Delicious and Healthy Italian Food Recipes
Of all the international cuisines, Italian food is one of the most popular. Its recipes are mostly characterized by the use of Mediterranean ingredients and pasta. Keep on reading to discover three healthy Italian food recipes.
Healthy Italian food recipes
Caprese salad
Just as in Spain, salads are also a very common dish in Italy. Among all the different salads that exist, there’s one in particular that stands out: Caprese salad. This salad combines tomatoes with one of the most traditional types of cheese in the country. Next, we’ll explain how you can make this healthy salad, very different from the ones we usually eat.
Ingredients for four people:
- 2 tomatoes
- 7 ounces of mozzarella
- 15 basil leaves
- Salt
- Pepper
- Olive oil
Preparation:
Start by cutting the cheese and the tomato into slices. You should cut both of them in equally thick slices, around half a centimeter each. Next, make the key to this salad: the dressing. You can choose a pre-made dressing, but it won’t be the same since it’s precisely this homemade dressing that makes this salad so popular all over the world.
To make the dressing finely chop half of the basil leaves. Put them in a bowl and add the olive oil and ground pepper. Mix everything together and set it aside.
Now all that remains is to assemble the salad. To do so, start by alternating the slices of tomato, cheese, and basil. When the salad is ready, add the dressing. Use a spoon to evenly pour it on top of the salad.
That’s how easy it is to make this healthy Italian food option. It’s ready in just five minutes and it’s a great way to make a salad that’s different from our usual choices.
Shrimp and zucchini risotto
Risotto is another healthy Italian food recipe par excellence. The most common recipe uses mushrooms, but we’ve chosen another ingredient that not many people would think about using. This dish is perfect to eat as an only meal or accompanied by a light salad.
Ingredients for four people:
- 14 ounces of rice
- 2 pints of vegetable broth
- 1 zucchini
- Half an onion
- 7 ounces of shrimp
- Parmesan cheese
- Oil
- Salt
Preparation:
Start by heating a little oil in a pan. Cook the previously chopped onion until it’s soft. Then, add the chopped zucchini. Now you have the accompaniment for the rice; all that’s left to do is make the rice.
Add a little bit of boiling vegetable broth to the onion and zucchini and pour in the rice. When the rice has absorbed the broth, add a little more broth. Repeat this several times until the rice is fully cooked. When it’s almost done, add the shrimp. Wait until the last moment because shrimp cooks in just a few minutes.
Lastly, add the grated Parmesan cheese until you’re left with the typical risotto texture. And just like that, you have an easy and healthy Italian food option!
Spaghetti frutti di mare
Pasta is the base ingredient for Italian cuisine. Italian people eat it daily and cook it in many different ways. The recipe that follows is one of the healthiest ways to eat pasta. This is because seafood has very few calories and besides, this recipe doesn’t include any sauce.
Ingredients for four people:
- 14 ounces of spaghetti
- 7 ounces of shrimp
- 5 ounces of mussels
- 5 ounces of clams
- 7 ounces of natural tomatoes
- Fish broth
- Oil
- Salt
- Half a chili pepper
- Onion
- One glass of white wine
- Parsley
Preparation:
Start by boiling the pasta. If you boil it using fish broth instead of water, the spaghetti will taste delicious and the hint of seafood will be far more intense. While the pasta boils, wash the seafood and put everything aside on a plate.
Afterwards, dice the onion and the chili pepper. If you don’t like spicy dishes, you can skip the chili pepper, but we recommend you don’t do that. The chili pepper will give this dish a very special touch. Cook both ingredients in a pan until they’re golden brown.
Next, add the tomato, the wine, and a little fish broth. Then mix all the ingredients together in the pan and add the seafood. Let this cook over low heat for five minutes.
Then, add the spaghetti, salt to taste and finely chopped parsley. Keep the pan over low heat for another five minutes. The spaghetti frutti di mare is now ready to eat!