marille: twin-tubed rigatoni

Marinara: alla “Sailor-style”; the name given to various methods of preparation, though typically tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, olives, parsley, oregano, basil, and capers are used.

Melanzane: eggplant

Merca: type of salami made of grey mullet. The fish is first cooked in salted water then is pressed and wrapped in an aromatic herb called salicornia that grows in the Cabras swamps in Sardinia.

Messicani: No one knows why these thin, lightly stuffed meat rolls are named “Mexicans.” We do know that they are related to Milanese polpette, or meat rolls, and consist of thin slices of pork slathered with chicken livers, salami or prosciutto, garlic, egg, Grana Padano, parsley and nutmeg. They are rolled, tied, dredged in flour, browned in butter, and simmered in wine.

Messinese: very large macaroni slit partway lengthwise for filling

Mezzani: long, tubular pasta

Mezze maniche: “short sleeves” short, tubular pasta similar to rigatoni

Migliaccini: crepes

Migliaccio: black pudding, blood pudding

Milanese: alla of meats, breaded and sautéed in butter; or of risotto, made with butter, onion, beef marrow, and saffron; or of ravioli, stuffed with roast or stewed beef, prosciutto, amaretti, and cheese.

Minestrina: light or clear soup

Minestrone: hearty, mixed vegetable soup (exists in many varieties)

Mocetta: is a flavorful cured meat from Val d’Aosta which resembles Bresaola closely. It used to be made from the deboned leg of wild goat, now a protected species, but nowadays it is made with domesticated goat or beef; is prepared like Prosciutto and aged for only a couple of months.

Mohnnudeln: sweet lasagna with butter, sugar, and poppy seeds

Mollane: salted cheese

Mollica: crust less bread or soft bread crumbs

Monzese, risotto alla: risotto with sausage

Morellini: purple artichokes (potentially referring to anything small and dark)

Mortadella: Made from 60% lean pork and 40% pork fat, a cured meat that has origins in the Emilian city of Bologna. The pork meat is stuffed into a casing, shaped into a long, fat cylinder, and studded with peppercorns or pistachios.

Moscato: nutmeg

Mostarda: When pears, apples, cherries, apricots, plums are candied in a syrup spiked with mustard powder, they make up mostarda, a perfect sweet and pungent accompaniment to boiled and roasted meats and sausages.

Mosto: (must) pure, unrefined fruit juice used in wine and liquors. Grape must is used for winemaking as well as for flavoring many Italian sweets and meat dishes. There are other types of must too: malt must can be used to make beer, apple must for cider, and cherry and prune musts for brandies and liqueurs.

Mozzarella: soft, fresh white cheese, properly made from water buffalo milk, but often from cow milk

Murseddu: old specialty from Calabria, this dish combines tripe cut into thin strips, with slices of calf and pork’s liver, red wine, bread dough, tomatoes, chili peppers, aromatic herbs, and olive oil. Cooked until the lard is tender, Murseddu is served inside a warm loaf of bread.

Murstica: favored antipasto in Calabria, mustica is otherwise known as rosamarina.

Musetto: gelatinous Friuli-Venezia Giulia sausage, consisting of lean cuts of pork as well as the pigs head and seasoned with various spices: also known as “Calabrese Caviar”, is prepared with salted newborn anchovies, strewn with black pepper or chili, and packed in olive oil for a couple of months before serving.

Mustica: tiny salted anchovies in peppery oil

N

Napoletana: alla Neapolitan-style; typically implies the use of rich tomato sauce

Necci: Crepes or waffles made from chestnut flour, often stuffed with cheese or accompanying ricotta; chestnut cakes; sausages formed in the shape of such cakes.

Nero di sepia: black ink from the cuttlefish, or squid. Used to flavor and color pasta and risottos.

Nidi: the little bunches in which long egg pastas, such as fettuccine, are packaged

Nocchette: bow-tie pasta, ring-shaped pasta Abruzzi

Noce: Walnut (generically, nut). It can also refer to a walnut-sized piece of butter (as in noce di burro).

