Antipasti (Appetizers) Antipasti Italiani/Misti/Assortiti: A plate of mixed items; usually includes several vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, etc. marinated, grilled or fried. It also usually includes olives, and small pieces of cheese. Bruschetta: Slice of bread oven-toasted with a top ping of fresh diced toma toes, garlic, oregano and other spices, and a dash of olive oil. Caprese/Insalata caprese: “In the Capri style.” Most often a salad with slices of fresh tomato layered with slices of mozzarella di bufala and topped with spices and olive oil. Caviale: Caviar. Crocchette: Breaded and fried mashedpotato dumplings.
Pasta dishes, Rice dishes (Pasta, Risotto) Cannelloni: Cylinders of pasta, stuffed and baked. Fusilli: Long, spiral-shaped twisted pasta. Gnocchi: Small dumplings, in the Naples
Pasta and Risotto Sauces and Preparations Acciughe: “With anchovies.” Usually a sauce with mashed anchovies, garlic, olive oil and parsley, and sometimes tomatoes. Aglio e Olio: “Garlic and oil.” Served with hot oil and gar lic. Some times also served e peperoncini — with small hot peppers. Amatriciana/Matriciana: In a sauce with bacon, olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, red peppers and onions. Arrabbiata: “Angry.” A tomato and herb sauce with small hot peppers (“peperoncini”) added, and sometimes spicy sausage or bacon. Can be quite hot. Besciamella: Bechamel, a white sauce of butter, flour and milk. Bolognese: “Bologna style.” The classic meat and toma to sauce most Americans are famil iar with.
Fish, Shellfish (Pesce, Frutti di Mare) Acciughe: Anchovies. Alici: An anchovy-like fish, usually served marinated as an appetizer. Anguilla: Eel. Aragosta: Spiny lobster. Aringa: Herring. Astice: Maine lobsters. Baccala’: Dried salt-cod. Bianchetti: Very small sardine-like fish, usually deep-fried. Branzino: Seabass. Calamari/calam a ret ti: Squid/baby squid. Carpa: Fresh-water carp. Cefalo: Mullet. Cernia: A seafish. Cozze: Mussels, also sometimes called
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Insalata di pesce/di frutti di mare: A seafood salad containing boiled squid, octopus, mussels, clams, etc., usually served cold with a vinaigrette sauce. Melone: Melon, usually of the honeydew or cantaloupe type. Mozzarella: A soft, white cheese. In the Naples region, it may mean mozzarella di bufala, not the kind we are used to on piz zas in the United States. Mozzarella di bufala is made from the milk of water buffaloes, and is softer, higher in protein and tastes different. It is considered a great delicacy. Pizzetta: Small, fried light-dough dumplings, flavored with a variety of spices and sometimes filled. Prosciutto: Ham. When used alone, the word means thin ly- sliced raw-cured ham. A delicacy. When a distinction is made between this and other varie -
ties, it is called pro sciut to crudo. Smoke-cured is prosciutto affumicato and cooked is called prosciutto cotto. Prosciutto e melone: Sliced ham and fresh melon. Prosciutto e mozzarella: Sliced ham and fresh white cheese. Salame: Seasoned and cured sausages, served without further cooking. Salsiccia: Sausages that need to be cooked before eating. These are usually listed in the meat section instead of the antipasti section of the menu. Seafood: Many types of shellfish also are available as antipasti, including clams and mussels. See the seafood section for translations.
region made of potato flour; in other areas they are shaped sim i lar ly but made of pasta dough. Lasagne: Flat, very wide noodles. Almost identical to lasagna noodles found in the United States. Orecchiette: Small, ear-shaped.
Penne: Short tubes, cut on the slant to resemble quill pens. Ravioli: Small squares of pasta stuffed with various items. Tortellini: Small, round pastas filled and twisted into a doughnut shape.
Sometimes called al ragù. Boscaiola: “Woodsman’s style.” In Naples, a rich tomato sauce with ham, peas and mushrooms. Carbonara: “Coal man’s style.” Hot pasta is tossed with beaten eggs and cream and diced bacon; sometimes includes onions. Served with fresh grat ed parmesan cheese and pepper. Forno: Baked. Usually means a pasta and sauce baked as a dish. The best known such dish to Americans is lasagne al forno. Frutti di Mare: Shellfish (“fruit of the sea”). A thin sauce, either clear or with tomatoes, to which have been added clams, mussels, squid, shrimp, diced octopus, etc. Shellfish can be shelled, but most often come in the shells. Pescatore: “Fisherman’s style.” Like frutti di mare, but includes various types of fish meat. Pesto: Fresh basil leaves, garlic, olive oil,
pine nuts and pecorino cheese made into a paste. Pomodoro: Tomatoes. A tomato sauce with herbs, onions, garlic, etc. but no meat. Quattro Formaggi: “Four chees es”; baked in or topped with a sauce of four different mild white cheeses such as provolone, fontina, etc. Siciliana: “Sicily style.” Usually including black olives, eggplants, sweet peppers and/or anchovies. Sorrentina: “Sorrento style.” Most often this refers to the type of gnocchi that is served with tomatoes and cheese. Is popular in the Naples area and throughout the Campania region. Vongole: With clams. Usually similar to frutti di mare, but only with clams and not other shellfish.
muscoli or mitili. Dentice: Seabream. Gamberi: Large shrimp. Also applied to small rock lobsters and sometimes to fresh-water crayfish. Usually you’ll get something resembling a prawn. Gamberetti: Very small shrimp. Gamberoni: Large prawns. Granchio: Most common term for crab. Merluzzo: Cod. Marmora: A small sea fish. Nasello: Hake. Orata: A fish similar to bream. Ostriche: Oysters. Pesce persico: Fresh-water perch. Pesce san pietro: John Dory fish. Pesce spada: Swordfish. Polipo: Usually means octo pus, some times small squid. Polpo: Octopus.
Ricci: Sea urchins. Rombo: Turbot. Salmone: Salmon. Sarago: A small sea fish, resem bling bluegill. Scampi: Large prawns, some times means rock lobster. Seppia: Cuttlefish, similar to squid. Sgombro: Mackerel. Sogliola: Sole. Spiedino mare: Mixed fish and seafood on a skewer. Spigola: Sea bass, grouper. Stoccafisso: Salt cod. Tartufi di mare: Sea truf fles, a small clam. Tonno: Tuna. Totani: Small cuttlefish. Triglie: Red mullet. Vongole: Clams.
Newcomer’s Guide to Naples - Shopping & Dining Out