What are the Different Types of Italian Vegetarian Food?

Italian food is a type of cuisine that is loved around the world. Although a person has decided not to eat meat, this does not mean that she cannot eat Italian food, either in restaurants or at home. Pizza, spaghetti with meatballs, and bruschetta are a few examples of tasty Italian vegetarian dishes.

A great Italian vegetarian appetizer is bruschetta. One of the things that makes bruschetta a winning choice is that many people are fond of it. This dish generally only requires bread, olive oil, garlic, and tomato. Salt and basil are commonly used as well. This does not mean a person is restricted to these items though; bruschetta is one of those dishes that leaves a lot of room for experimentation.

When many people think of pizza, one of the first things that they think of is pepperoni. There are, however, a large number of popular vegetarian pizzas. These include the Margherita, which is an Italian vegetarian pizza that usually has basil, mozzarella, and olive oil in addition to the tomato sauce. A vegetarian pizza can be another good option. There is not, however, a standard list of ingredients for such pizzas. Depending upon where it is served, a vegetarian pizza could include items such as mushrooms, olives, and artichokes.

Spaghetti and meatballs is another favorite that sounds as though it may be off limits, but it can be made to suit the needs of a vegetarian. Those who are interested may be able to purchase vegetarian meatballs pre-made. If a person is preparing the dish at home, many recipes highly recommend using mushroom to replace ground the ground meat.

The same is true with lasagna. This dish, when made according to traditional recipes, often calls for the inclusion of meat. However, the sauce and a variety of cheeses are the biggest features of lasagna. Meat can be easily excluded and not missed. If a person chooses, however, she may substitute the meat with mushrooms or other foods.

A good Italian vegetarian food for a cold day is minestrone soup. One of the wonders of this dish is that its name conjures up an image for many people, yet there is not generally any agreed upon recipe for minestrone soup. Even in Italy, the preparation of this dish varies greatly. It usually includes a lot of vegetables, beans, and either pasta or rice.