Lombardy

Sugar cookies, commonly dipped in coffee, hot chocolate, wine, rosolio (rose-flavored liqueur)

The gnocco fritto or crescentina ( Italian: [kreʃʃenˈtiːna]) is an Italian bread from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, prepared using flour, water and lard as primary ingredients. Cracklings are sometimes used in its preparation as well. In Emilia-Romagna, it is typically sliced into diamond shapes and then fried, and may be accompanied with cheese and salumi. When it is fried, the bread puffs up, and it may include yeast or baking soda to leaven it. Versions prepared with milk are softer than those prepared with water. It may be served either as an appetizer or as a main dish. Despite the name by which in Italy it is often referred to as a kind of gnocchi, it is technically not. The name crescentina is derived from the Italian verb crescere, meaning 'to grow', referring to it puffing up during the cooking.

Cake with lemon zest, almonds and pine nuts

Bisciola is an Italian sweet leavened bread originating in the Valtellina Valley of Lombardy, Italy.: 63  It is typically prepared for Christmas,: 63  during which time it is an essential component of Christmas festivities. It is also known as panettone valtellinese,: 732  besciola, and pan di fich, the latter a name in the local dialect literally translating as 'fig bread'.

Sugar cookies, commonly dipped in coffee, hot chocolate, wine, rosolio (rose-flavored liqueur)

Sweet leavened ring-shaped cake

A simple cake or sweet bread made with butter, vanilla, lemon peel

Ricotta pudding, similar to cheesecake

Lemon potato cake made without yeast and soaked in Lambrusco wine

Cannoli[a] are Sicilian pastries consisting of a tube-shaped shell of fried pastry dough, filled with a sweet, creamy filling containing ricotta cheese. Their size ranges from 9 to 20 centimetres . They have since spread to mainland Italy, where they are known as cannolo siciliano (lit. 'Sicilian cannoli'). In culinary traditions across Sicily, regional variations in cannoli fillings reflect local preferences and ingredient availability. In Palermo, cannoli are decorated with candied orange zest, adding a citrusy sweetness to the filling. In Catania, chopped pistachios are favored, adding a distinctive nutty flavor and texture. Ramacca is known for its purple artichokes, which also feature as filling in some cannoli recipes.

Colomba pasquale or colomba di Pasqua ( Italian: [koˈlomba di ˈpaskwa]) (lit. 'Easter dove') is an Italian traditional Easter bread, the Easter counterpart of the two well-known Italian Christmas desserts, panettone and pandoro. The dough for the colomba is made in a similar manner to panettone, with flour, eggs, sugar, natural yeast, and butter; unlike panettone, it usually contains candied peel and no raisins. The dough is then fashioned into a dove shape (colomba in Italian) and finally is topped with pearl sugar and almonds before being baked. Some manufacturers produce other versions, including a popular bread topped with chocolate. The colomba was commercialised by the Milanese baker and businessman Angelo Motta as an Easter version of the Christmas speciality panettone.

Layered cake made with almonds, whipped egg whites and butter cream

Sweet raisin bread, the progenitor of Panettone

Eggplant slices covered in chocolate sauce

Bread pudding with raisins, apples, pears and rosemary

A Mont Blanc is a dessert of sweetened chestnut purée in the form of vermicelli, topped with whipped cream. It was created in nineteenth-century Paris. The name comes from Mont Blanc, as the dish resembles a snow-capped mountain. Mont Blanc has been an autumn and winter favorite at Parisian pâtisseries, notably the Parisian tea shop Angelina. For a long time considered old-fashioned and heavy, it has become newly popular in the 2010s in a lighter form at trendy shops like Pierre Hermé, with many variations. A dessert with three distinctive characteristics of typical Mont Blanc: sweet, made of chestnut purée in the form of vermicelli served as a mount or a ring, and heaped with whipped cream, existed by the mid-19th century.

