While pizza and pasta are among its most popular dishes, Italian cuisine embraces far more than just those – which means there’s plenty of opportunity to expand your Italian-themed menu.

One of the oldest cuisine styles in Europe, Italian food exemplifies the ‘Mediterranean diet’, emphasising olive oil, fruits, vegetables and legumes, seafood and moderate use of cheese and yoghurt.

Natural geographic barriers led to widespread regional variations in Italian food and this means the cuisine encompasses a vast range of ingredients, cooking methods and presentation styles which you can capitalise upon. Even today visitors to Italy will find that regional centres such as Tuscany, Venice and Bologna serve their own distinctive food styles and signature dishes.