Let’s continue our partnership Italian-Indian after Summer!
Author Bio: 
A lover of art, and ancient culture, and a foodie, Himanshu loves exploring the past and trying new things! Visit pearlsindiatour.com for more such articles written by him, which are sure to leave you intrigued for more!
Cheesy wholesomeness, fresh, soft and warm bread, with crispy vegetables and just the right amount of seasoning, is what comes to one’s mind when they think of Italian Cuisine.
Each dish has a fancy sounding name, that only the Italians can pronounce perfectly! Italian food has greatly influenced Indians owing to its flavour, aroma and delightful taste- so much that it has also inspired a blend of Indian and Italian foods, which are quite sought after! But if one were to choose 5 of the best Italian dishes which appeal to Indians most, then these 5 would be those, indeed!
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Italian Pizza
Pizzas have got to be on top of the list! Made from flatbread, caked with tomato sauce, cheese and vegetables/pepperoni/chicken, this simplistic dish is extremely popular in India. There are various types of Pizzas, and one can put just about anything on it as a topping- it will still retain the great taste! Originally, the Italians created wood fired pizzas, topped with mozzarella cheese, which melts in one’s mouth almost instantly, with a soothing aftertaste! Although Italians use very little spice, and a lot of seasoning, Indians have adjusted to this by adding extra spice to satisfy their ancient ‘spice-needing’ genes. There are various types of cheese that can be put on pizzas, some places offer 3 cheese pizzas, with gouda, cheddar and mozzarella, baked to perfection in an oven!
2.Pasta
Again, an extremely simple dish to cook, pasta has made its way to be the second best Italian item in the Indian Menu- which usually comes in three flavours. These flavours, Arrabiatta, Alfredo and Pesto each have a unique taste, topped with seasoning, vegetables and of course, cheese! What’s more, is that one can choose their most liked shape of the pasta too, the shapes being penne, spaghetti, macaroni, farfalle, and fusilli- a hit amongst children! Made of semolina or wheat, these delicacies are so easy to prepare, take minimal cooking time and don’t create a mess in the kitchen! One can also make their own pasta- this does require time and patience, but the end result will be worth the trouble!
3.Gnocchi
A straightforward and effortless dish, Gnocchi although popular for brunch, is taken as lunch or dinner by Indians, with garlic bread toasted in butter. It is essentially a dumpling stuffed with mashed potatoes, breadcrumbs, eggs and corn, downed with mainly cheese sauce. The other sauces which blend well with Gnocchi are, tomato sauce, pesto sauce, caramelized mushroom and onion sauce, or just creamy mushroom! It even tastes great when baked with cheese and light tomato sauce! The key ingredient that makes it taste oh so good? – Rosemary! Rosemary adds to the essence, and gives a mild tang to the taste buds!
4.Ravioli
Although Ravioli sounds like a variation if Gnocchi, it is the sauce, the stuffings and the shape that make it unique! It is basically square shaped dumplings, with stuffing between two layers of thin square pasta, the stuffing is usually processed chicken or some other non-vegetarian item. This ravioli is boiled, and served with either broth, soup or just baked in cheese sauce! It is popular because it can be cooked in endless ways, each way gives to it a different aroma and tangy zest! Deep fried ravioli is also quite famous- eaten as a snack for supper!
5. Lasagne
The best thing about lasagne- apart from the fact that it sounds quite magnificent, is that one can make it as healthy as they want it to be, loading it with vegetables, but it will still be extremely tasty; defying the notion that healthy foods seldom taste good! Of course, it requires to be baked with cheese, and topped with seasoning. It is thin rectangular layers of pasta, stacked one on top of the other, and in between two layers, one can put just about anything! Popular stuffing are tomato sauce, broccoli, zucchini, celery, carrot, garlic, and onion! Its aroma will surely get your mouth to water almost instantly!
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