Uncle Larry Adventures

Speak the kitchen

Italian Cooking Glossary

102 terms you’ll hit in an Italian recipe — what each one means, how to say it, and why it changes the food.

Technique

Agrodolce/ah-groh-DOL-chay/: Agrodolce is the Italian sweet-and-sour treatment made by reducing vinegar and sugar into a glaze, often with onions, peppers, or fish.
Al forno/al FOR-noh/: Al forno means baked in the oven — used for pasta al forno, pizza, and anything finished under top heat until browned.
All'onda/all-OHN-dah/: All'onda means "like a wave" — the correct loose, flowing consistency for risotto when it is spooned onto a plate.
Arancini/ah-rahn-CHEE-nee/: Arancini are fried rice balls, often filled with ragù or cheese, closely associated with Sicily.
Arrabbiata/ah-rahb-BYAH-tah/: Arrabbiata is a tomato sauce made spicy with dried chili, commonly served with penne.
Battuto/bah-TOO-toh/: Battuto is the raw, finely chopped mixture of vegetables and fat that becomes soffritto once it is cooked.
Blister/BLISS-ter/: Blistering means cooking peppers over high heat until the skin bubbles and chars in spots.
Braciole/brah-JOHL/: Braciole are thin slices of beef rolled around a filling of breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, and parsley, then browned and braised in tomato sauce.
Deglaze/dee-GLAYZ/: To deglaze is to add liquid such as wine, stock or water to a hot pan and scrape up the fond.
Fond/FAHND/: Fond is the browned bits left stuck to the pan after searing meat — concentrated flavor.
Ghiotta/GYOH-tah/: Ghiotta is a Sicilian braise of tomato, olives, capers, celery, and onion used for fish and vegetables.
Gratinato/grah-tee-NAH-toh/: Gratinato describes a dish finished under high top heat with breadcrumbs or cheese until a browned crust forms.
Gremolata/greh-moh-LAH-tah/: Gremolata is a fresh garnish of chopped parsley, lemon zest and garlic.
Mantecatura/man-teh-kah-TOO-rah/: Mantecatura is the final vigorous stirring of fat, starch, and liquid — butter or cheese with pasta water — that emulsifies a sauce until it is creamy without cream.
Marinara/mah-ree-NAH-rah/: Marinara is a quick tomato sauce made with garlic, olive oil and herbs, without meat.
Minestrone/mee-neh-STROH-neh/: Minestrone is a hearty vegetable soup, often with beans and pasta or rice; recipes vary by region and season.
Osso buco/OSS-oh BOO-koh/: Osso buco is veal shank braised slowly until tender, commonly associated with Milan.
Panzanella/pahn-zah-NEL-lah/: Panzanella is a bread salad of stale bread, tomatoes, onion, olive oil and vinegar, associated with Tuscany.
Parmigiana/par-mee-JAH-nah/: Parmigiana describes a baked dish of fried vegetables or cutlets layered with tomato sauce and cheese.
Pesto/PESS-toh/: Pesto is an uncooked sauce, best known in the Genoese style of basil, pine nuts, garlic, hard cheese and olive oil.
Piccata/pee-KAH-tah/: Piccata is a pan sauce of lemon, butter, capers and often white wine, served over thin cutlets.
Puttanesca/poot-tah-NESS-kah/: Puttanesca is a punchy tomato sauce with olives, capers, garlic and often anchovies.
Ragù/rah-GOO/: Ragù is a slow-simmered meat sauce built on soffritto, wine, and a small amount of tomato — not a tomato sauce with meat in it.
Saltimbocca/sahl-teem-BOHK-kah/: Saltimbocca is thin veal or chicken topped with prosciutto and sage, pan-fried and sauced with wine.
Scaloppine/skah-lohp-PEE-neh/: Scaloppine are thin slices of meat, pounded flat, dredged lightly and pan-fried quickly.
Soffritto/soh-FREE-toh/: Soffritto is the slow-cooked base of finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery in olive oil or butter that starts most Italian sauces, soups, and braises.
Sweat/SWET/: To sweat vegetables is to cook them gently over low heat until soft without browning.
Tostatura/toh-stah-TOO-rah/: Tostatura is the first step of risotto: toasting the dry rice in fat until the grains are hot and translucent at the edges.

