What Is a Typical Italian Meal Like?

I realize that it's often the little things about my life as an expat in Italy that interest people. Eating, for example. While we don't think that a meal is a cultural experience, or that it might be different from what we're used to, in fact, the typical Italian meal can be an adventure in and of itself!

The Importance of Food in Italian Culture

You probably already know that Italian food is amazing. Food here is more than just physical nourishment. It's a sign of love. The mother who slaves away all day to get her salsa (tomato sauce) just right does so to show her family how much she loves them.

Eating is an excuse to slow down and spend time with family. Most families (including ours) sit down for a large Sunday lunch every week. This is practically unheard of in the U.S.! The meal doesn't have to be fancy. It doesn't have to last for hours. It's just a time to reconnect.

Now let's look at the meal itself.

Let's Start with Nibbles

This doesn't happen with every meal, but if we're waiting for someone to come and we're hungry, my mother-in-law might put out cheese and salsiccia for us to nosh on while we wait. If we're lucky, there are olives she conserved from last fall's harvest.

A Tavola!

Now the meal begins. We start with a primo of pasta. Mamma favors pasta con sugo for Sunday lunches. Occasionally she makes carbonara (which Papà and I love). She also makes pasta with lentils, chickpeas, or greens.

Next comes the secondo of meat. It could be pork, steak, chicken, or my favorite, rabbit. The family also likes anchovies, which are locally caught, but I loathe them, so Mamma makes me something different.

To accompany the meat, she'll make roasted potatoes (everyone's favorite), stuffed eggplant and zucchini, and/or cooked greens.

By now, I am sure I can't eat another bite. But I've found that the Italian tradition of eating salad at the end of the meal actually helps me digest! So I'll pile on the lettuce and cucumbers lightly seasoned with oil and vinegar.

Next comes fruit. We eat whatever's in season. Right now, apples are showing up in the grocery store, as well as peaches and nectarines. We still have small green plums from our trees.

Mamma asks who wants coffee. I raise my hand. We sip our espresso and eat gelato or cookies, depending on the time of year and what the neighbors have gifted us.

And now we're ready for naps! Eating here is hard work!

The More, The Merrier

As someone who ate plenty of meals by herself in the U.S., it's taken some adjustment to get used to eating with a group, particularly when we have larger dinners with extended family. We often have birthday or holiday meals with 15-20 people!

The table my in-laws have extends, and we can cram all those people around it. We're elbow-to-elbow, but nobody cares. Bowls get passed from person to person, and the wine flows from one end to the other.

Meals have become something I truly look forward to. Not just because I get to eat amazing food, but also because I'm always in good company.