What Italians eat in a day, a few recipes

How Italians, with all that delicious pasta, cheese, wine and so on, seem to always be on the skinny side? How do they manage that? It’s a combination of different factors. Firstly cultural, Italians may exceed in food quantity only in social occasion, in their daily life they cook and eat only what they need to get the right energy. And secondly, local products and common recipes are healthy, tasty and low in saturated fats. Let’s try some recipes!

A classic: pasta with tomatoes

Let’s repeat together: “pasta is not fat”! It always depends of the kind of sauce is used. In addition, one can even make homemade pasta to avoid preservatives and chemicals. Then, with a tablespoon of oil and a clove of garlic, slow cook tomato sauce with some slices of fresh tomatoes. After a few minutes since it started boiling, the sauce is ready, and can be added to the cooked pasta, with a basilico leaf and parmisan, one of the most low-fat cheeses, rich in calcium and easy to digest.

Filled vegetables

Italian vegetables are often tasty on their own and prepared as a side for second courses. But this recipe makes them a main course, adds flavors and it’s a way to get creative with spices and herbs. There are many variations of it. First combo is tomatoes with a filling of rice. The rice is cooked in the pulp of the tomatoes and flavored with parsley. It’s then poured into the tomato and cooked in the oven. This can also be done with peppers, of any kind. Last but not least, with zucchini and aubergines one can mix the pulp of the veggies with breadcrumbs, herbs and cheese for a delicious result.

Polpettone (a big meatball)

We all know meatballs, almost a symbol of the Italian gastronomy. But today we want to talk about the polpettone (literally “a big meatball”). There isn’t a single recipe for this dish, each family has its own tastes and traditions passed by generations. It is often used as a way to empty the fridge: one can mix veggies, old bread softened with milk, cheese or anything they like to the meat mixture. Then covered in breadrumbs or ham, with a side of potatoes and carrots, it’s put in the oven and easily ready to serve for a few days as a mean meal.

When traveling to Italy, try & learn the Italian lifestyle

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