Europe, International Cuisine, Italy
12 Northern Italian dishes that make you long for Italy
Traveling from home? That’s possible! With these typical Northern Italian dishes, you image yourself in the beautiful Northern Italy.
12 Northern Italian dishes
Aperitivo
Just like in Italy, we start of with a delicious aperitivo consisting of a tasty drink and a suitable bite.
Aperol Spritz
Everyone knows the world famous Aperol Spritz already. Although you can drink this delicious aperitivo all over the world, it’s roots are still in Italy, more specifically in Padua in Northern Italy.
What do you need?
- Ice cubes
- 2 cl Aperol
- 2 cl Prosecco
- 2,5 cl of sparkling water
- Slice of orange
How do you make an Aperol Spritz?
Montenegro spritz
Another delicious aperitivo from beautiful Bologna, is the Montenegro Spritz. Like the Aperol Spritz, this is made with prosecco. But it has a slightly more spicy and bitter taste. Definitely recommended if you like a feisty aperitivo.
What do you need?
- Ice cubes
- 8 cl Amaro Montenegro
- (optional: 30 cl gin)
- Prosecco
- Slice of lemon
How do you make a Montenegro Spritz?
You also need a large wine glass for this aperitivo. Fill it with some ice cubes. Add the Amaro Montenegro and fill the glass with prosecco. Finally, add a slice of lemon and don’t forget to enjoy this delicious aperitivo.
Source: ENIT
Hugo
One of the latest hypes in Northern Italy, more specifically in South Tyrol, is the “Hugo”. This tasty, refreshing aperitivo is also made with prosecco but has a unique twist.
What do you need?
- Ice cubes
- 15 cl Prosecco
- 2 cl lemon balm syrup or elderflower syrup
- 1 dash of sparking water
- Mint leaves
- lemon slices
How do you make a Hugo?
The hugo is easy to make. Take a large wine glass. Fill the glass with the ice cubes and then add the prosecco, lemon balm syrup or elderflower syrup and sparkling water. Gently mix in a few mint leaves with a stirring stick and serve with a slice of lemon.
Source: Suedtirol
Naturally, the aperitivo includes a drink and a bite. One of my favorite Italian dishes is the bruschetta. First and foremost because it just tastes delicious and it is also very easy to make. A bruschetta consists of a toasted slice of bread with a typical Italian topping. Below I explain how you can make a delicious bruschetta in 3 different ways with Northern Italian ingredients to serve with one of the above drinks during the aperitivo.
Bruschetta Molisana
Truffle is a real Italian delicacy. So a bruschetta based on truffle and artichokes should certainly not be missing from our menu.
What do your need?
- A baguette
- Cream of black truffle and artichokes ( crema carciofe e tartufo)
- Slices of smoke bacon
- Parmesan flakes
- Basil leaves
How do you make a bruschetta Molisana?
Source: ENIT
Bruchetta Mousse di Mortadella
A real specialty in Bologna, the capital of Emelia Romagna, is Mortadella. This is a typical Italian sausage made from pork. You can use this specialty to top your bruschetta, but you can also make a delicious Mortadella mousse.
Whad do you need?
- A baguette
- 300 g Mortadella Bologna
- 200 g ricotta
- 1 tablespoon of parmesan
- 1 tablespoon of cream
- Cherry tomatoes
How do you make a bruchetta Mousse di Mortadella?
Cut the Mortadella Bologna into little pieces. This can easily be done with a blender. Add the ricotta and parmesan cheese. Mix until you get a smooth consistency without lumps. Add the cream and mix until you get a mousse. Slice the baguette and toast both sides. Spread the mousse di Mortadella on the bread. Finish with a cherry tomato.
Source: Turismo Inpianura
Bruschetta Classico
The bruschetta classico is made with delicious Tuscan tomatoes. It’s also the most known bruschetta and the most served one in Italy. That’s why I call it the bruschetta classico.
What do you need?
- A baguette
- 6 juicy Toscan tomatoes
- A few leaves of basil
- salt
- 1 clove of garlic
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
How do you make a bruschetta classico?