Nockerln: noodles; small gnocchi

Nodini: veal chop

Nonna, alla: “grandma-style”; torta della nonna is a plain yellow cake filled with crème custard inside and topped with pine nuts.

Novarese, alla from Novara, in Piemonte; insalata di riso alla novarese is layered rice and white truffles prepared with an oil, lemon, and anchovy dressing.

Nutella®: proprietary name of a popular hazelnut and chocolate spread, similar in consistency to peanut butter

O

Olandese: Hollandaise, or simply Dutch

Onto: in preserved under fat, e.g., goose or duck

Orecchiette: ear-shaped pasta (orecchie in Italian means “ears”) made of durum flour and water. Their thumb-sized indentation makes them ideal for rich sauces.

Orzata: a drink made of water, malted barley or almonds, and orange water

Orzo: rice shaped pasta made from barley

Ossobuco: one of Italy’s favorite dishes, ossobuco is made of braised veal shanks. The meat is first browned, then cooked with vegetables and aromatic herbs until it is extremely tender and falls off the bones. The marrow is the most delicious and prized part, it can be scooped out with a teaspoon.

Ossolana, all’: Gnocchi all’Ossolana are small boiled potatoes that are cooked in butter and garlic and accompanied by a meat sauce and cheese.

Ostriche: oyster

Ovini: the whole category for sheep and goat meat

P

Paglia e fieno: “hay and straw”; mixed green and yellow pasta strands

Pagnottella: “little loaf”; a kind of brioche

Pancarré: sliced bread; also, a packaged bread used for canapés and sandwiches when there is a preference for regularity of shape over flavor and texture.

Pancetta: the section taken from the fat belly or cheek of a pig, consisting of alternating layers of fat and lean tissue. It can be rolled, aged, salted or smoked.

Pancotto: bread soup, “cooked bread”; usually contains bread, olive oil, and cheese

Pandoro(or, pan d’oro) type of pound cake widely sold at Christmas time, along with panettone

Pangrattato: dry breadcrumbs

Panettone: Italy’s best known Christmas dessert originated in Milan. Soft and spongy, it is made with a natural yeast starter, eggs, butter, candied fruit, and raisins. Shaped like a dome, variations include chocolate or vanilla icing or gelato filling.

Pane carasau: A typical thin bread of Sardinia.

Pane frattau: Sardinian dish made with Carta da Musica bread briefly soaked in warm water and topped with crushed tomatoes, grated Pecorino, and a poached egg.

Panforte: A traditional sweet from Siena, is firm sweet bread. Toasted walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts are stirred into hot caramel, flavored with candied fruit, cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and flour. This batter is poured into a round pan lined with communion wafers, dusted with confectioner’s sugar and baked.

Panna cotta: A dessert of Piedmonts’ origins, Panna cotta is made by dissolving unflavored gelatin in milk, then whisking the milk into sweetened heavy cream (sweetened with confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract). Panna cotta is refrigerated and served with a sweet topping.

Pan pepato: gingerbread (pepato means “peppered” or “spiced”)

Paparot: spinach soup (Friuli-Venezia Giulia)

Papassine: crumbly Sardinian sweets that are typically prepared for Easter, Christmas, and on the first of November for All Saints’ Day. Papassine are made with flour, dried fruit, eggs, sugar, lard, orange, and various flavors. Their shape varies depending on where they are made within the island.

Papazoi: bean soup with barley and corn

Pappa: mush soup thickened with bread; baby food

Pappa al pomodoro: Tuscany’s famous soups is made with stale bread and ripe tomatoes with the addition of garlic, onions, and basil. Before serving, the soup must be drizzled with olive oil.

