Agnolotti ("priest hats") are stuffed, fresh pasta from the Piedmont region. Agnolotti are traditionally made by folding small, thinly rolled rounds of pasta dough over fillings into a half-moon (or rectangular) shape, and crimping the edges to seal.
Italian food historians say that the differences between agnolotti and its close cousin ravioli were once more marked. Agnolotti, made in the richer, carnivorous northern regions of Italy, were stuffed with meat; the poorer central and coastal regions stuffed their ravioli with cheese, fish and vegetables.
But the lines have blurred since World War II, and like ravioli, agnolotti may be filled with cheese, meat or vegetables, and spices (particularly nutmeg). In Turin, every cook has their own version, and fillings often depend on what leftover ingredients -- braised beef, roast pork, calves brains, veal -- the cook has on hand. Agnolotti can be gently poached, pan-fried in butter, added to broth to make soup, or served with a sauce.
Asiago is a hard Italian cow's milk cheese that is easy to grate or crumble by hand.
Just as true Champagne must come from the Champagne region of France, true Asiago must be made in the alpine regions of Veneto and Trentino, Italy. Asiago cheese is an Italian PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), which means that it has to produced in a designated region in a particular way to be considered the real thing. If you buy Asiago that bears the brand of the Asiago consortium on the rind, you know that the cheese was made with milk from cows that graze on the grassy hillsides of the Dolomite Mountains.
Cheesemakers in the United States use the same techniques and cultures to create an unofficial version of Asiago that shares the name and flavor of its Italian twin.
"Al dente" means "to the tooth" in Italian. (Like "terroir", it's one of those concepts that poorly translates into English.) The phrase refers to the desired texture of cooked pasta, which should be soft but still slightly firm at the core of the noodle (or shell or spiral or alphabet letter). Some cooks define "al dente" as "not hard and not soft."
Pasta cooked "al dente" should require some chewing but not crunch or stick to the teeth when chewed. The firm texture should allow you to taste some of the pasta's flavor. Overcooked pasta tends to be mushy and flavorless.
So how do you know when your pasta is "al dente"? In my house growing up, we threw a strand of spaghetti at the wall -- as soon as it sticks, it's done. The problem with that test is that overcooked pasta sticks to the wall, too. So now I just use my teeth: Before I think it's ready, I draw a piece of pasta from the pot, let it cool a few seconds and take a bite. If it's ready, my mouth knows.
Related: What's the point of putting oil in my pasta water?
Related: How to cook garlic for pasta
"Caprese" refers to something that comes from or is in the style of Capri, an Italian island off the coast near Naples.
Tourists know the island mostly for its villas, grottos and jutting limestone towers. Culinarily speaking, it's best known for its namesake salad, the insalata caprese -- fresh tomatoes, basil and mozzarella.
The name of the island comes from "capra", the Italian word for "goat". (In English, "caprine" refers to anything having to do with goats.) A real insalata caprese, though, is not made with goat's milk cheese, but with true Mozzarella di Bufala Campana -- buffalo's milk mozzarella made in certain designated areas of Italy -- Naples included.
Recipe: Tomato, Mozzarella And Basil Salad (Cookthink)
Recipe: Tomato, Mozzarella And Basil Relish (Cookthink)
An Italian cow's milk cheese that has been produced in the Alpine Aosta Valley since the 12th century, Fontina is now produced in other parts of Italy (not to mention France, Sweden and Denmark). An Italian Fontina consortium marks the rinds of authentic native cheese with a Matterhorn stamp.
Fontina's 45% fat content gives it a soft texture and creamy, rich flavor. Pale yellow, nutty-tasting young Fontina melts beautifully on pizzas or in grilled cheese sandwiches or gratins. It is also used in Fonduta, an Italian version of fondue made with milk or cream, eggs and cheese (and sometimes topped with white truffles).
Reference: What is a gratin?
In Italian, "orzo" means barley, so the small, flat, oval pastas that look like barley grains go by the same name. They are used often in soups since they cook quickly in broth, but are also great as side salads with light vinaigrettes and vegetables.
