Authentic Italian Recipes

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In dietetics, there is this concept: it is okay to eat everything, but not all types of food together. Obviously, this concept also applies to the authentic Italian recipes, in the Mediterranean diet.

When combinations of foods arrive in the stomach and are too complex, digestion may be incomplete. The arrival in the lower intestine of food poorly digested may cause fermentation, bloating and other problems. If too much sugar “simple”, such as the fructose of fruits or the glucose of a sweet, suddenly arrives in the small intestine, you may have a sudden diarrhea, because the excessive quantity of sugar attracts water which, in turn, stimulates the contraction of the intestine, in a violent and painful way. The sugars in excess, trapped by other components, can be attacked and fermented by bacteria in the colon, creating swelling, painful tension and even symptoms of intoxication.

To solve many problems of the digestive system (abdominal bloating, constipation, heartburn, hemorrhoids, and digestive problems), keep in mind the compatibility between different foods.

It is very important the acidity of the environment where the enzymes take effect: in fact, some of them work better in alkaline environments (e.g. ptyalin, which is the enzyme of saliva), while others work best in an acidic environment (e.g. pepsin, which is the enzyme involved in protein digestion). To simplify this concept, we can say that the extremes do not agree: in other words, food acids do not combine very well with alkaline substances. You can instead combine quite freely foods with similar levels of acidity. Moreover, neutral foods do not create any problems.

The best combinations of foods

During digestion, the best friends of animal protein are foods very rich in minerals: the vegetables, especially if they are fresh and raw.

It must be remembered, however, that some vegetables (those high in starch content, such as potatoes and pumpkin) do not combine so well with foods having high protein concentration. A good combination is that of carbohydrates with foods rich in proteins and fats (butter, fatty cheeses, nuts). Pasta, rice and polenta can be served easily with olive oil, butter and cheese. One of the best combinations is that of carbohydrates with vegetables, raw or cooked. Therefore, all the recipes of the Mediterranean diet, which concern pasta with vegetables, allow us to prepare foods well combined. Another good combination is that of vegetables with fat (therefore, it is important to eat vegetables dressed with olive oil).

Combinations of foods to use with moderation

Animal protein does not go well together with foods high in carbohydrates (pasta, rice, bread …). It is, in this case, one of the worst combinations, because the protein slows the digestion of starch and vice versa.

So if you eat, for example, pasta with meat, there will be an early secretion of gastric juice strongly acidic, which will make impossible the work of ptyalin and, therefore, will render the digestion of carbohydrates extremely difficult .

Thus, the combinations of meat with the grain should be used sparingly: for example the sauce with pasta, lasagna with meat, ravioli, tortellini filled with meat, dishes of cereals followed by a portion of meat …

The combinations of foods that should be avoided

Even combinations of different protein foods can cause problems, because our stomach is able to produce gastric juices at different times and with different compositions, depending on the particular protein to digest.

For example, a combination of meat (or fish) with dairy foods might be harmful: in fact, the gastric juice suitable for meat is highly acidic since the beginning, while the gastric juice for milk becomes acidic towards the end of digestion, so, when the combination of meat (or fish) with milk is in contact with the acidity of the stomach, it coagulates into lumps and flakes, which may contain fragments of flesh which, not being in contact with the gastric juice, are likely to pass unchanged in subsequent intestinal tract.

You should also avoid rice salad containing tuna, cheese, peas and eggs, all together. Other combinations to avoid (or to taste in few occasions) are those with animal protein together with legumes (lentils and sausage, tuna and peas) or acids (vinegar, lemon), because the lemon juice, if added to a steak or fish, may harm the stomach a little at a time.

For rapid digestion, fruits need a quick passage through the stomach and intestines. However, if the gut is obstructed (as happens when you consume the fruit after a meal …) you can have a fermentation which makes more difficult the assimilation of other foods. This is the reason that makes inadvisable the ingestion of fruit at the end of a meal (with the exception of an apple or pineapple, containing enzymes that aid digestion and alleviate the incompatibility problems).

