RuvidaMente
From QUADRUCCI to ROUSTISANA
QUADRUCCI Stuffed pasta squares added to soups.
QUAGLIA Quail, a wild bird usually roasted or grilled.
QUAGLIETTE Tiny balls of leftover stuffing wrapped in scalded cabbage leaves, then fried.
QUARESIMALI Lenten biscuits, usually made with ground almonds, sugar, vanilla and egg whites.
QUARTIROLO Lombardian smooth, uncooked, mild soft cheese. See: Quartirolo
QUATTRO FORMAGGI "With four cheeses." Pasta sauce made my mixing four different cheeses, of which two are usually Fontina and grana.
QUINQUINELLE Quenelles, dumplings made usually from fish like pike bound with egg whites and seasonings.
QUINTO QUARTO Organ meats and variety items including sweetbreads, brains, hooves, and testicles.
RABARBARO Rhubarb, sweetened and made into a condiment or pastry; also the liqueur made from it.
RADIATORI "Radiators." Maccheroni so called because they resemble the radiator heaters.
RADICCHIO Endive or chicory, best known as the bitter red- or purple-eafed varieties of Radicchio Rosso di Treviso and Radicchio variegato di Castelfranco, eaten
as a salad or grilled.
RADICE General term for roots of all types, but more specifically the radish.
RAFANO Horseradish, also called cren.
RAGÙ Ragout or stewed or braised meat sauce, the most famous being ragù alla Bolognese, which contains tomatoes, beef, heavy cream and vegetables.
RAGUSANO Sicilian cow's milk cheese made around Ragusa, usually shaped into small cushions tied with string. See Ragusano
RAMERINO Rosemary, probably the principal herb used in Italian cookery, from roasts to stews.
RAMOLACCIO Horseradish.
RANA Frog, usually eaten fried or in risotto.
RANA PESCATRICE Angler fish, best baked or grilled.
RAPE Turnips, whose greens are called cime di rapa.
RASCHERA Hearty Piedmontese cheese made from cows' milk to which some ewes' milk is added. See: Raschera
RAVANELLO Radish.
RAVEGGIOLO Tangy fresh cheese made from goat's, sheep's or cow's milk, made principally in Campania.
RAVIOLI Square pasta shapes (sometimes ridged) enclosing any of a wide variety of ingredients, most commonly ricotta and spinach. See: Ravioli
RAZZA Ray or skate flatfish, usually sautéed or grilled.
RECIOTO Wine made from partly dried grapes, often sweet and strong.
REGINA IN PORCHETTA Umbrian dish of carp cooked in the manner of roast suckling pig called porchetta.
REGINETTE Sweet "queen's biscuits" rolled in sesame seeds, a specialty of Sicily.
RESTA Plaited strings of garlic or onions hung outdoors to dry.
RESTI DI CIBO Leftovers.
RETE DI MAIALE Caul fat taken from the membrane lining a pig's stomach. It is used to wrap around lean cuts of meat and fish to preventing dryness caused by cooking and to
provide maximum flavor.
RHUM or RUM Rum, a spirit used as much as a flavoring in desserts as a spirit to drink. Sometimes an alcohol-free rum substitute is used as a flavoring.
RIBEL Alto-Adige buckwheat fritters.
RIBES Currants, both black (nero) and red (rosso), mostly used in cakes and cookies.
RIBOLLITA "Reboiled." Florentine soup made with white beans, olive oil, purple cabbage, bread and cheese, left to stand and reheated.
RICCI DI DONNA Calabrian pasta shape resembling curly hair.
RICCIARELLI Sienese almond-shaped, soft biscuits made with almond paste. See: Ricciarelli
RICCIO DI MARE Sea urchin, eaten raw, sometimes added to pasta.
RICEVUTA Receipt, as for a restaurant meal.
RICOTTA Reheated, or "recooked" whey molded into a soft, white mound that may be eaten fresh or used in pasta fillings, gnocchi and pastries, though it may also be salted and
dried for grating; traditionally from milk of sheep or goats, it also comes
RIDURRE To reduce a sauce.
