The words you will meet on an Italian menu, in a market, or in these recipes. Adapted from the Garrubbo Guide, which carries the complete glossary.
A
- Abbacchio
- Young milk-fed lamb, a Roman speciality.
- Abboccato
- Mildly sweet wine.
- Acciuga / Alici
- Anchovy, anchovies.
- Aceto balsamico
- Balsamic vinegar.
- Acqua gassata / frizzante
- Sparkling water.
- Acqua liscia / naturale
- Still water.
- Affettare
- To slice.
- Affettati
- Italian cold cuts.
- Affogato
- Espresso poured over gelato.
- Affumicato
- Smoked.
- Aglianico
- Ancient southern Italian red grape.
- Aglio
- Garlic.
- Agnello
- Lamb.
- Agnolotti
- Stuffed pasta from Piemonte.
- Agriturismo
- Farm offering meals and often lodging.
- Agrodolce
- Sweet-and-sour.
- Al banco
- At the counter — how most Italians take their coffee.
- Al cartoccio
- Baked in parchment paper.
- Al dente
- Firm to the tooth.
- Al forno
- Oven-baked.
- Al sale
- Baked in a salt crust.
- All’amatriciana
- Tomato sauce with guanciale and Pecorino Romano.
- All’arrabbiata
- Spicy tomato sauce with peperoncino.
- Alloro
- Bay leaf.
- Amabile
- Semi-sweet wine.
- Amaretto
- Almond-flavoured liqueur.
- Amaro
- Bitter herbal liqueur.
- Americano
- Espresso diluted with hot water.
- Anguilla
- Eel.
- Annata
- Vintage year.
- Antipasto
- Appetizer.
- Aperitivo
- Before-dinner drink.
- Arancini
- Fried rice balls, from Sicilia.
- Arrosto
- Roast.
- Asiago
- Cow’s milk cheese from Veneto.
B
- Babà
- Rum-soaked yeast cake.
- Baccalà
- Salt cod.
- Bagna cauda
- Hot anchovy and garlic dip, from Piemonte.
- Barista
- Professional espresso maker.
- Bavette
- Flat ribbon pasta.
- Beccafico
- Stuffed sardines.
- Bicchiere
- Glass.
- Bigoli
- Thick whole-wheat spaghetti.
- Biscotti
- Twice-baked cookies.
- Bistecca
- Steak.
- Bistecca alla fiorentina
- Grilled Tuscan T-bone steak.
- Bollito misto
- Mixed boiled meats.
- Bottarga
- Salt-cured fish roe.
- Branzino (Spigola)
- Sea bass.
- Brasato
- Braised meat.
- Bresaola
- Air-dried beef.
- Bruschetta
- Toasted bread rubbed with garlic and olive oil.
- Bucatini
- Hollow spaghetti.
- Budino
- Pudding.
- Burrata
- Fresh mozzarella filled with cream.
- Burro
- Butter.
C
- Caciocavallo
- Stretched-curd cheese.
- Caffè
- Espresso coffee.
- Caffè latte
- Milk with espresso.
- Calamaro
- Squid.
- Calzone
- Folded pizza.
- Cannelloni
- Stuffed pasta tubes.
- Cannolo
- Fried pastry shell filled with sweet ricotta.
- Cantina
- Winery or wine cellar.
- Cappuccino
- Espresso with steamed milk and foam.
- Capocollo (Coppa)
- Cured pork neck.
- Caponata
- Sicilian sweet-and-sour eggplant dish.
- Capperi
- Capers.
- Carbonara
- Roman pasta with guanciale, egg, Pecorino Romano and black pepper.
- Carciofi alla giudìa
- Roman-Jewish fried artichokes.
- Carciofi alla romana
- Braised Roman-style artichokes.
- Carciofo
- Artichoke.
D
- Digestivo
- After-dinner drink.
- Dolce
- Sweet; dessert.
- Doppio
- Double espresso.
E
- Enoteca
- Wine shop or wine bar.
- Espresso
- Concentrated coffee, the basis of all Italian coffee.
F
- Farro
- Ancient wheat grain.
- Fave
- Fava beans.
- Finocchio
- Fennel.
- Focaccia
- Flat oven-baked bread.
- Fontina
- Alpine cheese from Valle d’Aosta.
- Formaggio
- Cheese.
- Frantoio
- Olive mill.
- Fritto misto
- Mixed fried seafood or vegetables.
- Frutti di mare
- Seafood.
- Funghi
- Mushrooms.
G
- Gelato
- Italian ice cream.
