Ingredients for Italian foods are easy to find in most grocery stores. If specific ingredients aren't available, substitutes will usually work. A true Italian meal is different from the single large plate of pasta many Americans associate with Italian cooking. Traditionally, there are a series of courses rather than just one main course. In Italy, the main meal may be at midday or evening.
Italian soups range from the light and delicate to hearty minestrone.
The pasta and meat courses are sometimes combined. For the other meal of the day, supper or lunch, one might choose something simple, a soup or frittata, with a salad, cheese or fruit. Think regionally When thinking Italian food and wine, think regionally. From north to south and east to west, the regions of Italy produce something different at every turn. In general, you can expect the cuisine of northern Italy to use butter for cooking, whereas olive oil tends to be used in the south.