italian vegan food

[bluebird]

I tried some vegan dishes, and what I noticed is that vegan combines very well with asian food (mostly WOK and rice) but not that much with italian food. I guess this is mainly because I miss the cheese when it comes down to italian food.

Any idea's to make something taste really italian in a vegan way?

[xrodolfox]

I tried some vegan dishes, and what I noticed is that vegan combines very well with asian food (mostly WOK and rice) but not that much with italian food. I guess this is mainly because I miss the cheese when it comes down to italian food.

Any idea's to make something taste really italian in a vegan way?

Cheese is such a new introduction to Italian food. Perhaps only "Americanized" Italian food is hard to do without cheese.

I personally love Italian food, and I find nothing is gone as a vegan. Then again, I never liked cow cheese.

Pasta with red sauce is just perfect. But my wife makes a killed vegan stuffed manicotti. Scicilian (US style) pizza is also excellent. All of those are vegan in their original iterations.

[Ambi]

Italian is one of my eating out staples, any restaurant will make pizza without cheese. Pasta dishes may be available too, but you have to ask about egg. There may be milk in the dough and things fried in butter, but personally I don't want to be difficult to go out with so I let that kind of thing slide.

If you're cooking stuff at home you can definitely do it, and there you have the option of vegan milks for creamy sauces. For making stuff taste Italian you probably want the right fresh herbs.

[fredrikw]

Adding cheese to more or less everything is not an american-italian thing, it's indeed the truth in Italy as well. The problem when in Italy, in my own experience from a number of visits there, is not making vegan food italian style, but to get the message through that you don't want cheese. When everything is settled you have no problems getting proper food.

[runner]

think it depends on the location

in the north off italy the food is more continental than in the south (pizza base with milk). If you can comunicate they are pretty helpfull!!
I have had the best vegan food in Italy.. but then again I met lots off vegans in italy (milan/ rome)

[xrodolfox]

think it depends on the location

in the north off italy the food is more continental than in the south (pizza base with milk). If you can comunicate they are pretty helpfull!!
I have had the best vegan food in Italy.. but then again I met lots off vegans in italy (milan/ rome)

That makes sense. Most of my Italian experiences are in central/southern Italy. Not that much cheese to worry about there.

Even as an omnivore, I always hated cheese. Why would someone ruin a perfectly great pizza with it? Scicilian is the way to go.

[soniczip]

dudes, you made me go laughing for a couple of minutes 3/4 of the italian diet can be vegan

bluebird, what kind of dish are you searching for pasta, rice, pies, vegs, cakes, else

[boomana]

I agree with soniczip in that authentic Italian cuisine includes wonderful vegan meals. If you're looking for recipes to get started, here is one of my favorite cookbooks. It's not all Italian, but quite a bit is, and every recipe I've tried is tasty:

[mangomagic]

how about bruschetta, or minestrone or pasta or this risotto:

http://veganyumyum.com/2007/01/sundrsundried-tomato-and-mushroom-risotto/#comment-2075

all vegan all italian and all yummy!

[erske]

I agree with soniczip in that authentic Italian cuisine includes wonderful vegan meals. If you're looking for recipes to get started, here is one of my favorite cookbooks. It's not all Italian, but quite a bit is, and every recipe I've tried is tasty:

I have this one to! I like it...

[Hiking Fox]

I went to Rome, Sienna, Piza and a few other places a few years back, and found that the menus in the backstreet places used by locals had loads of cheese-free dishes, but the touristy places tended to sprinkle parmezan on things without asking you first.

So stick to proper Italian places and you'll be fine.

I've had really amazing pizzas with loads of roast courgettes, aubergines, red onions, olives, garlic, basil, rocket and olive oil.

I love spaghetti alio ollio peperonccino (I apologise if I have misspelled this!), which is spaghetti in olive oil with loads of garlic and chilli.

Pasta in Italy is generally egg-free, but avoid ravioli.

[mangomagic]

There is also a vegan cookbook called Nonna's Italian Kitchen

[Scott]

Yeah, I agree. You will find that the more traditional Italian food is very simple stuff, pizza included.

Spaghetti will be pasta with sauce made from tomato, basil leaves, and olive oil. That's it. Pizza is about the bread, that's what it is, flat bread. In the restaurants they put some toppings on it (very little), but in the towns where street vendors sell pizza, it's just a flat bread with some olive oil brushed on it.

It's true that a lot of more mainstream items or modern recipes will have egg or dairy added for apparently no reason. I see no reason to add egg to pasta, but a lot of people do add it -- just as people around here always add eggs to baked things... who knows why, I make cake/cookies/bread without egg... no problems.

The Slow Food movement started in Italy is something to look into also.

[Julle]

Yes the old Italian cuisine is a lot vegan.
Polenta with funghi, Pasta with beans, pasta with lentils, infarinata (Genova, kind of pie done with chick-peas flour, "pane e panelle" same as infarinata but fried (Sicily), minestrone, pizza marinara (no cheese here), ortolana, cabbage in different ways...