Italian Cooking 101

Introduction

Italian cooking is loved worldwide for its simplicity, freshness, and bold flavors. It’s not about complicated techniques but about letting high-quality ingredients shine. Whether it’s a rustic pasta, a wood-fired pizza, or a fresh tomato salad, Italian food brings comfort and joy to the table.

On this page, we document the principles of Italian cooking, explore popular dishes, share pantry essentials, and invite you to be part of our growing Italian food community.

Principles of Italian Cooking

Simplicity over complexity – Most Italian dishes are limited to a mere 5–7 ingredients. The focus of the cooking is on allowing hero ingredients to shine in the finished dish.
High quality, in-season ingredients – To make the best of the cuisine shine through, select the highest possible quality of ingredients, be it tomatoes or olive oil; cheeses or fresh herbs.
Respect for balance – Dishes are carefully constructed to find a fine balance between sweet, salty, sour, and bitter flavors.
Culinary science – practices deeply rooted in culinary science, from understanding how starch and oil emulsions bind sauce to pasta, to how heat transforms simple ingredients into layered flavors
Cooking with love (la passione) – Patience, care, and attention transform simple ingredients into magic.

Popular Dishes

1. Pasta

Principles: Pasta should be cooked al dente (firm to the bite). The sauce should coat, not drown, the pasta.
Common sauces: Tomato-based (Marinara), cream-based (Alfredo, Carbonara), pesto, seafood sauces.
Pro tip: Instead of simply pouring sauce over cooked pasta, add the pasta directly into the pan with the sauce and toss it over gentle heat for a minute or two. Incorporate a splash of the pasta’s cooking water — the starch in it helps the sauce cling to the noodles. This method allows the pasta to absorb the flavors, resulting in a perfectly cohesive, flavorful dish.

2. Pizza

Principle: The dough is everything — made with “00” flour, long fermentation, and baked hot.
Classic styles: Neapolitan (soft, airy, charred crust) and Roman (thin and crisp).
Pro tip: Less is more — just mozzarella, tomatoes, olive oil, and basil can make a perfect pizza (Margherita).

3. Salads & Antipasti

Principle: Freshness rules. Dressings are light, usually just olive oil, vinegar, and herbs.
Famous dishes: Caprese salad (tomato, mozzarella, basil), bruschetta, antipasti platters with olives, cheeses, and cured meats.
Pro tip: Always season with salt just before serving to avoid watery vegetables.