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Questions tagged [italian-cuisine]

Questions with this tag should be about traditional ingredients, preparations or dishes from Italy - such as focaccia, risotto or tiramisu. Questions about ingredients common to Italian style cooking, but which aren't about a specific Italian dish, should not use this tag.

Questions with this tag should be about traditional ingredients, preparations or dishes from Italy - such as pasta, focaccia, risotto or tiramisu. Questions about ingredients common to Italian style cooking, but which aren't about a specific Italian dish, should not use this tag.

197 questions
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Aside from saving gas or electricity, why cover the pot?

There are some recipes that insist that you have to cover the pot when cooking. For example, in this video recipe for Bolognese sauce (at 7:36). I understand that this might save gas or electricity by reducing heat loss. But does it serve any other…
hb20007
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Lack of structure in a no-knead pizza

I hope this question is not too vague but let me try anyway. I followed a NK recipe for a pizza with the following baker's percentages 100% flour with 13% protein and W300/320 according to the manufacturer's website 75% water 0.2% dry yeast 2%…
David P
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Is there a way to make bacon a decent substitute for pancetta in Italian dishes?

I live in a place where Pancetta is really hard to find, and when I do, it's completely overpriced. When I make some Carbonara or Gricia, both recipes from where I come from, I have to improvise it with good old bacon, but it never ends up the same…
Marcello Fabrizio
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Are chilies a common ingredient in Italian cooking?

I just read this article in CNN "Eating chilies cuts risk of death from heart attack and stroke, study says" and when I read this line: Carried out in Italy, where chili is a common ingredient, the study compared the risk of death among 23,000…
Jim
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Are egg-less pasta typically made with durum flour?

When making an egg-less type of Italian pasta, which type of flour should I use for the dough? And why? Or, can you make decent egg-less pasta using all the same types of flour from pasta recipes which include egg? I was skimming pasta recipes…
RTbecard
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Making Carbonara in Canada; what kind of cream should I use?

I was making Carbonara today: bacon was getting crisp, tossed a bit of chopped shallot, some butter, till it was time to add the cream. The closest I found at the store was half-and-half. In front of my eyes, the cream broke - I'm still grieving for…
Dan
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How to keep insides of calzone from being too runny

I have cooked calzones with differing results. Sometimes it comes out that the insides of the calzones are too runny, even after cooling. Some things I have done to ensure a dry, solid center are: Use egg(s) Use cheese Squeeze the ricotta with…
Jason P Sallinger
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Good sauces for large Italian Conchiglioni pasta

I bought some packets of Italian Conchiglioni pasta (Brand Maestri pasti selection Giovanni Castiello). The Conchiglioni are really large: each shell is probably 5cm long. I tried them with a traditional tomato sauce (tomato, onions, carrot, basil,…
halloleo
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How do you cook lasagne noodles?

Do you throw it all out in a tall pan at once or by batches? In what pan should you cook it? Do you put them on top of each other in the pan? Do you place them horizontally or vertically? With oil in the water or not? How do you drain them in…
Bar Akiva
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Does it matter if I add cornstarch to my sauce instead of pasta water?

Since it is starch in hot water in both cases, I wonder why starchy pasta water is so prized over adding (trigger warning for Italians) warm water and cornstarch when tossing pasta.
Bar Akiva
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Where does scarface pasta get its name from?

I couldn't find anything within the first few pages of a Google search other than the fact that fettuccine al burro (it's original name) was named after it's creator Alfredo Di Lelio.
EndorEwoksFC
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Why did my ricotta cheese did not completely melt in the Alfredo?

Today I sauteed a quarter cup mushrooms in 3 tbsp butter and added 250ml cream. Everything was set for me to add the ricotta and finish the Alfredo, but it only partly melted. Beyond a certain point, there were some "cheese crumbs" that no amount of…
Bar Akiva
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How do I know when my wine is properly reduced?

I guess it can be subjective according to tastes, but some reduction is required. If I could know what I am trying to do away with in the reduction process (alcohol, raw bite or volume) then I could adjust according to my subjective taste and…
Bar Akiva
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How do you store cooked pasta without losing the bite?

When I cook pasta I usually drain all the water and keep about a cup of pasta water so I could loosen up a sticky pasta or bulk up a sauce. But spaghettini or capellini is too thin so it breaks up into small pieces when I try to take some out of the…
Bar Akiva
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What factors do I need to consider to figure out if a particular set of toppings will work well on risotto?

Sometimes, I like to experiment with the ingredients to use as toppings for risotto. In order to avoid bad results, what should I consider when I choose the ingredients to use as toppings for risotto?
apaderno
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