Very small hazlenut meringue cookies

Oval shaped shortbread cookies made by Forno F.lli Collivasone

Sweet cornmeal cookies or bread, common on April 23 for St. Giorgio celebrations

Panettone[a] is an Italian type of sweet bread and fruitcake, originally from Milan, Italy, usually prepared and enjoyed for Christmas and New Year in Western, Southern, and Southeastern Europe, as well as in South America, Eritrea, Australia, the United States, and Canada. It has a cupola shape, which extends from a cylindrical base and is usually about 12–15 centimetres high for a panettone weighing one kilogram (two pounds). Other bases may be used, such as an octagon, or a frustum with a star section shape more common to pandoro. It is made during a long process that involves curing the dough, which is acidic, similar to sourdough. The proofing process alone takes several days, giving the cake its distinctive fluffy characteristics. It contains candied orange, citron, and lemon zest, as well as raisins, which are added dry and not soaked. Many other variations are available such as plain or with chocolate. It is served in wedge shapes, vertically cut, accompanied with sweet hot beverages or a sweet wine, such as Asti or Moscato d'Asti. In some regions of Italy, it is served with crema al mascarpone, a cream made by combining eggs, mascarpone, and a sweet liqueur. Efforts are underway to obtain protected designation of origin (PDO) and denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) status for this product, but these have not yet been successful. Former Italian Agriculture Minister Paolo De Castro was known to be looking at ways to protect genuine Italian cakes from growing competition in South America, and exploring whether action could be taken at the World Trade Organization.[citation needed]

Pears poached in red wine

Pine nut cookies

Sweet version: spongecake with a layer of hazelnut butter cream, filled with chocolate and hazelnut buttercream, and topped with marzipan

Sweet raviolis filled with a mixture of ricotta, sugar, white wine, lemon and cinnamon, common during Carnival and Easter

Crumbly, buttery almond or hazlenut cake, serve with coffee or a dessert wine such as grappa

Cake filled with dried fruit, nuts and honey, common during Christmas

Torta monferrina is a cake made with pumpkin or apples, sugar, amaretti, chocolate, eggs and rum, and baked. It is an autumn speciality of the Montferrat hills, in northwest Italy.

Torta Bertolina, also known simply as Bertolina, is a typical autumnal dessert from the Italian comune of Crema. It is presented in a round shape, but it is often available cut into slices. It has a golden brown hue and the fragrance of the small American or Concord grapes, which are one of its main ingredients. The crust has an uneven texture with small holes in it. There are some variations especially when it is homemade, since many families have handed down the recipe through the generations; its exact origins are unknown, but the cake was probably made for the first time after the 1800s.[citation needed] The ingredients are: flour, corn flour, sugar, icing sugar, butter, olive oil, eggs, vanilla, concord grapes and yeast.[citation needed]

Light and airy sponge cake

Chocolate and hazlenut cake using gianduia spread

Cake with lemon zest, almonds and pine nuts

Layered sponge cake with cream, coffee flavored cream, custard and chocolate

Barbacarlo is a red wine produced exclusively on the hills near Broni, in the Oltrepò Pavese, and is made up of 50% Croatina, 30% Uva rara and 20% ughetta

Barbajada, also italianized as barbagliata, is a Milanese sweet frothy drink, popular in the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century, but still occasionally served today. It is made with whipped chocolate, milk and coffee in equal parts, along with any amount of sugar, and possibly topped with cream. It is served warm in winter, usually to accompany desserts such as the panettone or other Milanese delicacies. In the past there was also a cold version served in summer. Reportedly, the recipe was a creation of Domenico Barbaja , who was at the time a garzone (waiter) in a café. The drink was so successful that barbaja eventually grew rich enough to become a theatrical impresario, as well as the owner of a café in the luxury venue of Piazza della Scala.