An association to be avoided is that of complex carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice) with acid fruits (pineapple, citrus, dates, figs and currants in a particular way, but also apricots, cherries, strawberries, apples, pears, peaches, plums and grapes). As for the fruit, you ought to ingest it without other foods, otherwise, the sugars that compose it, forced to stay longer in the stomach by the simultaneous presence of other foods, are subject to fermentation that causes swelling and slow digestion.

During meals based mainly on carbohydrates it is better to avoid seasonings such as lemon and vinegar. At the end of the meal it is good not to eat ice cream and desserts,  because they tend to disturb the digestion of all other types of food.

At this point, an explanation is required…

The food combinations are not hard rules to follow and apply now and… forever (because in this case eating food becomes a very complicated operation). On the other hand, although the nutritional needs of the body are well defined, we must not forget the importance of the psychological component, which can help make digestion easier or more difficult, whatever the combination of foods that you may choose. Anyway, it is good to know the best combinations of food and try to enter at least the main concepts into our diet. So we will be able to avoid the most common feeding mistakes which, day after day, over the years, can lead to problems and disorders. Common sense is very Important, in these cases.

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The authentic Italian recipes, following principles of the Mediterranean Diet, require olive oil as a key component. This oil represents the primary source of dietary fat among people living in olive-growing areas and gives a reasonable answer to the question: “how to reduce cholesterol?”

The history of olive oil, together with the plants from which it is produced, is fascinating and goes back to the dawn of humanity: from 5000 BC until 1400 BC, cultivation of the olive took place at first in Crete and then in Syria, Palestine and Israel. Afterwards, by means of trade and application of new farming techniques, it spread over southern Turkey, Cyprus and Egypt. Until 1500 BC, Greece (and Mycenae in particular) was the largest area planted with olive trees. With the expansion of Greek colonies, olive cultivation reached Southern Italy and North Africa in VIII sec. BC, then spreading over southern France. At the time of the Roman Empire, olive trees were planted throughout the Mediterranean area. In ancient times olive oil, as well as being an important source of food, was used in several other non-nutritional ways, mainly as fuel for lamps and cosmetic. Note that, in such epoch, olive oil was an expensive commodity, being produced through laborious techniques, and its production was lower than demand. Therefore, in ancient times, olive oil’s consumption was considered a privilege that only rich people could have.

Even the Bible contains a lot of information about olives and olive oil: a dove brought an olive branch to Noah, on Mount Ararat where the Ark had landed. When the Kings of Israel received  their calling,  they  were anointed with oil. In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, we learn that the man beaten by robbers was treated with oil and wine. The anointing with oil was also prescribed by the Apostle James, to be used for the blessing and recovery of the sick. Therefore, we see that in the epoch of the Old and New Testament olive oil was considered to be a symbol of peace power and healing. Nowadays, science is discovering the healing properties and the benefits of olive oil, which the ancients already knew. Therefore, as an old eastern saying goes: “At the end of time the man of science will arrive there where the man of faith has already arrived during his first day of prayer…”.

The quality characteristics of the oil are helpful for nutrition and health. Olive oil, in addition to a good aroma and a pleasant taste, has a very good digestibility and is easily absorbed by the human body. The result is the assimilation of important nutrients contained in such oil and generally in food.

The studies and researches on the health properties of olive oil are many and can also be found on the web, using keywords like “olive oil” and “health.” Here we just summarize the most important results achieved till now:

• How to reduce cholesterol: olive oil contains prevalently monounsaturated fats, which increase “good” cholesterol while decreasing “bad” cholesterol. Therefore, olive oil has beneficial properties in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases because his consumption helps in reducing the rate of the atherosclerotic plaque development and also prevents thrombus formation.

