Neapolitan Cuisine

Neapolitan cuisine is the cuisine of Naples, Italy, and its surrounding region, including much of southern Italy. The Neapolitan region is characterized by the Naples language, related to but distinct from other Italian languages.

Neapolitan culture descended from the historic kingdom of Naples. Foreign elements, such as tomato, have also been embraced and embedded into Neapolitan cuisine.

Wood-fired ovens are used for dishes such as pizza.

The stringed instrument mandolin is also popular in Neapolitan culture.

Ingredients

Durum wheat, or hard wheat, is perhaps the most important grain of Neapolitan cuisine. It is used to make many types of pasta, which tend to be al dente, or firm. Paccheri, ziti, and spaghetti are some of the favorite types. Paccheri is pasta shaped like a wide tube. Ziti is shaped like a narrow tube. Spaghetti is long, thin, cylinder-shaped noodles. Lagane is one of the oldest types of pasta, shaped like a sheet cut into wide strips.

Eggplant is common in Neapolitan cuisine. Tomato is famously used; tomato paste(concentrato) and chopped or sliced tomato are used in many dishes. Chili is also used.

Broccoli rabe and endive are used as vegetables in various dishes. Zucchini(zuccine) was first bred in Italy from squash of the Americas.

Capers and olives are used.

Apples and grapes are common fruits. Grapes are used to make white and red wine.

Squid, shrimp, and clam(vongole) are popular seafoods. Anchovy is commonly used. Octopus(polpi) is sometimes used.

Cheeses such as ricotta and mozzarella are popular.

Meat is commonly used in meat sauce known as ragu.

Dishes

• risotto: creamy rice porridge, sometimes with cabbage(alla verza) or sometimes seafood
• lagane with chickpea(lagane e ceci)
• spaghetti with garlic and oil(spaghetti aglio e olio)
• spaghetti with tomato, olive, and caper(spaghetti alla puttanesca)
• spaghetti with clam(spaghetti alla vongole)
• spaghetti with meat sauce(spaghetti al ragu)
• pasta is served with beans(e fasule)[e fagioli], with lentils(e lenticchie), with chickpeas(e ceci), and with peas(e piselli)
• pizza: leavened flatbread with toppings, usually tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
• zuccine alla scapece: fried sliced zucchini with vinegar and mint
• peperoni in padella: pan-cooked chili with olives and capers
• polpi alla luciana: octopus with chili and tomato
• pesce all’acqua pazza: fish cooked with garlic, tomato, and parsley