Italian food seemingly has it all. Not only is it full of vibrant flavor, also colorful and aromatic, but it delivers a great deal of nutrition if prepared with fresh ingredients and good quality spices and olive oils. Thus, it is a wonderful contribution to dining enjoyment but also better health.
Another great attribute of Italian food is that it is relatively easy to prepare and, even for beginning cooks, there are many simple, but delicious, meals that can be prepared with minimal skill. If one can follow directions, one can cook Italian-style entrees to please a crowd or a party of one.
One of the key components to making good Italian dishes is using good virgin olive oils. As many dishes can be prepared by sautéing the ingredients, olive oil becomes essential for doing so. In fact, sautéing in olive oil is such a basic concept in Italian cooking that, once embarked upon, it often becomes the best choice for many other kinds of dishes as well. Nothing is simpler than tossing some fresh ingredients, including vegetables and garlic, oregano, and ripe, red tomatoes in a sautee pan with olive oil and enlivening with some freshly grated Italian cheeses, such as parmesan or Romano.
Another important element of Italian cooking is pasta, and now there are many whole grain varieties to choose from on the supermarket shelves. This allows the whole grain component of a healthy diet to be fulfilled, yet also provides the perfect complement to tomato and vegetable sauces, with or without meat, chicken, or fish.
To top off an Italian meal, a loaf of crusty bread, a fresh arugula and basil salad, and a bottle of red wine go a long way. They help make it colorful and festive and bring out the full flavor of the entrée ingredients. There is no question, that in the taste league, foods that are Italian inspired are clearly delicious winners.