Italian Food Quiz

A simple pizza of tomato, mozzarella, and basil, said to honor a queen.

Its red, white, and green toppings are often said to echo the colors of the Italian flag.

Pasta tossed with egg, cured pork, and cheese off the heat for a silky sauce.

Authentic carbonara contains no cream — the sauce's creaminess comes from egg and starchy pasta water.

Long-simmered meat sauce clinging to ribbons of fresh egg pasta.

What's often called 'Bolognese' abroad rarely resembles the traditional Bologna recipe.

A deceptively simple pasta of sharp cheese and cracked black pepper.

Getting a smooth sauce, rather than clumps, depends entirely on pasta water temperature.

A saffron-gold risotto, slowly stirred to a creamy finish.

Saffron is traditionally said to have been added almost by accident by a stained-glass apprentice.

Braised veal shanks served with their marrow still in the bone.

Its name literally means 'bone with a hole,' referencing the marrow at the shank's center.

A thick, bone-in T-bone steak grilled rare over an open fire.

It's traditionally made from Chianina cattle, one of the oldest known cattle breeds.

Sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil drizzled with olive oil.

It's named after the island of Capri, where it's believed to have originated.

Fried, breaded balls of risotto with a molten cheese center.

Their name comes from 'arancia' (orange), describing their shape and golden color.

A hearty vegetable soup that varies with the season and region.

There is no single fixed recipe — minestrone traditionally uses whatever vegetables are in season.

Coffee-soaked ladyfingers layered with sweetened mascarpone cream.

Its name translates to 'pick me up,' a nod to its espresso content.

Crisp fried pastry tubes filled with sweetened ricotta cream.

The shells are traditionally fried around metal tubes, then filled only just before serving.

A dense, intensely flavored Italian frozen dessert, churned slowly.

Gelato is churned at a slower speed than American ice cream, incorporating less air.

A small, concentrated shot of pressure-brewed coffee.

The espresso machine, as we know it, was patented in Italy in the early 1900s.

A flat, olive-oil-rich bread, often dimpled and topped with herbs.

The signature dimples are pressed in by hand to help the dough hold pooled olive oil.

Spaghetti tossed with fresh clams in a light garlic and wine sauce.

Traditional versions never include cheese, which is considered to clash with seafood.

Twisted pasta coated in a vibrant basil, pine nut, and garlic sauce.

Traditional pesto is made by hand with a mortar and pestle, which gives the sauce its name.

A silky chilled cream dessert, lightly set and often topped with fruit.

Its name simply means 'cooked cream,' describing the dish in the plainest possible terms.

A thick bread-and-vegetable soup traditionally reboiled the next day.

Its name literally means 'reboiled,' referencing how leftovers were stretched into a second meal.

Layers of flat pasta, slow-cooked beef ragù, and béchamel, baked until golden and bubbling.

The authentic lasagna alla Bolognese recipe registered with the Bologna Chamber of Commerce in 1982 calls for green spinach pasta sheets and contains no tomato in the ragù.

Small, pillowy potato dumplings boiled until they float, then tossed in butter and sage or a simple tomato sauce.

The lightest gnocchi use the minimum flour needed to bind the potato — experienced cooks judge this by touch, as too much flour makes them dense and heavy.

Layers of fried eggplant baked with tomato sauce and cheese.

Despite the name, this dish does not necessarily contain Parmigiano cheese in every regional version.