Most Italian dishes, especially those in the north, are butter-based. Lake Como has five different types of fish to choose from, the most popular being Lavarello.
Some of the famous dishes in this region are;
- Cotoletta alla milanese (cutlets of tender veal dipped in egg and bread crumbs and fried in olive oil until they’re a golden brown)
- Osso buco is the other great dish of Lombardy; this is cooked with the shin bone of veal in a ragout sauce and served on rice and peas.
- Risotto alla milanese is also a classic – rice that can be dressed in almost any way, depending on the chef’s imagination. It’s often flavoured with saffron and butter, to which chicken giblets have been added, and it’s seemingly always served with heaps of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
- Polenta, is a type of cornmeal and is a dish that is eaten more often than pasta.
- Pizzoccheri from Valtellina, is a dish made of pasta, cheese and vegetables.
- Risotto con Pesce Persico, this is a fish (perch, from the lake) dish combined with the famous regional dish (risotto). It is a main course dish.
- Pizza – are often made with a very thin crust, approx 10” in size and are meant for one person. Please note, pepperoni in italian means small hot peppers. You need to ask for salami or diavola if you want a pepperoni style pizza (as we know it in the UK).
- Pasta – you will see such a range of pastas in the supermarkets like never before! This can be eaten as a main dish or an appetizer.
- Frittelle di mele, translates to ‘apple fritters’ and in an authentic Italian desert (especially in northern Italy).