Chop the tomatoes in little pieces and put in a large bowl. Shred the basil leaves and add them to the bowl, season with salt. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and stir well. In the meantime, toast a few slices of the baguette on both sides. Peel the garlic clove. When the bread is ready, rub it with the clove of garlicon on both sides. Then you can chop the garlic and add it to the bowl. Stir well again. Arrange the tomato mixture on the toast. Finish with a basil leaf.
Source: Visit Tuscany
Starters
Beef carpaccio with black truffle
What do you need?
- Beef carpaccio
- Carpatio di tartufo nero
- Agurula
- Cherry tomatos
- Parmesan flakes
How do you make beef carpaccio with black truffle?
Place a few slices of beef carpaccio on a flat plate. Add a few slices of black truffle to it. Finish with some arugula, cherry tomatoes, olive oil and a few flakes of parmesan.
Wine tip: Langhe Rosato
Source: ENIT
Goats cheese au gratin with South Tyrolean smoked ham
Wat do you need?
- 250 g goats cream cheese from South Tirol
- 65 g mascarpone
- 2 tablespoons Algund mountain chees, grated
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped herbs (parsley, chervil, chives)
- 20 rashers of South Tyrolean smoked ham
- 20 walnuts
- 1 apple
- 3 tablespoons South Tyrolean honey
- Salt and pepper
How do you make Goats cheese au gratin with South Tyrolean smoked ham?
Wine tip: Meraner from South Tirol
Source: Suedtirol
Pumpkin and mushroom soup, a delicious autumn dish from Tuscany
What do you need?
- 1 onion
- 1 slice of pumpkin
- Fresh porcini mushrooms
- Salt
- Olive oil
- Rosemary or parsley
How do you make pumpkin and mushroom soup?
Source: Visit Tuscany
Time for pasta
In Italy pasta is often eaten between the starter and the main dish. Because I like to leave some room for dessert, I chose to only focus on a few typical Northern Italian pasta dishes that can also be eaten as a main course in large portion.
Tagliatelle al tartufetto bianco
What do you need?
- Tagliatelle al tartufo bianchetto (you can also use regular tagiatelli, but with Tagliatelle al tartufo bianchetto you can enjoy the delicious truffle flavor even more)
- Crema al tartufo bianco
- Olive oil
- (Optional: mushrooms)
- Parmesan
How do you make Tagliatelle al tartufetto bianco?
Wine tip: Parrina Vermentino
Source: ENIT
What do you need?
- 400 g tagliolini
- 3 finely chopped shallots
- 4 ripe red tomatoes
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- A few leaves of basil
How do you make tagliolini in a shallot sauce ?
Heat a pot of water till it boils. Wash and peel the tomatoes and add them to the boiling water. Brown a few finely chopped shallots with 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan. Remove the tomatoes from the water and cut them into pieces. Add this to the pan with shallots and fry for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, cook the tagliolini in plenty of salted water. When the tagliolini is done, add them to the sauce and let them fry for about 10 minutes at a low temperature. Finish with a few basil leaves.
Source: Turismo Imolese
South Tyrolean-style carbonara
What do you need?
- 500 g tagliolini
- 150 g finely sliced Speck Alto Adige
- 15 ml white wine
- 4 4 egg yolks
- 100 ml cream
- 100 ml broth
- Chives
How do you make South Tyrolean-style carbonara?
Source: Suedtirol
Desserts
As icing on the cake, I have 3 delicous North Italians dessert recipes for you.
South Tyrolean apple and cinnamon muffins
What do you need?
- 250 g sweet apples
- 75 g butter
- 100 g sugar
- 2 eggs
- 250 g natural yoghurt
- 250 g flower
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- A little mixed cinnamon and sugar
How do you make South Tyrolean apple and cinnamon muffins?
Peel and core the apples, cut them in small cubes. Beat the butter, sugar and eggs in a bowl until fluffy. Sieve the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into another bowl. Alternating between the yoghurt and the flour mixture, work both into the egg mixture.Then gently stir in the diced apple. Grease the muffin cups with butter and dust with flour. Using a piping bag, pipe the mixture into the tins and bake at 175 ° C in a preheated oven for 18–20 minutes. Finish with cinnamon and sugar.
Source: Suedtirol
Typical Tuscan almond biscuits: cantucci
What do you need?