Barbera is a red Italian wine grape variety that, as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy . It produces good yields and is known for deep color, full body, low tannins and high levels of acidity. Century-old vines still exist in many regional vineyards and allow for the production of long-aging, robust red wines with intense fruit and enhanced tannic content. The best-known appellation is the DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) Barbera d'Asti in the Piedmont region: the highest-quality Nizza DOCG wines are produced within a sub-zone of the Barbera d'Asti production area. When young, the wines offer a very intense aroma of fresh red cherries and blackberries. In the lightest versions notes of cherries, raspberries and blueberries and with notes of blackberry and black cherries in wines made of more ripe grapes. Many producers employ the use of toasted oak barrels, which provides for increased complexity, aging potential, and hints of vanilla notes. The lightest versions are generally known for flavors and aromas of fresh fruit and dried fruits, and are not recommended for cellaring. Wines with a better balance between acid and fruit, often with the addition of oak and having a high alcohol content are more capable of cellaring; these wines often result from reduced-yield viticultural methods. Barbera is believed to have originated in the hills of Monferrato in central Piemonte, Italy, where it has been known since the thirteenth century. Documents from the cathedral of Casale Monferrato between 1246 and 1277 detail leasing agreements of vineyard lands planted with "de bonis vitibus barbexinis" or Barbera, as it was known then. However, one ampelographer, Pierre Viala, speculates that Barbera originated in the Lombardy region of Oltrepò Pavese. In the 19th and 20th centuries, waves of Italian immigrants brought Barbera to the Americas where the vine took root in California and Argentina among other places. Recent DNA evidence suggest that Barbera may be related to the French-Spanish vine Mourvedre. In 1985, the Piedmont region was rocked by a scandal involving Barbera producers illegally adding methanol to their wines, killing over 30 people and causing many more to lose their sight. The bad press and publicity saw a steady decline in Barbera sales and plantings, allowing the grape to be eclipsed by the Montepulciano grape as Italy's second most widely planted red grape variety in the late 1990s.

Douce noir is a red Savoyard wine grape variety that has historically been grown in the Savoy region, but today is more widely planted in Argentina. It arrived in Savoy in the early 19th century, and by the end of the century it was the most widely grown red wine grape in the region. It is the second most widely planted red grape in Argentina (after Malbec). The grape is also grown in California where it is known as Charbono. In California, Bonarda/Douce noir/Charbono is produced in very limited amounts with the grape having been described as a "cult wine" for its scarcity and devotion of its connoisseurs. However, journalists such as Alan Goldfarb describes the variety as "... the Rodney Dangerfield of wine" and notes that it is a hard variety to find a market for.

Bittersweet herbal liqueur

Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially available. There are also various coffee substitutes. Typically served hot, coffee has the highest sales in the world market for hot drinks. Coffee production begins when the seeds from coffee cherries are separated to produce unroasted green coffee beans. The "beans" are roasted and then ground into fine particles. Coffee is brewed from the ground roasted beans, which are typically steeped in hot water before being filtered out. It is usually served hot, although chilled or iced coffee is common. Coffee can be prepared and presented in a variety of ways (e.g., espresso, French press, caffè latte, or already-brewed canned coffee). Sugar, sugar substitutes, milk, and cream are often added to mask the bitter taste or enhance the flavor.

Conero è un vino rosso a DOCG prodotto nella zona del Monte Conero in provincia di Ancona . Fino al 2004 era la tipologia "riserva" della DOC Rosso Conero. La zona di produzione delle uve comprende l'intero territorio comunale di Ancona, Offagna, Camerano, Sirolo, Numana e parte dei comuni di Castelfidardo ed Osimo. Abitato da Piceni, Etruschi e esuli siracusani, il territorio rivela tracce dell'attività vitivinicola dal ritrovamento a Matelica di circa 200 vinaccioli di Vitis Vinifera in una tomba del VII sec. a.c.. Più recentemente Plinio il Vecchio descrisse un centinaio di varietà di viti coltivate nell'area Picena e citò il vino "Pretoriano" prodotto nell'Anconetano. Lo scrittore e gastronomo Marco Gavio Apicio ricordò un vino "anconetanum", rosso e piuttosto corposo.