Pappardelle: broad, flat noodles; similar to tagliatelle but much wider

Parmigiana, alla Parma-style, but not necessarily made with Parmesan cheese

Passata (di pomodoro) tomato purée (typically sold in bottles or conserved in bottles, and liquid in consistency)

Passatelli: homemade soup noodles made from a mixture of eggs and bread crumbs

Pasta frolla: crumbly, rich, delicate pastry base made with flour, eggs, sugar, unsalted butter, and salt. It’s used in the making of sweet pies, tarts, and cookies.

Pasticciato: with ragú, cheese, and butter

Pavese, zuppa alla broth made with bread, egg, and cheese; similar to French onion soup, but with egg used in the place of onion. (Though its name suggests an origin in Pavia, this dish belongs to the classic repertory.)

Pecorino: hard sharp cheese made from sheep’s milk

Penne: “feathers”; pasta “quills,” with a hollow tubular form cut short on a slant (thinner than rigatoni)

Penne all’arrabiata penne topped with tomato, garlic, and peperoncino

Pesto: basil, pine nuts, cheese and garlic

Peoci: mussels

Pepe: pepper

Pesce: fish

Piccata: slices of boneless veal, sautéed in butter with parsley and lemon

Pici: handmade pasta resembling spaghetti, but thicker and slightly more dense (Tuscany)

Pignolata: fried or baked balls of dough, which are coated half with chocolate and half with sugar glaze (from Sicily)

Pilota, risotto alla risotto prepared with sausage and cheese

Piselli: peas

Pizzichi: tiny, square-shaped egg pasta

Pizzoccheri: thick tagliatelle from Valtellina made from a mixture of buckwheat flour and all-purpose flour. They are boiled, and then layered with blanched cabbage, sautéed onions and garlic, and cheese and butter.

Polenta: thick porridge, best known for its preparation from cornmeal, though other grains (or potatoes) may be used. There are many different ways to prepare polenta, and in certain regions it can even be found as a dessert.

Polipi: octopus

Pollo: chicken

Polpettone: “big meatball” is the Italian version of meat loaf. Polpettone is made differently in different parts of Italy; in Bologna it combines ground beef with eggs, pancetta, and bread-crumbs while in Florence ground veal is used.

Porchetta: is roasted pork stuffed with a mixture of salt, black pepper, wild fennel, and garlic. It can be eaten warm, but it is mostly savored at room temperature or cold. It can be purchased in chunks or slices.

Porcini: mushroom also known as cepe in France, penny bun or king bolete in England or hab tao in Thailand.

Prezzemolo: parsley

Primo sale: A sheep’s milk cheese in the early stages of maturation that tastes excellent grated over pasta.

Primizie: the first fruits or vegetables of the season

Prosciutto di Parma: the first step in the making consists in the careful selection of a prime-grade hog. The pork must then be treated and seasoned using traditional methods carried out in a strictly delimited area of production within the province of Parma in Emilia-Romagna. The ham is aged for at least 10-12 months. Just one single ingredient, salt, may be used in the treatment of the meat.

Prosciutto di San Daniele: the salty yet sweet flavor and velvety texture that characterizes Prosciutto di San Daniele hams is the result of a drying process that dates back to the second century B.C. All types of prosciutto are cured through the application of salt, exposure to sunlight, and aging. While the ingredients and conditions that go into the production of Prosciutto di San Daniele are identical to other types of Prosciutto Crudo, the use of pork thighs, salt, and aging, it is the unique climatic conditions of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, with its higher altitudes and drier air that give Prosciutto di San Daniele its unique flavor and texture. Another feature that distinguishes Prosciutto di San Daniele from other types of prosciutto is the fact that it is cured with the bottom part of the leg bone in, a feature that makes for a very rustic looking ham.

Prosciutto cotto: made from the hind legs of meaty pigs, prosciutto cotto is ham cooked in steam ovens. It can be sliced paper-thin and served in sandwiches, on top of salads or pizzas, or diced in pasta sauces.

Provolone: Semi hard cheese made from cow’s milk.

