10 Italian dishes that are more yummylicious than pasta and pizza

Loaded with cheese and tomato or rich meat-based sauces with a hint of pesto and olive oil, Italian cuisine is one of the most loved across the globe now. Most of us trust Italian cafes to grab the best varieties of pizza and pasta and often skip to try more sumptuous dishes on the menu, and believe it or not, in the process some of us are genuinely missing the real food. While there is nothing that can beat the deliciousness of a well-made pasta or a pizza, here are 10 Italian dishes you MUST try next time and we are sure that they will steal your heart right away!

The delectable rice dish is made of rice cooked in vegetable or meat broth along with vegetables, butter, sometimes wine and Parmesan cheese. It is a one-course meal and has all the ingredients to instantly become your favourite.

This popular starter dish from the Italian menu is a great companion to your soup or salad. The garlic-rubbed bread with olive oil and butter is loaded with variations of toppings, especially fresh tomatoes.

If you are diet conscious and do not want to indulge in cheese and butter laden dishes, then you must try the rustic Cannellini-bean salad with shrimps or salmon or if you are a vegetarian, try cannellini salad with fresh greens, olives and cilantro. It is heaven!

Gnocchi, pronounced as ‘Noh-kee’, is a first-course meal and an alternative to soup or pasta. The dish constitutes various soft dough dumplings that can be made from semolina, cheese, potato, egg or wheat flour. It is a vegetarian, healthy dish which is a must try if you want to keep it light.

The next most popular Italian dish is the flat sheets stuffed up with sumptuous fillings of vegetables, meat and cheese baked together tor the lasagne. This one-pot dish is great as a snack if you are sharing it or else serves as a delectable meal.

This popular Tuscan bread soup, is a healthy one-pot meal made with the goodness of vegetables or meat. One of the traditional dishes of Italy, it is sumptuous, nutritious and filling.

This mouth-watering Italian delicacy can be easily mistaken as cheese bread pakoras. Rice balls are covered bread crumbs and deep fried until golden brown. They are also usually filled with meat sauce and mozzarella.

A salad made of bread, tomatoes, and onions dressed in olive oil and vinegar is surely going to win your heart. It can be used as a starter with your soup or a chilling drink.

Panini sandwich is made of bread and not sliced bread. Stuffed with vegetables and cheese, and grilled to perfection, this sandwich is a great pick-me-up when it comes to choosing from the Italian menu.

Bread dumplings soaked in milk and bound with eggs and flour form part of the first-course meal and can be also served as the main course.