Franciacorta is a sparkling wine from the Italian province of Brescia (Lombardy) with DOCG status. It is produced using the traditional method from grapes grown within the boundaries of the territory of Franciacorta, on the hills located between the southern shore of Lake Iseo and the city of Brescia. It was awarded DOC status in 1967, the designation then also including red and white still wines. Since 1995 the DOCG classification has applied exclusively to the sparkling wines of the area. The still wines from this area have ancient traditions, referred to by Virgil and Pliny the Elder, and documented in Brescia City council books as "Franzacurta" as far back as in 1277. The name may derive from the tax-exempt (francae) status of the region's towns (curtes) in the Middle Ages. The wines were not called Franciacorta until 1957, when Guido Berlucchi released a white wine named Pinot di Franciacorta. An ambitious young winemaker working for Berlucchi, Franco Ziliani, was permitted to pursue an aspiration of producing a fine sparkling wine, and in 1961 was allowed to produce for release 3,000 bottles of Pinot di Franciacorta. Instant interest allowed the following vintage production to be set at 20,000 bottles, and eventually the annual production was 100,000 bottles. The national prominence that followed was soon exploited by several entrepreneurs from Milan and Brescia, and by the time the region was granted DOC status in 1967 there were 11 producers of sparkling Franciacorta, although Berlucchi represented more than 80% of the production. With its directives, Franciacorta became the first DOC to specify that its sparkling wines must be made by traditional method. In 1990, the Consorzio per la tutela del Franciacorta was formed, instigating codes of self-regulation with a gradual reduction of yields and elimination of the use of Pinot grigio, becoming the body considered responsible for the efficient elevation of sparkling Franciacorta to DOCG status in 1995. Since August 1, 2003, Franciacorta has been the only Italian wine not obliged to declare its DOCG appellation on the label, in the same manner that a Champagne is permitted to exclude from labels its AOC.

Franciacorta is a sparkling wine from the Italian province of Brescia (Lombardy) with DOCG status. It is produced using the traditional method from grapes grown within the boundaries of the territory of Franciacorta, on the hills located between the southern shore of Lake Iseo and the city of Brescia. It was awarded DOC status in 1967, the designation then also including red and white still wines. Since 1995 the DOCG classification has applied exclusively to the sparkling wines of the area. The still wines from this area have ancient traditions, referred to by Virgil and Pliny the Elder, and documented in Brescia City council books as "Franzacurta" as far back as in 1277. The name may derive from the tax-exempt (francae) status of the region's towns (curtes) in the Middle Ages. The wines were not called Franciacorta until 1957, when Guido Berlucchi released a white wine named Pinot di Franciacorta. An ambitious young winemaker working for Berlucchi, Franco Ziliani, was permitted to pursue an aspiration of producing a fine sparkling wine, and in 1961 was allowed to produce for release 3,000 bottles of Pinot di Franciacorta. Instant interest allowed the following vintage production to be set at 20,000 bottles, and eventually the annual production was 100,000 bottles. The national prominence that followed was soon exploited by several entrepreneurs from Milan and Brescia, and by the time the region was granted DOC status in 1967 there were 11 producers of sparkling Franciacorta, although Berlucchi represented more than 80% of the production. With its directives, Franciacorta became the first DOC to specify that its sparkling wines must be made by traditional method. In 1990, the Consorzio per la tutela del Franciacorta was formed, instigating codes of self-regulation with a gradual reduction of yields and elimination of the use of Pinot grigio, becoming the body considered responsible for the efficient elevation of sparkling Franciacorta to DOCG status in 1995. Since August 1, 2003, Franciacorta has been the only Italian wine not obliged to declare its DOCG appellation on the label, in the same manner that a Champagne is permitted to exclude from labels its AOC.

