In Italy side dishes are known as contorni, and generally consists of a salad or cooked vegetables. A contorno will follow the primo (starter or pasta course). Be inspired by these two Italian vegetable side dish recipes from southern Italy. Try them, and enjoy their flavours and goodness.
In Italy we really celebrate our side dishes and they’re often the main attraction of a meal rather than just an accompaniment’.
Gino D’Acampo
Baked Squash with Cheese.
- Butternut squash keeps well for several months.
- It is a good source of fibre, potassium and several other key nutrients.
- The nutritional content of squash makes it beneficial for digestion, blood pressure and for healthy skin and hair, among others.
If you would like to see the recipe and print, click HERE
“Many of the vegetables we are familiar with today were developed in Italy, among them tomatoes, broccoli, fennel, celery and artichokes. The land is still principally utilised for growing, much more than it is for grazing, and as a result the Italians have always been much more interested in vegetables as food and inventive with vegetable recipes. Meat is seen as an expensive commodity, and its consumption in Italy is much less than that in many other Western countries. Vegetables are so important to the Italians, in fact, that they have been given a course in the meal all of their own: contorno.”
Ursula Ferrigno “Truly Italian-quick and simple vegetarian cooking”
Broad Beans with Soft Ricotta Cheese.
Beans are unique among plant foods due to their high protein content. For this reason, they’re considered an important protein source for vegetarians. They have a slightly sweet, earthy flavour and are eaten by people all over the world. In Italy, broad beans are known as fava beans. Fava beans are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fibre and protein.
If you would like to see the recipe and print, click HERE.
John's Tastes Of Italy 
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