Some of these turn up on nearly every menu; others are the reason a kitchen gets a reputation. Pick the plate you would actually order.
1SteakA grilled steak such as the Florentine T-bone, now on the menu at almost nine in ten Italian restaurants in America.
2RavioliStuffed pasta pillows, once ricotta and spinach under tomato sauce, now filled with everything from short rib to squash.
3Caesar SaladRomaine dressed with egg, Parmigiano, garlic, lemon and anchovy, finished with croutons.
4Antipasto PlateA mixed board of cured meats, cheeses and pickled vegetables, also called tagliere or affettati misti.
5Fresh PastaHouse-made pasta such as tagliatelle or pappardelle, the calling card of a serious Italian kitchen.
6Potatoes as a SideThe potato contorno, roasted or fried, a side with a long tradition in Italian trattorias.
7Fried CalamariRings and tentacles of squid, lightly floured and fried, served with lemon or marinara.
8GnocchiSoft dumplings of potato or ricotta, often served with butter and sage or a tomato sauce.
9RisottoShort-grain rice cooked slowly in broth until creamy, with cheese, mushrooms, seafood or saffron.
10Chicken ParmesanBreaded chicken cutlet baked under tomato sauce and melted mozzarella, an Italian-American classic.
11Pork EntréePork as a main course, from porchetta and chops to braised shoulder.
12Insalata CapreseSliced tomato, fresh mozzarella and basil with olive oil, in the colours of the Italian flag.
13MeatballsMeatballs of beef, pork and veal in tomato sauce, now a popular starter on their own.
14LasagnaLayers of flat pasta with ricotta, mozzarella, tomato and meat sauce, baked until bubbling.
15ProsciuttoProsciutto crudo, thinly sliced Italian dry-cured ham served on its own or with melon.
16Linguine with ClamsPasta with clams in the shell, white wine, garlic, lemon and chili flakes.
17BurrataA Puglian cheese with a thin mozzarella shell around a soft, creamy heart of stracciatella.
18Beef CarpaccioPaper-thin slices of raw beef, lightly dressed and topped with arugula and shaved cheese.
19Eggplant ParmesanFried eggplant baked with tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmigiano, the parmigiana of southern Italy.
Photo credits
- Steak — mike packard, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Ravioli — cyclonebill, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Caesar Salad — Geoff Peters from Vancouver, BC, Canada, CC BY 2.0
- Antipasto Plate — Herbert Frank, CC BY 2.0
- Gnocchi — Paoletta S., CC BY 2.0
- Risotto — Luca Nebuloni from Milan, Italy, CC BY 2.0
- Chicken Parmesan — Oknazevad, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Pork Entrée — Pedro Angelini from São Paulo, Brasil, CC BY 2.0
- Insalata Caprese — Rainer Zenz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Meatballs — Anagoria, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lasagna — jules / stonesoup, CC BY 2.0
- Prosciutto — Udo Schröter, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Linguine with Clams — Popo le Chien, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Beef Carpaccio — MichalPL, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Eggplant Parmesan — Schellenberg, CC BY-SA 4.0