Pasta

Acqua di cottura/AH-kwah dee koh-TOO-rah/: Acqua di cottura is the starchy pasta cooking water reserved before draining and used to loosen and emulsify a sauce.
Aglio e olio/AH-lyoh eh OH-lyoh/: Aglio e olio is spaghetti tossed with garlic gently cooked in olive oil, often with chili and parsley.
Al dente/al DEN-tay/: Al dente means pasta cooked until it is tender but still firm at the center — literally "to the tooth."
Amatriciana/ah-mah-tree-CHAH-nah/: Amatriciana is a pasta sauce of guanciale, tomato and pecorino, named after the town of Amatrice.
Bucatini/boo-kah-TEE-nee/: Bucatini are thick spaghetti-like strands with a hollow center, often used for amatriciana.
Cacio e pepe/KAH-choh eh PEH-peh/: Cacio e pepe is a Roman pasta dish of pecorino cheese, black pepper and starchy pasta water.
Carbonara/kar-boh-NAH-rah/: Carbonara is a Roman-style pasta dish of eggs, cured pork (often guanciale), hard cheese and black pepper.
Gnocchi/NYOH-kee/: Gnocchi are soft dumplings, most often made from potato and flour, though ricotta and semolina versions exist.
Orecchiette/oh-rek-KYET-teh/: Orecchiette are small ear-shaped pasta associated with Puglia, classically paired with broccoli rabe and sausage.
Pasta e fagioli/PAH-stah eh fah-JOH-lee/: Pasta e fagioli is a thick soup of pasta and beans, often called "pasta fazool" in Italian-American slang.
Penne/PEN-neh/: Penne are short tubes cut on the diagonal, commonly served with arrabbiata or baked dishes.
Rigatoni/ree-gah-TOH-nee/: Rigatoni are large ridged tubes that trap chunky sauces, a natural match for sausage ragù.
Trafilata al bronzo/trah-fee-LAH-tah al BRON-zoh/: Trafilata al bronzo means pasta extruded through bronze dies, giving it a rough, chalky surface that grips sauce.
Ziti/ZEE-tee/: Ziti are smooth medium tubes, best known in Italian-American kitchens as baked ziti.

