Lasagna is a type of pasta, possibly one of the oldest types, made of very wide, flat sheets. Either term can refer to an Italian dish made of stacked layers of lasagna alternating with fillings such as ragù, béchamel sauce, vegetables, cheeses, and seasonings and spices. The dish may be topped with grated cheese, which becomes melted during baking. Typically cooked pasta is assembled with the other ingredients and then baked in an oven. The resulting baked pasta is cut into single-serving square or rectangular portions.
Tortellini are stuffed pasta originally from the Italian region of Emilia. Traditionally they are stuffed with a mix of meat, Parmesan cheese, egg and nutmeg and served in capon broth.
Ravioli are a type of stuffed pasta comprising a filling enveloped in thin pasta dough. Usually served in broth or with a sauce, they originated as a traditional food in Italian cuisine. Ravioli are commonly square, though other forms are also used, including circular and semi-circular (mezzelune).
Calzone is an Italian oven-baked turnover, made with leavened dough. It originated in Naples in the 18th century. A typical calzone is made from salted bread dough, baked in an oven and stuffed with salami, ham or vegetables, mozzarella, ricotta and Parmesan or pecorino cheese, as well as an egg. Different regional variations in or on a calzone can often include other ingredients that are normally associated with pizza toppings. The term usually applies to an oven-baked turnover rather than a fried pastry, though calzoni and panzerotti are often mistaken for each other.
Cannelloni are a cylindrical type of egg-based stuffed pasta generally served baked with a filling and covered by a sauce in Italian cuisine. Popular stuffings include spinach and ricotta or minced beef. The shells are then typically covered with tomato sauce.
Strozzapreti are an elongated form of cavatelli, or hand-rolled pasta typical of the Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Marche and Umbria regions of Italy as well as in the state of San Marino. The name is also used for a baked cheese and vegetable dumpling, prepared in some regions of Italy and on the French island of Corsica.
Italian cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine consisting of the ingredients, recipes and cooking techniques developed in Italy since Roman times and later spread around the world together with waves of Italian diaspora. Some of these foods were imported from other cultures. Significant changes occurred with the colonization of the Americas and the introduction of potatoes, tomatoes, capsicums, maize and sugar beet—the latter introduced in quantity in the 18th century. It is one of the best-known and most appreciated gastronomies worldwide.
Casunziei is the name in Ladin for a type of stuffed pasta, consisting of a filling sealed between two layers of thin pasta dough, folded in a typical half-moon shape. They are commonly homemade and are typical of the culinary tradition of the Dolomites area, in the northeastern part of Italy, especially the provinces of Belluno, Bolzano, and Trento.
Mezzelune, also known as Schlutzkrapfen in South Tyrol, Tyrol and neighbouring German-speaking regions, and as crafuncins or cajincì in Ladin-speaking regions, are a semi-circular stuffed pasta, similar to ravioli or pierogi. The dough is usually made of white flour or buckwheat flour, durum semolina, mixed with eggs and olive oil. Typical fillings may include cheese, spinach, or mushrooms. There are also recipes with potato, meat, red beet, or sauerkraut filling. The dish may be served with mushroom or pesto sauce, with Italian sausage, with seafood, and/or with cherry tomatoes.
Venetian cuisine, from the city of Venice, Italy, or more widely from the region of Veneto, has a centuries-long history and differs significantly from other cuisines of northern Italy, and of neighbouring Austria and of Slavic countries, despite sharing some commonalities.
Gnudi, also called malfatti, are gnocchi-like dumplings made with ricotta cheese and semolina instead of potato flour. The result is often a lighter, "pillowy" dish, unlike the often denser, chewier gnocchi. Gnudi is the Tuscan word for "naked", the idea being that these "pillowy" balls of ricotta and spinach are "nude ravioli", consisting of just the tasty filling without the pasta shell.
Tortelli is a type of filled pasta traditionally made in the Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, and Tuscany regions of Italy. It can be found in several shapes, including square, semi-circular, or twisted into a rounded, hat-like form. It can be served with melted butter, bolognese sauce, broth, or other sauces. The same word is also used to describe small, fried pastries filled with jam or cream.
Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of cooked dough, often wrapped around a filling. The dough can be based on bread, wheat or other flours, or potatoes, and it may be filled with meat, fish, tofu, cheese, vegetables, or a combination. Dumplings may be prepared using a variety of cooking methods and are found in many world cuisines.
Matzo lasagna, also known as matzagna, is a Jewish type of lasagna made by layering sheets of matzo with typically a tomato or a bechamel sauce and various cheeses. It originated from the Italian Jews and is popular in Israel, the United States, and the rest of the diaspora. It is similar to the traditional Sephardic Jewish dish mina; though the fillings differ as mina is typically made with meat or a spinach and feta filling while matzo lasagna is made with sauce and cheese.
Cappelletti are ring-shaped Italian stuffed pasta so called for the characteristic shape that resembles a hat. Compared to tortellini, they have a different shape, larger size, thicker dough and different filling.
Sorrentinos are a type of Argentine ravioli, but larger, more circular and originally wraped without fluted edge. The dough is made with flour and eggs, and the filling of the original recipe consists of York ham and mozzarella.
