A FOOD TRADITION
Italian American cuisine
Italian American cuisine emerged from successive migrations from southern Italy and Sicily, especially in northeastern and urban communities, and later spread across the United States. It combines Italian regional practices with American ingredients, industrial food production, and local restaurant and household traditions. Tomatoes, pasta, bread, garlic, olive oil, cheese, sausage, and beef are common, with techniques including braising, frying, baking, preserving, and slow sauce-making. Representative examples include baked ziti, chicken Parmesan, and Italian American meatballs with tomato sauce. It is a distinct American tradition rather than a synonym for Italian regional cuisine.
Dishes linked to this cuisine
1–7 of 7
fettuccine alfredo
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Italian American baked ziti
Tubular pasta baked casserole-style with tomato sauce, ricotta and melted mozzarella.
Italian American eggplant parmesan
Fried breaded eggplant layered with tomato sauce and cheeses and baked until bubbling.
Italian American seafood fra diavolo
A spicy Italian American Christmas pasta combining several kinds of seafood in a garlic-and-tomato chile sauce.
Italian American spaghetti and meatballs
A defining Italian American main course of spaghetti and large tender meatballs covered in tomato marinara.
Italian American stuffed shells
Large pasta shells filled with ricotta, arranged in tomato sauce and baked beneath cheese.
tetrazzini
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Catalogue preview Cuisine connections may be unreviewed. Regional comparisons include their food references and do not establish the ingredients of a particular meal.