• Olive oil contains oleic acid, which blocks some physical processes that are related to the onset of the breast cancer. Although the available evidence on cancer prevention by the use of olive oil is not conclusive, some researches have suggested that such oil may have some effectiveness against various malignancies of the breast, ovary, endometrium, prostate, pancreas, stomach, esophagus, lung, and colon.

• Some researches carried out a few years ago, show  that olive oil has anti-inflammatory properties, with beneficial effects for people with arthritis or suffering from other chronic pains.

• Other studies have shown that olive oil is a key for weight loss or weight maintenance because of the sense of satisfaction that gives to those who use it in their diet.

• In the Mediterranean countries, people know well the properties of olive oil, concerning healthy hair, beautiful skin and flexible joints.

• Finally, some studies suggest that consumption of monounsaturated lipids, derived from olive oil, may increase the mineral density of human bones, reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

Today’s production methods are quite simple: so, the olive oil is really for everyone and has an affordable price. World production of this type of oil is increasing. This is due to technological progress in the cultivation and production. More than 80% of the total olive oil production derives from the European Union (EU), mostly from Italy, Spain, and Greece. Extra-virgin olive oil is the best quality: this oil is extracted through natural means, and is usually the most flavored and tastiest.

How to diet: use olive oil as a primary ingredient in authentic Italian recipes. Cooking with olive oil makes your dishes more delicious, because it is an ingredient that gives body and flavor to vegetables, intensifying the natural flavor in foods and making you feel satiated without eating too much. This way, you will able to achieve your weight-loss goals.

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The best olive oils belong to a circumscribed geographic zone – the Mediterranean Basin – having its own special climatic conditions. The denomination of origin is a guarantee of quality for the consumer, because such oils must have been produced through a rigorous procedure, controlled from the harvest of the fruits to packaging. These operations must be completed in the same olive-growing areas.

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As you know, we want to defend and promote authentic Italian recipes. We found some websites explaining how to cook “Spaghetti alla Bolognese”. It appears that even some restaurants (outside of Italy!) are offering their customers the same kind of dish. Some companies also produce a canned version of “Spaghetti alla Bolognese”.

Nevertheless, this is a recipe that does not belong to the Italian tradition, but seems to be a dish that, quite incorrectly, combines two symbols of Italian cuisine: the “Ragù alla Bolognese” (Bolognaise Sauce), a sauce typical of the Emilia-Romagna region suitable for noodles (fresh pasta made with white flour and eggs, possibly mixed with durum wheat semolina), and “Spaghetti” (dried pasta made only with durum wheat semolina and no eggs, which belongs to the tradition of southern Italy). The Ragù alla Bolognese, in Italy, is never served with spaghetti: in such case, indeed, given the shape and the consistence of this type of pasta, the sauce tends to fall off, sliding on the pasta and remaining on the plate.

It is true that Artusi, in his famous book of 1891, included a recipe (no. 87) entitled “Maccheroni alla bolognese”. However, “maccheroni” (macaroni) is a generic term indicating several types of pasta, and in the text of his recipe the author indicates a specific type of short pasta, small tube-shaped, well-known as “cannelloni” or “strozzapreti”: in most cases, it is a fresh pasta containing eggs and home made. It is suitable for Ragù alla Bolognese and, obviously, is quite different from spaghetti.

Anyway, if you are in Italy, no good restaurant will serve you “Spaghetti alla bolognese”: it is not part of the authentic Italian recipes!

In these circumstances, we think that the best way of promoting the real Italian cuisine (knowing that each zone has its own recipes, with typical characteristics) is the spreading of correct information. So, we take the opportunity to present the real traditional dish, i.e. “Tagliatelle alla Bolognese” and the authentic Italian recipes that describe its preparation.