- Gnocchi
- Small dumplings.
- Gorgonzola
- Blue cheese from Lombardia.
- Grana
- Hard grainy cheese.
- Granita
- Flavoured crushed ice.
- Grappa
- Grape pomace brandy.
- Guanciale
- Cured pork cheek.
I
- Insalata
- Salad.
- Involtini
- Stuffed rolls of meat or fish.
L
- Lagrein
- Red grape from Alto Adige.
- Lasagna
- Layered baked pasta.
- Latte
- Milk.
- Lenticchie
- Lentils.
- Limone
- Lemon.
- Linguine
- Thin flat pasta.
M
- Maccheroni
- Generic tubular pasta.
- Macchiato
- Espresso stained with milk.
- Malloreddus
- Sardinian saffron pasta.
- Manzo
- Beef.
- Marinara
- Tomato sauce with garlic, olive oil and herbs.
- Marsala
- Fortified Sicilian wine.
- Melanzana
- Eggplant.
- Minestra
- Soup.
- Minestrone
- Vegetable soup.
- Moscato
- Aromatic grape and sweet wine.
- Mostarda
- Fruit preserved in a mustard-flavoured syrup, served with aged cheeses.
- Mozzarella di Bufala
- Buffalo mozzarella.
N
- ’Nduja
- Spreadable spicy Calabrian salami.
- Nocciola
- Hazelnut.
- Noci
- Walnuts.
O
- Orecchiette
- Ear-shaped pasta.
- Orzo
- Barley; also tiny pasta.
- Ossobuco
- Braised veal shank.
- Osteria
- Traditional casual restaurant.
P
- Pancetta
- Cured pork belly.
- Pane
- Bread.
- Pane carasau
- Thin crisp Sardinian flatbread.
- Panettone
- Christmas sweet bread.
- Panna cotta
- Cooked cream dessert.
- Pappardelle
- Wide ribbon pasta.
- Parmigiano Reggiano
- Hard aged cheese.
- Pasta e fagioli
- Pasta and bean soup.
- Passito
- Wine made from partially dried grapes.
- Pastiera
- Neapolitan Easter pie.
- Pecorino
- Sheep’s milk cheese.
- Penne
- Quill-shaped pasta.
- Peperoncino
- Chili pepper.
- Pesce
- Fish.
- Pesce spada
- Swordfish.
- Pesto
- Basil sauce from Genoa.
- Piadina
- Romagnolo flatbread.
- Pistacchio
- Pistachio.
- Polenta
- Cornmeal porridge.
- Pomodoro
- Tomato.
- Porchetta
- Roast stuffed pork.
- Pranzo
- Lunch.
- Primitivo
- Red grape from Puglia.
- Primo
- The first course — pasta, risotto, soup or polenta.
- Prosciutto
- Cured ham.
Q
- Quaglia
- Quail.
R
- Ragù
- Meat sauce.
- Ravioli
- Stuffed pasta.
- Ricotta
- Fresh whey cheese.
- Rigatoni
- Large ridged tubes.
- Riserva
- Wine aged longer than legally required.
- Riso
- Rice.
- Risotto
- Creamy rice dish.
- Ristorante
- Restaurant.
- Rosmarino
- Rosemary.
S
- Salame
- Salami.
- Salmone
- Salmon.
- Saltimbocca
- Veal with prosciutto and sage.
- Salumi
- Italian cured meats.
- Sardina
- Sardine.
- Scamorza
- Stretched-curd cheese.
- Secondo
- The second course — meat, poultry or fish.
- Semola
- Durum wheat semolina.
- Sfogliatella
- Layered Neapolitan pastry.
- Soffritto
- Onion, carrot and celery cooking base.
- Spaghetti
- Long thin pasta.
- Speck
- Smoked cured ham.
- Spumante
- Sparkling wine.
- Stracotto
- Long-braised meat.
- Sugo
- Sauce.
T
- Tagliatelle
- Ribbon pasta.
- Taleggio
- Soft washed-rind cheese.
- Tartufo
- Truffle.
- Tiramisù
- Coffee and mascarpone dessert.
- Toma
- Mountain cheese.
- Tonno
- Tuna.
- Torrone
- Nougat.
- Tortellini
- Ring-shaped stuffed pasta.
- Trattoria
- Family-style restaurant.
- Trebbiano
- White grape.
V
- Vitello
- Veal.
- Vongole
- Clams.
Z
- Zafferano
- Saffron.
- Zucchine
- Zucchini.
- Zuppa
- Soup.