Mixed drink made with prosecco, campari liqueur, red vermouth and seasonal fruit

Vespetrò is a Lombard liqueur from Canzo. Its main ingredients are spices and medicinal plants. It is marketed with the brand Vespetrò Scannagatta and produced – as a homemade product – also by some families in Canzo, who hand down the recipe from generation to generation. The recipe of Vespetrò, of Savoyard origin, has been present in Canzo at least since 18th century and was appreciated by tourists as a speciality of the town. The Raisonné de la distillation of 1778 called the Vespetrò a trendy drink also used to release intestinal gas.

Spit-roasted lamb

Agnolini is a type of egg-based stuffed pasta originating in the province of Mantua, Italy. It is often eaten in soup or broth. Agnolini's recipe was first published in L'arte di ben cucinare  [it] (1662) by Bartolomeo Stefani [it], a cook at the court of the Gonzaga family.

Alburnus arborella is a species of ray-finned fish in the carp family Cyprinidae. It is a freshwater fish occurring in lakes and streams in Europe. It is distributed in Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, and Switzerland. This species is up to 10 centimetres long. It eats plankton and invertebrates such as insects. It spawns in riffles and on lakeshores.

Braised or roasted duck stuffed with mixture of minced pork, soppressa, bacon, white wine, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, herbs and spices

Stuffed pasta, commonly served in broth (anolini in brodo), Piacenza anolini are filled with meat whereas the Parma version has a cheese, breadcrumb and nutmeg filling, traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve

Bollito misto is a classic northern Italian stew, most closely resembling the French pot-au-feu, consisting of various tougher cuts of beef and veal, cotechino, and a whole hen or capon that are gently simmered for 2–3 hours in an aromatic vegetable broth. Bollito and its many regional variations are eaten throughout northern Italy, and is particularly popular in Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont, and Lombardy. The meat is sliced thinly and served with coarse sea salt, mostarda, salsa verde, horseradish, or chutney. The resulting broth is skimmed, strained, and used as a base for soups and risottos. In Italian cuisine, bollito was prominent throughout the second millennium. In the 1800s, crown prince and from 1849 king Victor Emmanuel II would often sneak off to the small town of Moncalvo to hunt wild game, cavort with his favorite mistress, and enjoy a convivial meal of bollito with friends. Bollito features prominently in various gastronomic texts: Antonio Latini has 38 cooking suggestions for bollito in his cookbook, Lo Scalco alla Moderna (The Modern Steward) (1694), and Maestro Martino has several recipes in his book Libro de Arte Coquinaria (The Art of Cooking), which is considered a landmark of Italian gastronomic literature.[citation needed]

Savory pancake or fritter, traditionally pan-fried in lard

Braised beef (roast beef), for example, with wine and vegetables, may also use veal, pork

Beef broth with cubed focaccina dumplings that are made with flour, eggs, butter and milk

Tripe soup with beans, vegetables and Grana Padano, Parmigiano or other cheese

Stuffed and roasted capon, stuffed with giblets, ground meat, sausage, vegetables, chestnuts, hard boiled eggs

Roasted kid goat with potatoes, common during Easter

Casoncelli are a type of stuffed pasta typical of the culinary tradition of Lombardy, in the northcentral part of Italy. The shell typically consists of two sheets of pasta, about 4 cm (1.6 in) long, pressed together at the edges, like that of ravioli. Alternatively it is a disk folded in two and shaped like a sweet wrapper. Casoncelli in the style alla bergamasca are typically stuffed with a mixture of breadcrumbs, eggs, Parmesan cheese, ground beef, salami or sausage. Variants of filling include spinach, raisins, amaretto biscuits, pear, and garlic; while the casoncelli alla bresciana are stuffed with a mixture of breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, nutmeg and broth. They are typically served with burro e salvia: melted butter flavored with sage leaves.[citation needed]