One of the first recipes for “Tagliatelle” (noodles) was published in 1549 by Christoforo di Messisbugo in his famous book “Banchetti composizioni di vivande e apparecchio generale”. The author writes: “to make ten small helpings of lasagne or tagliatelle, take three cups of flour and three eggs and make a dough a bit tender, which then you must roll out and shape into sheets as thin as paper. This dough should be rolled around a rolling pin. After removing the rolling pin, cut the dough into long thin strips (noodles). Then let it dry and in the meantime boil some fatty meat broth, which then you can plunge the noodles into, and boil them slowly. When cooked, serve them with cheese, sugar and cinnamon. These noodles are suitable for decorating ducks and capons.”

Bartolomeo Scappi, in his “Opera” (1570), wrote a recipe almost identical to that of Messisbugo, with some minor variations, for the “Minestra di tagliatelli” (soup with noodles).

 The “Ragù alla Bolognese” is also a very old and typical recipe. Nevertheless it has been codified only in 1982, when the Italian Academy of Cuisine, together with the Brotherhood Association of Tortellino, has filed it with the Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture in Bologna, to ensure its authenticity and continuity over time. Ingredients for 4 helpings are the following:

- “Cartella” of beef 11 oz. (a cut of fatty meat corresponding to the area of the diaphragm of the animal)

- fresh bacon 5 oz.

- yellow carrot 2 oz.

- celery 2 oz.

- onion 2 oz.

- tomato sauce 5 tablespoons or tomato extract 2 tablespoons 

- wine white/red 1/2 cup

- whole milk 7/8 cup

The cut of beef used is rich in fat and, together with bacon, determines the lubricity typical of this sauce. Thus, the calories per serving of pasta with “Ragù alla Bolognese” (3.5 oz.) are high: about 700.

How to diet and reduce cholesterol: currently, to reduce fat and calories of the “Ragù alla Bolognese”, are often used leaner cuts of meat, which also allow you to significantly shorten the cooking time.

Here is an alternative recipe for the “Ragù alla Bolognese”, lighter and consistent with the principles of the Mediterranean Diet (which generally includes low fat foods):

 Ingredients (for 4 helpings): 

• lean ground beef (or ground mix of beef and pork) 14 oz.

• 1 carrot 2 oz.

• 1 onion 2 oz. 

• olive oil 2 tablespoons

• grated Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano) cheese 2 oz.

• chopped tomatoes 21 oz.

• red or white wine 1/2 cup 

• salt and pepper enough.

 Preparation:

1. Peel the onion and chop it, along with the carrot.

2. Brown the chopped vegetables on low heat, along with the oil in a covered pan.

3. Add the mince and fry over low heat for several minutes, then add the wine and let it evaporate, leaving the pan open.  

4. Add the tomatoes and some water (1/2 cup), cover the pan, bring the sauce to a boil, add salt and pepper and simmer for about an hour and a half or two hours. Stir occasionally and add a little hot water if necessary.

You can prepare the noodles while the sauce is cooking.  Use soft wheat flour, type zero. Place the flour on the board, giving it the form of a ‘fountain’ with a hole in the center. 

Use a 3.5 oz. of flour and one egg for each guest, and a pinch of salt to taste.

Break the eggs and pour in the middle of the ‘fountain’. Then start to mix eggs and flour with a fork. You must start from the center of the “fountain”, methodically – and therefore without haste – to touch the outside.

When all, or nearly all of the flour has been absorbed by the eggs, begin to knead with the palms of your hands. The manipulation is done with a pushing movement, alternating from left to right and from top to bottom. After each set of four or five movements, collect the mix and compress to form a ball. Continue until the dough becomes smooth and compact. Then roll out and stretch the dough with a rolling pin, until you get very  thin sheets.

Let stand the sheets for half an hour on a tablecloth, so that they dry out, then wrap the pastry around  the rolling pin. After removing it, use a knife to cut transversally the pastry into thin strips. Put the noodles to cook in water with a pinch of salt. Let them cook what is necessary, then drain and put the noodles on the stove, mixing them with the sauce prepared in the meantime. Stir for a few minutes on a slow fire, add the Parmesan cheese and serve.

