Onions, garlic, tomato sauce, pesto, meatballs, noodles, olive oil, vinegar, oregano, basil, salt, pepper – you can almost smell these ingredients as they are combined and cooked to make a heavenly Italian dish.

Italian cooking is hearty, full of flavor and texture, and nurtures the spirit as well as the stomach. Authentic Italian meals use only the freshest and finest herbs, spices and ingredients, which are chopped and simmered just so, to bring out the richest, most robust taste. As with everything else in Italy, cooking is an art.

Unlike some cultures that have very simple and limited supplies that make simple, repetitive meals, Italy is a country of abundance. You’ll find a full selection of fish, chicken, meat, bread, cheese, fruits, vegetables, and desserts to choose from. The cuisine is influenced by Etruscan, Greek, Byzantine, Jewish and Arab cultures.

Different regions in Italy have different offerings and variations. In the north, fish, potatoes, rice, corn, pork and different kinds of cheeses are commonly used. Central Italy features tomatoes, many different kinds of meat, fish and pecorino cheese. Southern Italy is known for tomatoes, tomato sauce, peppers, olives and olive oil, garlic, artichokes, such fish as sardines, tuna and anchovies and capers.

All Italian food is famous for its pasta, which is made in different shapes and sizes, some of which are stuffed with cheese, meat or sauce.

The Italian way is to feature vegetables as a main feature of the meal, not just as a side dish. A cookbook dated 1779 by Antonio Nebbia focused on vegetarian food and was the first to feature the tomato as a major ingredient. The first recipe for pesto can be found in the 1891 cookbook, “The Science of Cooking and the Art of Eating Well,” by Pellegrino Artusi. This book is considered the mainstay of classic Italian cooking, with recipes coming mostly from the Tuscany region where Artusi lived.