Puntine: small pasta for soup

Puttanesca, alla sauce is made by cooking tomatoes with olives, capers, garlic, chilies, anchovies, and olive oil. Originated in the Isle of Ischia, near Naples, and was considered a poor dish, not good enough for high society.

Q

q.b. (quanto basta) term used in recipes “as needed,” or “to taste”; “as much as is enough”

Quadretti: small, square egg pasta generally used in broth

Quaresima: The period of time in the liturgical calendar known as Lent, meals that are served during are by necessity meatless and spare.

Quartiretto: roast young goat, stuffed with vegetables

Quattro stagioni: “four seasons” and is usually applied to a kind of pizza with four distinct toppings. Although these toppings can vary, they usually include artichokes, pancetta, and mushrooms.

R

Rafano: horseradish

Ragù: Meat sauce used with pasta or polenta; sometimes refers in spoken language to other hearty sauces. (While the meat in ragù is generally cooked in one piece in southern regions, in northern regions it comes finely chopped and is prepared with less tomato.)

Rapini: Tuscan name for broccoli di rapa, know in the United States as broccoli raab. The stems, tender leaves, and buds of these vegetables of the turnip family are all eaten, and are usually boiled before sautéing to decrease their bitterness.

Ravioli: small stuffed pasta prepared in a variety of ways, but most traditionally filled with ricotta (with or without greens)

Reginelle: pasta strips with curly edges

Ribollita: Tuscan soup made with leftover minestrone layered over stale bread and drizzled with olive oil.

Ricciarelli: Sienese almond cookies, typically covered with a layer of powdered sugar

Ricotta salata: Ricotta cheese that has been drained, cured in brine, and aged for a few days and then grated like Pecorino Romano.

Rigatoni: short, hollow pasta with a large hole in the middle, and whose name derives from the ridges found around the sides of the noodle

Rinforzo, insalata di A salad prepared mainly in the southern half of Italy containing cauliflower, olives, pickled vegetables, anchovies, and other ingredients; “reinforcement.”

Risaia: rice paddy

Riso, insalata di rice salad, typically containing small pickled vegetables and pieces of meat or fish

Risotto: Rice, usually but not necessarily Arborio, which is slow-cooked in broth until creamy and to which meat, vegetables, cheese, and additional seasonings are often added.

Robiola: mild and buttery cow milk’s cheese

Rocciata di Assisi: mixed-fruit roll with nuts

Romana, alla Rome-style, a term whose definition varies

Romanello: very hard skim-milk cheese whose main purpose is for grating

Rosolio: delicate liqueur made by macerating rose petals in an alcoholic infusion. Moderately alcoholic, Rosolio has a sweet taste and a unique bouquet. Serve with dessert.

Rosumada: Milanese eggnog, traditionally prepared with red wine, but for which water or milk is sometimes substituted

Rotelle: wheel-shaped pasta

Rotini: wheel-shaped pasta

Roventino: typical Tuscan blood sausage

Ruote: “wheels”; wheel-shaped pasta

S

Saba: grape syrup commonly produced in Emilia-Romagna by boiling and reducing white grape must. It is used to make thirst-quenching drinks as well as sweet toppings for desserts.

Sagne: short broad strips of pasta made from chickpea or spelt flour; nickname for lasagna

Sagne chine: Calabrese version of lasagna stuffed with a combination of ground pork, fresh peas, diced mozzarella, mushrooms, artichokes, and sliced hard-boiled eggs.

Saltimbocca: classic Roman dish that consists of slices of veal topped with prosciutto and a leaf of sage and held together by a toothpick. The meat is sautéed in butter until golden then deglazed with white wine. “Jump in your mouth.”

Salto, al’ sautéed, lightly-fried

Salumeria: shop dedicated only to the retail of cold cuts and cured meats.