Cassoeula or cazzoeula søːla, kaˈtsøːra]), sometimes Italianized as cassola, cazzuola or cazzola (the word for 'trowel', etymologically unrelated), or bottaggio (probably derived from the French word potage), is a typical winter dish popular in western Lombardy, Italy, chiefly made from pork and Savoy cabbage. The dish has a strong, decisive flavour, and was a favourite of conductor Arturo Toscanini. One writer describes it as a "noble, ancient Milanese dish", and writes of the inexpressible "pleasure that it furnishes the soul as well as the palate, especially on a wintry day". One account of the origins of the dish associates it with the January 17 celebration of St Anthony the Abbot, which coincided with the end of the pig-slaughtering season. The parts of the pig used for the dish were those ready for consumption immediately after slaughter, whereas the better cuts of meat would be hung to improve the flavour.

The brain, like most other internal organs, or offal, can serve as nourishment. Brains used for nourishment include those of pigs, squirrels, rabbits, horses, cattle, monkeys, chickens, camels, fish, lamb, and goats. In many cultures, different types of brain are considered a delicacy. The brain of animals features in French cuisine, in dishes such as cervelle de veau and tête de veau. A dish called maghaz is a popular cuisine in Pakistan, Bangladesh, parts of India, and diaspora countries. In Turkish cuisine, brain can be fried, baked, or consumed as a salad. In Chinese cuisine, brain is a delicacy in Chongqing or Sichuan cuisine, and it is often cooked in spicy hot pot or barbecued. In the southern part of China, pig brain is used for tianma zhunao tang. In South India, goat brain curry or fry (మేక మెదడు వేపుడు) is a delicacy. Mumbai has its own version of brain masala curry.

Tripe and chickpea soup, older recipes used dark chickpeas from the Middle East but modern versions use Italian chickpeas

Roast rabbit

Milan-style veal cutlets, drizzled with lemon juice

Puréed fava beans and sautéed chicory

Many species of fish are caught by humans and consumed as food in virtually all regions around the world. Fish has been an important dietary source of protein and other nutrients. The English language does not have a special culinary name for food prepared from fish like with other animals , or as in other languages (such as Spanish pez vs. pescado). In culinary and fishery contexts, fish may include so-called shellfish such as molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms; more expansively, seafood covers both fish and other marine life used as food. Since 1961, the average annual increase in global apparent food fish consumption (3.2 percent) has outpaced population growth (1.6 percent) and exceeded consumption of meat from all terrestrial animals, combined (2.8 percent) and individually (bovine, ovine, porcine, etc.), except poultry (4.9 percent). In per capita terms, food fish consumption has grown from 9.0 kg (19.8 lb) in 1961 to 20.2 kg (45 lb) in 2015, at an average rate of about 1.5 percent per year. The expansion in consumption has been driven not only by increased production, but also by a combination of many other factors, including reduced wastage, better utilization, improved distribution channels and growing consumer demand, linked with population growth, rising disposable incomes and urbanization.

Potato gnocchi topped with a creamy cheese sauce made with Grana Padano, Toma, and/or Fontina cheeses

Bread gnocchi, serve plain, with parmigiano cheese, with tomato sauce

Bread-based gnocchi

Baked lasagne made with spinach pasta, or made with spinach

Rabbit marinated in and braised with wine, vegetables, juniper berries, herbs and salt

Pike with a sauce made with vegetables, wine, capers, often served with polenta

Spaghetti alla chitarra , also known as maccheroni alla chitarra, is a variety of egg pasta typical of the Abruzzo region of Italy, with a square cross section about 2–3 mm thick. Tonnarelli are a similar pasta from Lazio, used especially in the Roman cacio e pepe. Ciriole, traditionally from Molise, is the thicker version of chitarra, approximately twice the thickness of spaghetti. Because the pasta are cut from a sheet rather than extruded through a die, spaghetti alla chitarra are square rather than round in cross-section. The name of this spaghetti comes from the tool (the so-called chitarra, lit. 'guitar') this pasta is produced with. This tool gives the spaghetti its name, shape, and a porous texture that allows pasta sauce to adhere well to the pasta itself. The chitarra is a frame with a series of parallel wires crossing it.