- 3 eggs
- 220 g sugar
- 280 g flower
- 5 g baking powder
- Zest of one orange
- A pinch of salt
- 200 g of unskinned almonds
How do you make cantucci?
Source: Visit Tuscany
Toscan Tiramisu
What do you need?
- 500 g of italiaanse Mascarpone
- Savoiardi biscuits (as many as you need)
- 3 eggs
- 3 tablespoons of sugar
- Espresso Coffee for 6 people
- Powder cocoa
How do you make this all time classic?
Source: Visit Tuscany
After the dessert you can enjoy a delicious Italian digestif. Some of my favorites are limoncello, amaretto, and grappa.
Video
Good luck with creating your Italian menu!
yours truly,
Sarah
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Oh yum. I love Italian food. And I now seriously grave a selection of bruschetta. I guess that’s dinner sorted then 😉
Hope you enjoyed those bruschettas? 😉
Definitely saving. I love all these things and constantly crave good Bruchetta haha
Haha, me too! They are so delicious and easy to make 😉
Yum! I can’t believe you were able to make all of that at home. What a chef! I love Italy, especially for its food. This is making me miss it even more! Must starting making some Italian dishes of my own, thanks for the ideas and recipes!
Yes, cooking is a great way to bring the destination in your house! Enjoy!
Love love love eating all of the food when travelling through Italy – this post has made me hungry!
Italian food is soooooo amazing!
I must admit, I have probably been having way too many Spritz during the lockdown. LOL! I am so going to try all of these! Thanks for sharing!
Haha, I hope you do! Enjoy! 🙂
I am drooling at the mouth as I read through this post! I was actually searching for new fall recipes to make for my family this morning, and I’m going to give the pumpkin and mushroom soup recipe a try. It was interesting to see what specifically is a northern Italian dish. Cool post!
That’s one of my favorites too! I make this soup every fall! Can’t wait for the first pumpkins in the stores.
These all look delicious. I can’t decide which one to start with 🙂
They are so good! 🙂
Oh my goodness these are all amazing Italian dishes I want to try them all thanks for this great roundup!
Thanks! I hope you do. let me know how you liked them. 🙂
Everything looks delectable! I’d add the Tiramisu, and Carbonara to my menu for sure. I’m definitely longing for Italy.
I love that food can bring a destination into our homes.
Oh my gosh these are all making me so hungry, especially the carbonara – a classic favorite! Also, I tried the Hugo for the first time this summer and it was absolutely delicious!
Oh that Hugo is so amazing, isn’t it?!
I made the mistake of reading this before lunch and now I’m very hungry and also craving an aperol spritz 😛 I love Italian dishes and this is making me dream of my trip to Tuscany back in 2014 and I can’t wait to go back one day!
Oh Kelly, I’m longing for an Italian getaway as well! Hope you can go back soon!
Oh, my…all of these look amazing…pinning for sure!
Thank you! These are absolutely my favorites!
Before I went to Italy people had told me I had never eaten Italian food until I had eaten in Italy and I scoffed, but its so true! Now my stomach is rumbling…
Yes, it’s so different to eat Italian food in Italy. I wish I could drive there to just have lunch, but it would be a bit too far 😉
I just love Italian cuisine, and Aperol is my ultimate favourite drink! Was planning to do a Italian themed dinner so saved/pinned this as a great start to it. Simple and good! Great info 😀
Oh great and thank you 😉 ! Enjoy your themed dinner.
I like that everything from drinks to dessert is included as that was my experience in Italy. I admit that of everything, the chocolate croissant won my heart! Simple and delicious!
Yes Italian food is super delicious and a chocolate croissant is definitely one of my favorites as well 🙂
Hi Sarah, I’ve just bumped into your post, and, since I live in a small town near Vicenza, in the north of Italy, I was a little curious about the recipes you chose for your menu. Everything looks really good, brava!
Ciao a tutti dall’Italia ?
Hi Silvia, Thank you! If you have questions, you can always email me on info@sarahdegheselle.com
Sarah
I lived in Vicenza for many years. Love making northern Italian dishes.
That’s great to hear. What’s your favorite dish?
Sarah