Salviata: sage custard

Sambuca: anise-flavored liqueur customarily served “con le mosche,” meaning “with flies,” actually refers to the three coffee beans floating inside the cup

Sanguinaccio: blood pudding, black pudding, blood sausage; sweet pudding made from pig’s blood and chocolate

Santo, olio: extra-virgin oil in which hot pepper has been left to dissolve and be absorbed; used as a condiment or dressing for meat, fish, vegetables, and salads

Savoiardi: long, thin ladyfinger cookies with an airy, delicate bite. It measure about three inches long, 3/4-inch wide and 1/2-inch tall, ballooning outward slightly at both ends. A thin layer of sugar is sprinkled on top before baking. They are also known as biscotti al cucchiaio.

Scaccia: pasta pie baked with tomato and broccoli

Scachi: tiny “crackers” for soup

Scafa: peas, artichokes, fava beans, and potatoes stewed lightly in white wine

Scamorza: is an ivory-colored curd cheese, made with sheep’s or cow’s milk, cinched with a string, giving it a characteristic pear shape. It can be either fresh or smoked and can be consumed within one or two days of production.

Scarcedda: sweet Pugliese bread decorated with whole eggs and prepared during Easter

Scarpetta, fare la: The practice of wiping one’s plate with a piece of bread in order to soak up any remaining sauce. (Note: Though the practice is not considered polite at the finest of tables, its omission in certain situations can run the risk of offending the cook, especially if she is somebody’s mother.)

Scremato: “uncreamed”; skimmed

Segato: finely shopped and mixed with cheese

Semifreddo: “half cold”; a term used to allude to ice-cream-based desserts; type of soft ice cream made from meringue and whipped cream

Semini: “little seeds”; small pasta for soup resembling literal meaning

Sepia: cephalopod (called cuttlefish in Italian) is a close cousin to the squid, or calamari. Seppia and squid can be used almost interchangeably in cooking. Cuttlefish meat is generally tenderer than squid and is often cooked with its ink, nero di seppia, an edible brown-black liquid very similar to squid ink. (The color sepia, a dark reddish-brown, takes its name from the cuttlefish ink that used was once used to make the pigment.)

Sfoglia: (1) rolled sheet pasta; (2) millefeuille, phyllo (filo) pastry

Sgonfiotti: pastry puffs, fritters

Soffritto: is a combination of vegetables -carrots, onions, celery, and garlic-that are chopped and slowly cooked in butter, olive oil, or lard until they wilt and become aromatic. Soffritto is the starting point in building layers of flavor in most Italian dishes and is often added to meat, fish, pasta, or rice.

Sopresine: small pasta for soup

Soppressata: In northern Italy the term Soppressata refers to a cured meat made with parts of the pig’s head. In central and southern Italy it is a cured meat that goes by the name of coppa in the rest of Italy, a lean and fatty pork meat combined and pressed together to yield a sliceable salami.

Sospiri di monaca: “nun’s sighs”; cookies made from chocolate-covered almond or hazelnut paste (Sicily and Sardinia)

Spagna, fagioli di: “beans from Spain” or “Spanish beans”; large, white beans

Speck: A smoky cured meat of Trentino-Alto Adige obtained from smoking the boneless haunch of a pig then curing it for a long time until it takes on a rosy hue and a delicate flavor. Speck is chopped and folded into the batter for dumplings or is sliced and layered over pizzas or salads.

Spongata: Described in some cookbooks as a sweet bun and found in many regions dates from Ancient Rome, where it was born as an unleavened pastry dough filled with honey. In classic versions from Parma and Busseto, the pastry is a rich cookie dough and the filling has been embellished to include almonds, toasted hazelnuts, walnuts, raisins, orange and citron peel, pine nuts, white wine, brandy, cinnamon, pepper, mace, and coriander.

s.q. (secondo quantitá) “according to quantity”; term appearing on menus in lieu of price for variable-quantity items, such as those ordered from the buffet

Squarciarella, alla: in a mushroom sauce

Stelline: small star-shaped pasta for soup

Stiacciata: flat bread, similar to focaccia

Stinco: shank of veal or pork, often roasted, though also braised

Stivaletti: “little boots”; small, curving pasta tubes

Stracciatella: an ice cream, similar to chocolate chip, in which the chocolate is said to resemble the eggs in the soup, stracciatella all romana

Stracciatella all romana: egg-drop broth, where the eggs supposedly resemble “stracci,” means “rags”

Strangolapreti, or strozzapreti: thin, slightly curled pasta, usually handmade with water, eggs, and flour. In southern Italy the same name applies to gnocchi. It means “priest stranglers” due to the pasta’s historically heavy texture, too tough for the palate of priests, or to the fact that they are so good, even priests eat too many at a time!

