7 Best Italian Main Dishes for Dinner
Italian Cuisine is well know all over the World especially for Pasta Dishes. But the typical Italian meal is made by a first course (normally pasta) and a second course of meat or fish accompanied by vegetables.
So, we would like to present the 7 Best Italian Main Dishes which are perfect as a Sunday second course or a main meal for night dinners, including Pizza. Most recipes have different versions, that vary from Region to Region or even from family to family. This is due to the fact that in Italy the majority of people love to cook the meals by themselves. So, during the years the recipes have absorbed the natural differences, according to local ingredients and cooking habits.
Brasciole or Braciole are simple rolls of beef, characterized by a simple but at the same time rich flavor filling. Braciole are made of beef slices, cut pretty wide but very thin, suitable for making rolls. As they cook in abundant tomato sauce for many hours, the meat almost melts in the sauce and this makes it a fabulous condiment for pasta (especially Apulian Orecchiette).
Polenta (Cornmeal) requires time and love, like all those traditional dishes, tasty and hearty. The sweetness of Polenta goes perfectly with the strong flavor of the sausage, blended with white wine and then cooked in a tomato sauce. Polenta with Sausage cooked in tomato sauce (Ragù) is a poor dish typical of the Italian culinary tradition, prepared and enjoyed especially in the cold Winter months, a combination of authentic flavors that will delight even the most demanding palates.
3. WEDDING SOUP
The Italian Wedding Soup or Italian Married Soup is one of the oldest recipes of Naples imported by the Spanish around 1300. The name of the Wedding Soup, that is, married, derives from the perfect combination of the various ingredients which are, precisely, perfectly married to each other. A traditional dish, simple and with “poor” ingredients like different kinds of meat and green vegetables, where the flavors are combined to give life to a certainly delicious soup.
4. MEATLOAF
Meatloaf (Polpettone) is one of the great classics of Italian Cuisine. There are many variations based on chicken or beef and with the addition of ingredients such as vegetables or mozzarella cheese. One of the most famous is the Grandmother’s Meatloaf in tomato sauce, with boiled eggs, smoked cheese and ham.
The meatloaf with boiled eggs is a rich and tasty second course, perfect for a family Sunday lunch, or for dinners where you have guests and you want to surprise them with something fancy.
5. PARMIGIANA
The Parmigiana is a real culinary microcosm, made up of a thousand variations and different measures depending on who prepares it. Gastronomically, Parmigiana means the preparation of eggplants with cheese and tomatoes. The recipe is lost in Italy between 1600 and 1700. And that is closely linked to the first steps of culinary globalization made after the discovery of the Americas, to which is due the presence of tomatoes on tables all over the world. Tomato remains one of the basic elements of this recipe, while cheese varies according to the region in which the recipe is prepared.
6. MEATBALLS
The meatballs with tomato sauce are a classic “grandma’s dish” that brings together everyone, perfect for a cheerful and tasty family meal. It is one of those dishes that refer to childhood and always please everyone. The meatballs are a second course of the Italian tradition, but each family has its own unforgettable and precious recipe.
Good for lunch as for dinner, with family or friends, freshly made or heated in the oven, the meatballs recall the conviviality and put the good mood.
The history of Pizza is long, complex and uncertain.
Pizza Margherita dates back to 1796-1810 years. In June 1889, to pay homage to Queen of Italy Margherita di Savoia, chef Raffaele Esposito prepared the “Pizza Margherita”, a pizza topped with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, to represent the colors of the Italian flag. If you ask Neapolitans which is the original pizza they will tell you that is only one, the Margherita, and there are no other types of toppings.