RIFFOLI Campanian spongecake filled with ricotta, citron, chocolate and pistachios, then glazed.
RIGAGLIE Giblets.
RIGATE Ridged or ribbed maccheroni.
RIGATINO Tuscan pancetta covered with black pepper and cured flat.
RIGATONI Dry pasta characterized by the ridges on the external
surface and the large diameter, Rigatoni, thanks to these characteristics, are ideal for retaining the sauce on the entire surface, external and internal, returning every nuance in a
harmonious symphony of flavors. See: Rigatoni
RIPIENO Stuffing or filling for pasta, meat, vegetables.
RIS E CORATA "Rice and offal." Rice in consommé with bacon, onion, sage and calf's lungs, a specialty of Lombardy.
RIS E VERZ Lombardian rice-and-cabbage soup.
RISERVA Reserve, for DOC or DOCG wine aged a specific time
RISO Rice, of which 50 varieties are grown in Italy and it is produced in four categories of grain, from shortest to longest: comune, semifino, fino and superfino, of which
Arborio and Carnaroli are ideal for making risotto. See: Riso
RISONE Rice-shaped maccheroni, used for soups.
RISOTTO A dish of creamy cooked, stubby rice (under names like Arborio and Canaroli) that absorbs a good quantity of broth to make it flavorful and tender. The classic
risotto alla milanese is made with saffron and grana, but any number of ingredients, from beef glaze, mushrooms and tomatoes, are used to create regional varieties.
RISTORANTE Restaurant, Italy's top category of dining establishment, more upscale than a trattoria or osteria.
RISTRETTO "Tight," referring to the rich consistency of a sauce or stock, but especially the strong, syrupy consistency of a well-made espresso.
ROBIOLA Soft, creamy whole cow's or ewe's cheese. See: Robiola di Roccaverano
ROCCIATA Folded triangle of strudel pastry, similar to panforte, filled with prunes, nuts, and cinnamon, a specialty of Assisi and Perugia.
ROGNONE Kidneys, lamb and veal are preferred.
ROGNOSA Piedmontese frittata made with eggs, grana and salami.
ROLLATINE Rolls, as in beef rolls stuffed with a filling.
ROMANA, ALLA "Roman style," a wide variety of dishes specific to Roman cookery, usually with tomato sauce.
ROMBO Rombo fish.
ROSATO Rosé (wine).
ROSBIF Roast beef.
ROSCANI Acidic-tasting greens of the Marches.
ROSETTE Hollow, very crisp Venetian rolls resembling the shape of a rose.
ROSMARINO Rosemary.
ROSOLARE To brown food in a skillet or to roast till brown in an oven.
ROSOLIO A cordial liqueur, originally made from rose petals, rose oil and honey.
ROSSO Red (wine).
ROSTICCERIA Shop or eating place specializing in roast meats and poultry. Sometimes called girarrosto, in reference to the large spit that typifies such places.
ROSTICCIANA Milanese dish of onions cooked with pieces of pork left over after the cuts for meat and sausage have been used.
ROTELLA DENTATA Kitchen instrument with a teethed blade used to cut sheets of pasta dough for ravioli and other stuffed pastas.
ROTOLO Roll, as of meat or pasta, usually stuffed.
ROVENTINI ALLA TOSCANA Tuscan pork blood pudding cooked with lard and sprinkled with grana.
RUCOLA Salad green (Eruca sativa) resembling cress but with spicy, slightly bitter flavor; also called arugula and rocket in English and often confused with sharper flavored wild
ruchetta, which is prized in salads of field greens.
RUOTE DI CARRO Maccheroni shaped like a cart's wheel.
RUSTICA, ALLA Any dish or preparation done in a rustic, robust style.
RUSTICI Snacks made of puff pastry dough filled with balsamella and tomato, from Lecce.
RUSTICIADA Sliced sirloin, pork and sausage cooked with wine, tomato and onion in pork fat. The pig's blood and sage are added to the sauce.
RUSTISANA A dish of peppers and tomatoes quickly simmered with garlic, basil and rosemary, often served with polenta.
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