Strangozzi: short, hollow, eggless fettucine

Strapazzate, uova: scrambled eggs

Strascenate: shell pasta

Stricchetti: pasta in the form of two bow-ties

Strigolo, strigoli: wild, spinach-like greens used in salads or for boiling

Stringhetti: egg pasta similar to tagliolini

Stronghe: long maccheroni

Struffoli: small balls of fried pasta held together with honey and decorated with candied fruit

Suppa quatta: Sardinian soup made by layering rustic bread with sliced Pecorino. Meat broth is then added and the dish is baked until the broth is nearly all absorbed by the bread.

Supplí: rice croquette made and sold in pizzerias; found all over Italy, but most popularly found in Rome. The word, which is Roman, comes from the French for surprise, and owes its name to the glob of mozzarella hidden inside. The snack’s full name, supplí al telefono, is derived from the strings of mozzarella that form as the cheese melts and that are said to resemble telephone cords.

Surecilli: “little mice”; small gnocchi

T

Taconelle: pasta squares

Tacconi: pasta squares

Taccozze: puff pastry for noodles

Tagliata: A very fine slice of beefsteak; in general, the steak is very rare and multiple slices are served.

Tagliatelle: flat noodles, usually made with egg

Taglierini: thinner version of tagliatelle, taglierini are a thin, ribbon pasta with a flat, rectangular cut. Made with semolina flour and water, taglierini are good with any vegetable or fish based sauces.

Taralli: crisp, black pepper-laced, pretzel-shaped snacks made in southern Italy. There are sweet versions where sugar and cinnamon are added to the batter.

Tarantello: a Pugliese cured-tuna salami

Tardura: fresh bread crumbs held together by egg and cheese, and cooked in broth

Tartar: a type of non-sweet pudding, made from egg, milk, cheese, onion, and spices

Tartufo: (1) truffle, the tuber; (2) a chocolate ice cream dessert molded into the shape of a truffle, and covered in chocolate

Tigelle: rounds of bread dough that are cooked over a burner in a special 2-sided metal pan called a “stampo per tigelle.” crunchy on the outside but soft and doughy on the inside, they are sliced open at the table, filled and eaten like a sandwich. Though the traditional filling is a pesto made from garlic, rosemary, lard and Parmigiano cheese, it is also common to eat the dough rounds stuffed instead with sliced, cured meats such as salami, prosciutto or mortadella.

Tiramisu:”pick me up”; a rich, layered dessert made from sponge cake, brandy, espresso, mascarpone, egg, and chocolate.

Tonnarelli: long, slightly square handmade spaghetti most commonly served with amatriciana sauce.

Torrone: Nougat made with beaten egg whites into which honey, vanilla, almonds, and hazelnuts are stirred in, it is most associated with Christmas and its ingredients vary depending on the region where it is produced.

Tortelli: small pie or omelet, which is sometimes sweetened; filled pasta rectangles, often twisted at the ends and resembling pieces of wrapped candy

Tortellini: small rings of pasta filled with meat; generally found in broth, but sometimes served topped with a sauce

Tortelloni: Large, triangle-shaped pasta filled with ricotta, grana padano, eggs, parsley, and a hint of nutmeg. It’s usually served before Christmas because they do not contain meat. Tortelloni can also be stuffed with pumpkin purée.