Ingredient

'Nduja/en-DOO-yah/: 'Nduja is a soft, spreadable Calabrian pork salami loaded with roasted chile, spicy enough to season an entire dish with a spoonful.
Antipasto/an-tee-PAH-stoh/: Antipasto is the first course of an Italian meal — cured meats, cheeses, marinated vegetables, and bread served before the pasta.
Arugula/ah-ROO-guh-lah/: Arugula (rucola) is a peppery salad green used raw in salads and as a topping for pizza and carpaccio-style dishes.
Asiago/ah-ZYAH-goh/: Asiago is a cow's-milk cheese sold fresh or aged; the aged version is firm enough to grate.
Broccoli rabe/BROK-uh-lee RAHB/: Broccoli rabe (rapini) is a leafy green with small florets and a pleasantly bitter flavor, often sautéed with garlic.
Burrata/boo-RAH-tah/: Burrata is a fresh cheese with a mozzarella-style shell and a soft, creamy center.
Cannellini beans/kan-eh-LEE-nee/: Cannellini are large white beans common in central Italian cooking, especially soups and stews.
Caponata/kah-poh-NAH-tah/: Caponata is a Sicilian sweet-and-sour eggplant relish with celery, olives, capers, and vinegar, served at room temperature.
Colatura di alici/koh-lah-TOO-rah dee ah-LEE-chee/: Colatura di alici is the amber liquid drained from barrels of salted anchovies — an Italian fish sauce used a few drops at a time.
Finocchio/fee-NOH-kyoh/: Finocchio is fennel — the bulb as a vegetable and the seed as the spice that defines Italian sausage.
Fontina/fohn-TEE-nah/: Fontina is a semi-soft cheese associated with the Valle d'Aosta, known for smooth melting.
Gorgonzola/gor-gohn-ZOH-lah/: Gorgonzola is Italy's best-known blue cheese, with DOP status, made in milder creamy and firmer aged styles.
Grana Padano/GRAH-nah pah-DAH-noh/: Grana Padano is a hard, granular cow's-milk cheese with DOP status, often used like Parmigiano Reggiano for grating.
Mascarpone/mah-skar-POH-neh/: Mascarpone is a very soft, rich Italian cream cheese, best known as the creamy layer in tiramisù.
Mozzarella/moht-sah-REL-lah/: Mozzarella is a fresh, soft stretched-curd cheese, made from cow's milk or, as mozzarella di bufala, from water-buffalo milk.
Mozzarella di bufala/moht-sah-REL-lah dee BOO-fah-lah/: Mozzarella di bufala is fresh mozzarella made from water-buffalo milk, associated with Campania.
Pangrattato/pan-graht-TAH-toh/: Pangrattato is toasted breadcrumbs used as a crunchy topping — the "poor man's parmesan" of southern Italy.
Parmigiano Reggiano/par-mee-JAH-noh reh-JAH-noh/: Parmigiano Reggiano is a hard, aged cow's-milk cheese with protected (DOP) status, commonly grated over pasta and soups.
Pecorino Romano/peh-koh-REE-noh roh-MAH-noh/: Pecorino Romano is a hard, salty sheep's-milk cheese with DOP status, a classic in Roman pasta dishes.
Peperoncino/peh-peh-ron-CHEE-noh/: Peperoncino is the small dried Italian hot chile, used whole or crushed, that supplies the heat in arrabbiata, aglio e olio, and hot sausage.
Polenta/poh-LEN-tah/: Polenta is cornmeal cooked into a soft porridge, or cooled and sliced for grilling or frying.
Provolone/proh-voh-LOH-neh/: Provolone is a stretched-curd cheese sold in mild and sharper aged versions, a classic melting cheese on Italian-American sandwiches.
Ricotta/ree-KOHT-tah/: Ricotta is a soft, mild fresh cheese traditionally made from whey, used in fillings, lasagna and desserts.
Scamorza/skah-MOR-tsah/: Scamorza is a stretched-curd cheese similar in style to provolone, sometimes sold smoked.
Sugo/SOO-goh/: Sugo is the general Italian word for sauce, most often a tomato-based one, from sugo di pomodoro to the Italian-American Sunday gravy.
Taleggio/tah-LED-joh/: Taleggio is a soft, washed-rind cheese with a stronger aroma than its mild, creamy taste suggests.

Cut & Cure

Bresaola/breh-zah-OH-lah/: Bresaola is air-dried, salted beef, typically sliced very thin and served as an antipasto.
Capicola/kah-pee-KOH-lah/: Capicola (coppa) is a cured pork cut from the neck and shoulder, sliced thin like prosciutto.
Guanciale/gwahn-CHAH-lay/: Guanciale is salt-cured, unsmoked pork jowl — the traditional fat of Roman pastas like carbonara, amatriciana, and gricia.
Insaccati/in-sah-KAH-tee/: Insaccati are "bagged" meats — everything stuffed into a casing, from fresh sausage to salami.
Lardo/LAR-doh/: Lardo is pork back fat cured with salt, rosemary, and spices, sliced paper-thin and eaten raw or melted over hot bread.
Mortadella/mor-tah-DEL-lah/: Mortadella is a large, finely ground cooked pork sausage dotted with cubes of fat, closely associated with Bologna.
Pancetta/pan-CHET-tah/: Pancetta is salt-cured, unsmoked pork belly, sold rolled (arrotolata) or flat (tesa), used as a cooking fat and flavor base.
Prosciutto/proh-SHOO-toh/: Prosciutto is dry-cured ham; crudo is raw-cured and eaten sliced thin, cotto is cooked ham.
Salsiccia/sahl-SEE-chah/: Salsiccia is fresh Italian pork sausage seasoned with salt, garlic, and fennel — sold sweet (dolce) or hot (piccante).
Sopressata/soh-preh-SAH-tah/: Sopressata is a coarse-ground, dry-cured Italian salami, made sweet or hot depending on the amount of chile in the mix.

