While most of the famous Italian dishes come from the South of that country, there are two well known dishes from the North. It is said that risotto was discovered by chance when someone was trying to cook rice in a pan that was far too small and therefore had to add water little by little. To make a good risotto you need to use a rice rich in starch, normally the best rice is one that grows in the Po Valley in Northern Italy called Arborio. You should be able to find this rice almost anywhere these days. Many recipes will tell you that when you make risotto you need to stir continuously, the best way is to stir gently with a wooden spoon, you do not want to break the grains as their starch should be released gradually.The good news is that once you learn how to make a good basic risotto, you can try so many variations and even create your own, for instance, with leftovers. Risotto is cheap, easy and quick to make and can be a vegetarian dish or adapted to many dietary requirements. If you have not tried strawberry risotto yet, well you definitely should.
If when you think of Italy you think of pasta then you should try some tagliatelle. Tagliatelle are long and unlike spaghetti rather flat, they are from the area around Bologna, which is well renowned for its cuisine. There is a legend that says that they were invented for Lucretia Borgia’s wedding. Again you can experiment with different sauces and there are many tagliatelle recipes for vegetarians too. They are also part of an healthy Mediterranean diet and are quick and cheap to make. While most tagliatelle will be yellow there is also a green version blended with spinach. Bon Appetit!