Tosella: slices of fresh cheese sautéed in butter

Tramezzino: is the Italian name for sandwich, created by the fascist regime to replace the foreign expression. The word tramezzino means “in the middle” and it refers to the ingredients that are placed between the two bread slices. Typically, tramezzini are triangular shaped and are stuffed with cold cuts, tuna, or vegetables.

Trenette: long pasta, similar to linguine

Tripolini: small egg-pasta bow-ties used in soup

Troccoli: rustic tagliatelle made of durum flour and eggs then cut with a special tool, called troccolo, which looks like a grooved rolling pin. Usually served with meat sauces.

Trofie: tiny dumplings from the region of Liguria made with water, salt, and flour. The dough is kneaded by hand for 10 minutes then cut into tiny pea-size bits and rolled under the palm to create an elongated shape with curling ends.

Tuffolone: large tubes of pasta, typically stuffed and ultimately placed in the oven for baking

U

Uardi e fasui: bean and barley soup

Ubriaco: “drunken,” it refers to dishes containing large amounts of alcohol.

Uccelletto: Indicates the dish has been cooked with sage or bay leaves. This is the traditional method of preparing small game birds, and has lent its name to dishes like fagiolini all’uccelletto, which is comprised of cannellini beans, tomato, and sage.

Umbrici: fat, handmade spaghetti from Umbria

V

Valigini: “little cases” or “purses”; meat rolls filled with parsley, garlic, egg, cheese, and bread crumbs

Vanillina: vanilla-flavored sugar used in baking and sold in little envelopes

Vermicelli: The word most commonly used in Campania and in Calabria to describe spaghetti. The two pastas are basically the same.

Verzata (di riso): (rice-) cabbage casserole

Veste verde: wrapped in vine leaves

Vianda: dried, homemade pasta from Genova

Viccillo: ring-shaped pasta filled with salami, mozzarella, and hard-boiled egg

Vignarola: Roman dish served in the spring containing braised fresh peas, fava beans, artichokes, and possibly bacon (guanciale)

Vin santo: Tuscan dessert wine, with a nutty-caramel flavor and a deep golden color, traditionally served with cantucci

Vinello: a light table wine

Violini: goat prosciutto, sliced by hand with a long blade (as if playing a violin)

Vitú, le: springtime soup made of greens, beans, meats, pastas, and cheese (most traditionally containing seven legumes and seven vegetables)

Vuotazucchine: long corer used to make a cylindrical hollow in zucchini so that they can be stuffed

Z

Zabaione: or zabaglione: desert is made by whisking egg yolks with sugar and dry Marsala wine in a double boiler until a rich cream forms. Variations include the use of other sweet wines like Moscato, Vin Santo, Prosecco, and port.

Zaleti: sweet cookies from the Veneto and Emilia-Romagna known for their characteristic flattened shape. Zaleti are made with white flour, cornmeal, butter, eggs, and sugar. Sometimes raisins or candied fruit are added.

Zappatora, alla “digger’s style” (zappa means “hoe”); most likely indicates a hearty sauce made with spicy peppers and/or sharp cheese

Zeppole: sweet fritters made with a simple batter of flour and sugar. Zeppole are traditionally prepared during carnival, particularly in the southern regions of the country.

Zigar: type of ricotta made from buttermilk

Zimino: mix of tomatoes, olive oil, parsley, spinach or chard, and hot pepper used for braising; fish stew; zimino di ceci is a soup prepared with chickpeas and other vegetables.

Ziteor ziti: hollow pasta

Zuccotto: type of semifreddo dessert molded into a hemispheric shape; its name probably derives form the slang meaning of zucca “pumpkin” or “squash”, which is “head.”

Zuppa angelica: a sponge cake dessert topped with a chocolate cream sauce, and similar to zuppa inglese

Zuppa inglese: desert of English origin, consisting of wedges of sponge cake or ladyfingers dipped in sweet wine or liquor. Whipped cream, candied fruit and chopped bittersweet chocolate is then layered in between: it is similar to the English trifle.