Food on Italian tables in summer

Italian Summer food

When talking about Italy, one of the first thought that comes into people's mind is certainly food, our best export.

Lasagna, pizza and other delicious, but rather heavy foods are the best liked and requested italian dishes abroad. However,they are not what Italians would choose during the summer, when something lighter and fresher is preferable.
Many Italians spend their vacations near the sea or a lake and the summer brings an increase in fish based dishes like pasta alle vongole, grilled fish and seafood, paired with white wine.  Any seafood dish is a good summer dish.
This article will focus on non-fish based summer dishes.  Fresh ingredients and traditional produce are combined to create dishes lower in calories and easier to eat when the temperature is high.

Because of high temperatures, appetite generally decreases and something low in fat and fresh is the best choice for lunch and supper: indeed, salads and fresh fruits and vegetables triumph on Italian summer tables. Some recipes are true musts for Italians, so much so they have become part of everyday summer cooking's  inventory. Among the most famous we have pasta con pomodori crudi ( pasta salad), insalata di riso (rice salad), panzanella, friselle con pomodori, bruschetta, carpaccio di bresaola, rucola and parmigiano or macedonia (fruit salad).

Read more at: http://www.lifeinitaly.com/food/summer-dishes