Recipe: Orzo and Wild Rice Salad (Root Source Challenge)
Recipe: Saffron Orzo with Shrimp (Coconut & Lime)
The cured italian meat pancetta comes either rolled (rotolata) or flat (stesa). Rolled pancetta is often sold thinly sliced. Flat pancetta comes as a slab. You can use it in any dish that would benefit from an underlying, mild pork flavor.
Here's an easy way to prep thin slices of rolled pancetta. First, stack 3-4 slices and roll them up like a cigar. If you want short strips (like lardons), cut the pancetta cigar in half lengthwise. Skip this step if you want the strips to be long.
Then slice the cigar crosswise. Toss the pieces around with your hand to separate them.
To dice slab pancetta, cut a few slices crosswise as thick or thin as you like. Stack the slices, then slice off and discard any unwanted tough skin.
Cut the slices into strips lengthwise.
Rotate the strips 90 degrees around and slice them crosswise to finish the dice.
Scampi is the Italian word for a prawn. It is also the name of an Italian-American dish called shrimp scampi that makes regular appearances on American restaurant menus and refers to broiled butterflied shrimp that have been brushed with garlic butter or oil (and sometimes a splash of white wine). American shrimp scampi is served over pasta or with bread to sop up the juices.
The Brits make their own typically health-unconscious version of scampi -- battered, deep-fried shelled tail meat that is eaten with tartar sauce.
Since its leaves hold their shape well, escarole is one of the easiest greens to prep.
Start by cleaning it: Fill a bowl with cold water and dunk the head of escarole, swishing it around so the water gets in between its leaves and any sand or dirt can sink to the bottom of the bowl.
Pull off and discard any damaged outer leaves.
Let the escarole drain upside down, then put it on a kitchen towel. Cut off and discard its tough bottom stem.
If you want to keep the leaves intact for a salad or braise, just pull the leaves apart at their base. Arrange them on a towel to dry, or spin them dry in a salad spinner.
For stews, sautées and pastas, just chop the leaves crosswise as thick or thin as you like.
Orecchiette are "little ears", since the tiny pasta bowls look like, well, ears. Each dip fills deliciously with sauce. Since it's a small pasta, orecchiette is generally paired with less chunky sauces like alfredo or marinara.
Recipe: Orecchiette With Cherry Tomatoes, Mozzarella And Basil (Cookthink)
Recipe: Orecchiette With Broccoli Raab And Parmesan (Cookthink)
Pesto is the general name for a (usually thick) sauce used to flavor anything from toasted bread to fish to pasta. You can rub or spoon it over grilled meats and vegetables or you can stir it into soups and stews.
Classic Italian pesto is made with fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan and olive oil. You can experiment with the proportions to find your favorite, but here's the general ratio:
2 cups packed basil leaves
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 small clove garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
Purée the first four ingredients together in a food processor and then drizzle in the olive oil while running the machine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and you're done.
Using the proportions above as a starting point, keep in mind the general formula for pesto:
herb + hard cheese + nut + onion/aromatic + oil
Experiment with less classic combinations to make a delicious sauce using whatever you have on hand. Here are a few suggestions:
basil + pecorino + walnuts + olive oil + garlic
parsley + parmesan + pine nuts + olive oil + garlic
cilantro + manchego + almonds + olive oil + garlic
Making and freezing pesto is a great way to use up an abundance of late summer herbs.
Recipe: Mint Pesto (Cookthink)
Recipe: Garlic Scape Pesto (VeganYumYum)
Recipe: Broccoli Pesto (Ann Cooper)
What's the difference between sorbet and sherbet?
What's the difference between sorbet and sherbet?
Sorbet and sherbet are both sweet, fruity frozen desserts with a soft texture. But if sorbet is made from fruit juice or purée that is mixed with a sugar syrup and sometimes alchohol (Italian meringue may be added to sorbet to enhance its volume), its American cousin sherbet contains a small amount of milk or cream (for a total of 1 to 2 percent milk fat).
To make matters more complicated, in Turkish, sherbet is a chilled drink made with rose hips, cornelian cherries, rose or licorice and spices that's believed to have medicinal powers. In the UK, sherbet is a sweetened effervescent powder that's added to drinks like lemonade.
And if someone asks you if you'd like some sherbert, they're just making a common mistake of mispronouncing the name.
