Italian cooking terms for the novice cook

Knowing a few Italian cooking terms will help the next time you are preparing to cook your next Italian dinner...or ordering your morning coffee.

Italian cooking terms A-L

Al dente An Italian term meaning "to the tooth". It is used to describe pasta which is firm to the bite.

All' arrabbiata A spicy dish, traditionally with pepperoncini

Amaretto A liquer with an almond flavor

Antipasto An Italian term for appetizer

Asiago A cow's milk cheese made in northern Italy. It has a mild nutty flavor when young, it gets more pronounced with age.

Biscotti A twice baked Italian cookie flavored with anise and typically hard in texture.

Bistecca Italian term for steak

Bocconcini "little fresh Mozzarella balls" Mozzarella cheese is made from fresh cows milk. Mozzarella is the larger of the balls of cheese produced in the process. The smaller balls are the bocconcini.

Brodo Italian for broth

Bruschetta Toasted bread

Cacciatore This Italian term refers to food that is prepared "hunter style" served with onions, carrots mushrooms. The most popular is Chicken Cacciatore in which vegetables are cooked in a hearty sauce with meat.

Caffe Espresso

Caffe latte Coffee with milk

Caffe macchiato Espresso with splash of milk

Caffe ristretto Double strength espresso

Capers A mad cap story you tell to your friends. As an Italian term a caper is also the pickled bud of the caper bush.

Carbonara Traditionally a sauce consisting of garlic, eggs, and pancetta and served over pasta.

Carpaccio Traditionally frozen raw beef sliced paper thin to allow it to thaw quickly. It now refersa to any paper thin slice food.

Crostino Toasted bread

Dolce sweet, candy or dessert

Formaggio di pecora Sheeps cheese

Formaggio duro Hard cheese

Formaggio fresco Soft cheese

Gamberi shrimp

Gelato Ice cream

Gnocchi An italian term for dumpling. They can be made with potatoes, flour or farina

In agro An Italian cooking term referring to marinate in vinegar

In brodo In broth

Italian cooking terms M-Z

Mozzarella di bufala Hand-stretched cheese made from water buffalo milk. Now more available in the U.S. Ships frozen as the shelf life is so short.

Panini A toasted, then pressed sandwich, traditionally meat and cheese only.

Prosciutto Dry cured ham

Fiso fino Medium grain rice

Riso semifino Round grain rice

Riso superfino Arborio rice a short grain rice

Taleggio Soft, high-fat cow's milk cheese from Lombardia, Italy. The rind is reddish-brown and has a very rich taste. An excellent cheese with multiple purposes.

Tortelli Ravioli

Vermicelli Very thin spaghetti

Zabaglione, zabaione Egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala whipped frothy over low heat

Zuppa Soup The above is just a sampling of Italian terms. Certainly this list will help the next time you are putting together a new Italian dish, or at the very least help the next time you are ordering from your favorite restaurant...for the time you just can't cook.

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