Pasta filled with a mixture of meat, vegetables and cheese, commonly served in broth

Chestnut soup, may be made with cream (minestra di castagne e latte), rice (minestra di riso e castagne), dried chestnuts, several variations

Chickpea soup with pasta, meat, vegetables

Broth with large bread dumplings

Agone fish (shad) from Lake Como are dried, salted, and preserved with bay leaves, these fish are grilled or cooked on a hot stone and seasoned with oiver oil, vinegar and parsley, serve with toasted polenta or toasted bread

Mondeghili , also known outside Milan as mondeghini (Lombard: mondeghitt), are meatballs typical of Milanese cuisine. The dish was developed as a way to use up leftover cuts of meat, usually beef because of its popularity in Milan. The meatballs are often enriched with sausage, raw salami, liver, mortadella and other pork.

Orecchiette pasta with mushrooms

Rice with beans and salami

Pasta with truffles or truffle sauce, for example, strangozzi pasta

Pasta baked with Fontina cheese, prosciutto, mushrooms and a cream sauce

Pizzoccheri noodles with cabbage and cheese

Perch is a common name for freshwater fish from the genus Perca, which belongs to the family Percidae of the large order Perciformes. The name comes from Greek: πέρκη, romanized: perke, meaning the type species of this genus, the European perch . Many species of freshwater game fish more or less resemble perch, but belong to different genera. In fact, the exclusively saltwater-dwelling red drum (which belong to a different order Acanthuriformes) is often referred to as a "red perch", though by definition perch are freshwater species. Though many fish are referred to as perch as a common name, to be considered a true perch, the fish must be of the family Percidae.

Small bread dumplings or gnocchi, borlotti beans and lard or fatty pancetta in tomato sauce

Pizza quattro stagioni , also known as pizza 4 stagioni, pizza alle quattro stagioni, or la quattro stagioni, is a style of pizza in Italian cuisine that is prepared in four sections with diverse ingredients, with each section representing one season of the year. Artichokes represent spring, tomatoes and basil represent summer, mushrooms represent autumn, and prosciutto and olives represent winter. It is a very popular pizza in Italy, and has been described as a "classic", "famous", and "renowned" Italian pizza. It is a variant of pizza capricciosa. Pizza quattro stagioni is typically prepared using a tomato sauce and cheese. It is most often made by adding artichokes, tomatoes, basil, mushrooms, prosciutto, and olives to four separate sections of the pizza. Other ingredients may also be used. Fresh-cooked or canned artichoke hearts may be used. Some of the topping ingredients can be partially oven-dried so they do not make the pizza soggy. Baking it on a pizza stone can also prevent sogginess. The pizza may be finished with olive oil drizzled atop the pizza. It can be sliced into wedges or into its four sections. Pizza quattro stagioni can be vegetarian if prosciutto is substituted by a vegetarian option.

Pizzoccheri ( Italian: [pitˈtsɔkkeri]; Lombard: pizzòcher [piˈtsɔker, -kar] a flat ribbon pasta, made with a blend of buckwheat flour and wheat flour. It is believed to have originated in Valtellina, a valley in the northern Italian region of Lombardy. It is also popular in Val Poschiavo, a side valley of Valtellina which belongs to the Swiss canton of Grisons. Pizzoccheri can be made by hand or can be purchased pre-made.

Savory version: polenta served with skewered and grilled meats such as small birds, beef, pork, veal, sausage, pancetta

Layered polenta casserole with meat sauce, sliced polenta is layered with mushroom sauce, tomatoes, ground beef, veal, sausage, Parmigiano-Reggiano, then baked

Buckwheat and cornmeal polenta with butter and Valtellina Casera cheese

Breaded chicken cutlets with prosciutto and Fontina cheese, served with a white wine sauce