4 Authentic Italian Dishes To Enjoy

Restaurants give people the opportunity to travel the world without leaving their neighborhoods. When you'd like a taste of Italy, visiting a local Italian restaurant is the best way to satisfy your cravings. Here are four culinary delights that you can enjoy at an authentic Italian restaurant:

1. Fresh Bread And Olive Oil

Appetizers can whet your appetite and get you ready for the main course. Bread and butter are standard fares in many restaurants. However, many authentic Italian restaurants serve bread the traditional way, with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Your waiter may grind fresh black pepper and herbs into your dish of olive oil to further enhance its flavor. Steaming hot bread fresh out of the oven and flavorful, delicious extra virgin olive oil are great ways to start any meal.

2. Pasta

Pasta is a classic Italian dish. Fortunately, there are many ways to enjoy it. Authentic Italian restaurants often allow customers to build their own pasta dishes by first selecting a type of pasta such as angel hair, spaghetti, or linguine. Next, diners can choose from a variety of authentic Italian sauces, such as bolognese, marinara, or alfredo sauce. Traditional Italian sauces can range in flavor from light and herbal to rich and creamy, so you're sure to find something you'll love on the menu.

3. Margherita Pizza

When you're not in the mood for pasta, you can still enjoy an authentic Italian meal. Pizza is a common dish that also originated in Italy. Authentic Italian pizza is different from the types of pizza served in many American pizzerias. If you'd like to try Italian pizza, you can't go wrong with a Margherita pizza. This type of pizza features rich, flavorful tomato sauce, slices of mozzarella cheese, and whole basil leaves. Tomato slices finish the dish to create a unique combination of fresh flavors that won't sit too heavily in your stomach.

4. Cannoli

When dining out, it's a good idea to save room for dessert. Authentic Italian restaurants have many desserts to offer. Gelato and tiramisu are always good choices. However, if you'd like to indulge in a different kind of pastry, you can't go wrong with cannoli. Cannolis are made of fried dough that is shaped into a long, slender tube. These tubes are then filled with sweetened ricotta cheese and sometimes studded with additional toppings, such as chocolate chips or pistachios. Cannolis can be small enough to eat alone or large enough to share.