What do Italian People eat for Lunch?

What do Italian People eat for Lunch?

If you are wondering what are the dishes that drive Italians crazy during lunchtime, you are in the right place. The Italian diet is a typically Mediterranean diet. It’s generally made of dishes that contain everything. Pasta, bread, fish, meat and vegetables are among the major foods consumed in Italy during meals.

Whether it’s a lunch or a dinner, it doesn’t matter. Because at the table you will find all this and more. But you must know that every and each region has its own traditions. For this reason, you’ll be able to find different lunchtime meals in every region and little town.

The holy grail of lunch

Italians love to sit at the table, with the whole family, especially during meals. Not to mention Sunday, the day when grandmothers wake up early and prepare a royal lunch for the whole family.

But I must say that Lunch is the holy grail for Italians. Lunch for Italians is very important because they meet again with the whole family (uncles and cousins and many more!) and gather around a table laden with many tasty dishes.
So, lunchtime becomes a time to exchange attention and pamper the entire family.
And why not, also have fun and have a good time.
You know that food is the cure for the soul, right?

Pasta

Pasta by ayindeabdulmajeed44 – Pixabay

If you say out loud the word “pasta” you’ll never go wrong. Believe me when I say that pasta is “la cura di tutti i mali “.

In every region of Italy, you’ll find different kinds of pasta.

Each region has its own traditions, and you’ll need time to find out.

My favourite plate of pasta is “tagliatelle with bolognese sauce“. It is a great Emilian dish loved throughout Italy and reproduced in some places with a few more ingredients.
But the original recipe includes ground beef, sautéed onion, carrots and celery, tomato sauce and red wine. Without forgetting the milk!
Goodness, especially when there is a grandmother to prepare the “tagliatelle pasta” at home!

But let’s get back to us. There are different kinds of pasta. You’ll find fresh handmade pasta and also dried pasta.

Tortellini, lasagna, gnocchi, orecchiette, fettuccine and tagliatelle, trofie and on and forth. I advise you to taste pasta in any region you are in because only then will you understand what it means!

Rice

Risotto by leppäkerttu – Pixabay

In other parts of Italy, you’ll find rice instead of pasta. They call it “risotto” and you can prepare it with different ingredients.

My favourite one is a tradition of North Italy and is called “risotto zucca e salsiccia” also known as “sausages and pumpkin risotto“.

It is actually a variant of the highly appreciated risotto prepared in Mantua.
In this place, many pumpkins are grown every year and their risotto only includes pumpkins without the sausages.

Pumpkin is a low-calorie food that stimulates metabolism and digestion. And you can enjoy their risotto with a nice sprinkling of Parmigiano Reggiano on top.

Other variants that you can find are:
pumpkin and gorgonzola, pumpkin and bacon, pumpkin and speck.
But in reality, you can find other different dishes with rice such as tinballi, supplì, and cold rice salads. It really depends on the season and the ingredients available.

Polenta

Polenta by vinaygupta460 – Pixabay

The polenta was once considered the food of the poor because it only took a little to fill the bellies of the whole family. But above all, the price of cornmeal is very low.
Each region has its own polenta. Its origins, however, date back to the Po Valley and then spread to central-southern Italy.
This type of food, once cooked and mixed with water for a long time, can be seasoned as you prefer.
I love polenta with vegetables or with sausage and ribs sauce.
But I advise you to cut it into triangles and sauté it in the pan the next day. You will enjoy a delicious dish and reduce waste!

We can say that polenta is the typical dish that almost all Italian grandmothers love to prepare on Sundays.
After cooking the sauce for a long time with the ingredients, prepare to mix the cornmeal with the water in a cauldron until it becomes a pulp that once placed on the plate will congeal. And after five minutes will be ready to be served with sauce or with vegetables, cheese or mushrooms. It all depends on the seasonal ingredients!

Focaccia bread

Focaccia by bananalongboards – Pixabay

Flour, yeast, salt and water and extra virgin olive oil give life to a humble dough that has conquered the whole of Italy.
This is why there are infinite variations.

To prepare an excellent dough that will give life to the focaccia you need to use a high-quality durum wheat flour that is richer in gluten. Once the dough has been rolled out and the typical dimples that will accommodate the ingredients have been made, it will be ready to be baked.
The variants of foccacia we know are:
– the focaccia di Recco which inside contains Ligurian cheese, crescenza or stracchino;
– Genoese focaccia enriched with extra virgin olive oil and coarse salt;
– focaccia with Ligurian onions;
– focaccia from Bari with fresh cherry tomatoes and black olives;
– the Florentine foccacia aka “la schiacciata“;

A little tip

Food by 089photoshootings – Pixabay

Once in Italy, you must try these dishes for lunch. And don’t forget to ask your waiter or waitress to explain you what you’re tasting. You’ll learn more about Italian food and the different preparations they have. And once back home try to replicate it for your family! You’ll have simple good food and you’re belly will be happy!