Kitchen

Bruschetta/broo-SKET-tah/: Bruschetta is grilled or toasted bread rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil, often topped with tomato.
Cannoli/kah-NOH-lee/: Cannoli are fried pastry tubes filled with sweetened ricotta, associated with Sicily.
Ciabatta/chah-BAHT-tah/: Ciabatta is a rustic Italian bread with a crisp crust and an open, airy crumb.
Contorno/kohn-TOR-noh/: A contorno is a side dish, usually vegetables, served alongside the secondo.
Crostini/kroh-STEE-nee/: Crostini are small toasts topped with spreads, cheese or cured meat, served as appetizers.
Dolce/DOHL-cheh/: Dolce means "sweet" and refers to the dessert course.
Focaccia/foh-KAH-chah/: Focaccia is a flat, dimpled, olive-oil-rich bread, often topped with salt, herbs or vegetables.
Primo/PREE-moh/: Primo is the first course of a traditional Italian meal, commonly pasta, rice or soup.
Quanto basta (q.b.)/KWAN-toh BAH-stah/: Quanto basta, abbreviated q.b., means "as much as needed" — the Italian recipe instruction to season to taste.
Secondo/seh-KOHN-doh/: Secondo is the main course of a traditional Italian meal, usually meat or fish.
Tiramisù/tee-rah-mee-SOO/: Tiramisù is a layered dessert of coffee-soaked ladyfingers and mascarpone cream, dusted with cocoa.

Sausage & Peppers

Bell Pepper/bel PEP-er/: Bell peppers are sweet, thick-walled peppers and the most common choice for sausage and peppers.
Casing/KAY-sing/: A casing is the thin tube, usually natural hog intestine, that holds sausage meat together.
Cubanelle (Italian Frying Pepper)/koo-buh-NEL/: Cubanelle is a long, thin-walled, mild pepper often sold as an Italian frying pepper.
Fennel Seed/FEN-ul seed/: Fennel seed is the anise-scented spice most associated with Italian-American sausage.
Giardiniera/jar-dee-NYEH-rah/: Giardiniera is a mix of pickled vegetables; the Chicago version is chopped and packed in oil, often with hot peppers.
Hero Roll/HEER-oh rohl/: A hero roll is a long, crusty Italian-style sandwich roll, also called a sub, hoagie or grinder depending on the region.
Hot Cherry Pepper/hot CHEH-ree PEP-er/: Hot cherry peppers are small, round red peppers, usually sold pickled, that add tang and heat.
Hot Italian Sausage/hot ih-TAL-yun SAW-sij/: Hot Italian sausage is fresh pork sausage seasoned with crushed red pepper flakes, usually alongside fennel and garlic.
Provolone/proh-voh-LOH-nee/: Provolone is a southern Italian stretched-curd cow's milk cheese, sold mild (dolce) or sharp (piccante).
Provolone-Stuffed Sausage/proh-voh-LOH-nee stuft SAW-sij/: Provolone-stuffed sausage is Italian sausage with cubes of provolone cheese mixed in, often with parsley.
Roasted red pepper/ROHST-ed red PEP-er/: A roasted red pepper is a sweet bell pepper charred until the skin blisters, then peeled for a soft, smoky flesh.
Semolina Bread/seh-muh-LEE-nuh bred/: Semolina bread is a golden, slightly sweet Italian loaf made with durum wheat flour, often topped with sesame seeds.
Sweet Italian Sausage/sweet ih-TAL-yun SAW-sij/: Sweet Italian sausage is fresh pork sausage seasoned without hot pepper, typically with garlic and often fennel seed.

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