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Vegetables play a very important role in Italian cuisine.
The Mediterranean diet is heavily weighted toward vegetables and grains and, except for rare instances, meat is consumed in small quantities. In my travels through Italy I am always impressed with the number of dishes on the antipasti table that featured vegetables. Saut ed, marinated, pickled, steamed, or combined with rice, they are treated like star players in Italian menu planning, not supporting actors. Our dad settled in western Pennsylvania around 1920 and brought with him his love of vegetables. The land there is lush and fertile, although the growing season is not very long.