Good lunch....and remember: noodles (Tagliatelle) are an expression of the art of hand-made pasta, because the method to achieve cooking perfection consists in the ability to roll the dough evenly, without holes or cuts or any differences in thickness. Since the noodles are obtained from fresh pasta, their texture is porous and rough, making them ideal for thick sauces such as the Ragù alla Bolognese.

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Authentic Italian Recipes are the heart of the Mediterranean Diet, that has been inscribed in 2010 on the “Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” by UNESCO.

As you know, UNESCO stated that “the Mediterranean Diet constitutes a set of skills, knowledge, practices and traditions ranging from the landscape to the table, including the crops, harvesting, fishing, conservation, processing, preparation and, particularly, consumption of food. The Mediterranean Diet is characterized by a nutritional model that has remained constant over time and space, consisting mainly of olive oil, cereals, fresh or dried fruit and vegetables, a moderate amount of fish, dairy and meat, and many condiments and spices…” Moreover “The importance of intangible cultural heritage is not the cultural manifestation itself but rather the wealth of knowledge and skills that is transmitted through it from one generation to the next.”

Around the Mediterranean Sea, people eat foods that scientists and investigators have uncovered to be between healthiest of the world. But, beyond to being healthy and effective in the prevention of many diseases, the Mediterranean Diet is simple to prepare and allows everybody to obtain delicious foods.

Italy is the Country symbol of this type of cooking, where the alimentary culture based on the principles of the Mediterranean Diet is established from centuries, with productions on a large scale of the main foods like fruit, vegetables, pasta and oil of olive.

These are low fat foods – prepared with authentic Italian recipes, according to the principles of the Mediterranean Diet -  that have allowed the Italians to conquer a longevity supremacy that tends to increasing: 78,8 years for the men and to 84,1 years for the women.

Such positive effect on the longevity is confirmed from studies published on British Medical Journal in 2008, which prove that the respect of the Mediterranean Diet can substantially reduce total mortality, mortality from cardiovascular diseases, the incidence or mortality from cancerous pathologies and the incidence of the diseases of Parkinson and Alzheimer.

The mission of www.authenticitalianrecipes.org  consists in highlighting the importance of the most  traditional and authentic Italian recipes, tracing their origins in the texts of famous cooks of antiquity and monitoring possible changes to this day. We want to verify that this route from ancient to modern complies with the appropriateness and authenticity of ingredients and preparation methods, so that the modern dishes retain the same flavor and  healthfulness of old traditional Italian foods.

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Authentic Italian Recipes have been handed on from generation to generation in the popular and traditional cooking. Each Italian city or small village is rich in history and gastronomic traditions and has its own traditional recipes, which vary from locality to locality and depend on the typical ingredients available in that place. There are thousands of typical recipes, which often are quite different from one to the other in both ingredients and flavor.

Some people tend to associate Italian food with the stereotype of pastas and tomato-topped pizzas, but Authentic Italian Recipes are much more than that! Starters, soups, breads, sauces, tasty meats and delicious cakes, desserts and candies are only a few of the excellent dishes that you will find in Italian cooking (and can learn to make easily). Genuine Italian food can be home-made but need to be prepared with quality ingredients, which often cannot be found in grocery stores or even in common restaurants. Authentic Italian Recipes applied to proper ingredients, and possibly with the advice and the experience of someone living in Italy, can make the difference between poor and rich food!  For example, an authentic pizza needs the real tomato sauce and not a canned version. Original Italian food doesn’t need to Americanize but can be made only with authentic recipes, that is Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, coming straight from Italy. Authentic Italian Recipes are a fun and easy way to learn to prepare high quality food for you and your family. Generally, they can be done in a short time. After that, you’ll be able to treat your family to “Gourmet” choice dishes. So, if really willing to profit of Italian cuisine, you ought to:

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