Central Italian Cuisine

Central Italian cuisine is the cuisine of central Italy.

Central Italian cuisine can be subdivided into Roman and Tuscan cuisines, though these have much in common.

Rome is a cultural center. Florence is also an important city in the region

Standard Italian is based on dialects of Italian languages in this region.

Ingredients

Wheat is a staple ingredient. It is made into pasta such as fettuccine, a long ribbon-shaped pasta typically made with flour and egg and served fresh. Soft wheat flour is used for bread, generally leavened with yeast.

artichoke

olive, olive oil

grapes, white wine

tomato

Pork is a popular meat. Cured pork cheek, called guanciale, is a specialty; it is used to make a sauce called sugo all’amatriciana. Chicken and beef may also be used. Sheep milk is used to make a type of hard cheese called pecorino romano, which has been made since ancient times.

Dishes

• pasta with ragu: fresh fettuccine or other pasta with meat sauce such as sugo all’amatriciana
• fettuccine alfredo: fresh fettuccine with butter and cheese
• gnocci: small, cooked pieces of dough made from wheat flour and other ingredients, usually served with cheese
• carbonara: fettuccine or other pasta with egg, hard cheese, cured pork, and pepper
• pasta alla gricia: pasta with hard cheese, cured pork, and pepper
• pane sciocco: leavened bread made without salt, usually paired with other food or served as a side
• ciriola: yeast-leavened bread with crispy crust and pointed ends, originally from Rome
• filone: long, natural yeast-leavened bread with crispy crust, originally from Tuscany
• bruschetta: grilled bread slices with olive oil, often with additional toppings such as garlic and tomato