FRANCO'S Trattoria

Glossary

AGLIO e OLIO (AH-lyoh ay AW-lyoh) Italian for garlic and oil, referring to a dressing of garlic and hot olive oil.
ANTIPASTI (ahn-tee-PAHS-tee) Literally meaning "before the pasta) This Italian term refers to hot or cold Hors D’oeuvre. An assortment of antipasti could include appetizers such as cheese, meats, olives and vegetables.
ASIAGO CHEESE (ah-see-ah-go) A semi-firm Italian cheese with a rich, nutty flavor.
BUFFALO MOZZARELLA The most prized of fresh mozzarella. Made from a combination of water buffalo milk and cows milk.
ENGLISH STYLE Seasoned breadcrumbs with garlic, lemon, butter, oil and parsley.
ESCAROLE (Es-KUH-rohl) A type of endive that has broad, slightly curved green leaves and is bitter tasting.
GORGONZOLA (GOR-ghun-zola) Named for a town outside Milan where it was originally made. Gorgonzola is one of Italys great cheeses. It has an ivory colored interior that can be lightly or thickly streamed with bluish green veins. This cows milk cheese is rich and creamy, with a savory, slightly pungent flavor. When aged over 6 months, the flavor and aroma can be quite strong, sometimes downright stinky. Gorgonzola is stronger than Bleu Cheese due to the aging process and is a great accompaniment for pears, apples and peaches and also pairs nicely with hearty red wines.
MISTO (MEE-stow) Italian for mixed.
POLENTA A staple of Northern Italy. Polenta is a mush made from cornmeal. It can be eaten hot with a little butter, or cooled until firm, cut into squares and fried, such as ours.
PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM An extremely large, dark brown mushroom. Portobellos can easily measure 6 inches in diameter with an open, flat cap.
PROSCIUTTO (proh-SHOO-toh) An Italian ham.
MARINARA

Pressed tomatoes, (meaning no chunks) stewed with pork, lamb and beef bones, liberally added with garlic, oil and assorted Italian seasonings.

TOMATO BASIL Chunky tomato sauce, vegetarian friendly, oil, garlic and fresh basil.
MEAT SAUCE Ground pork, lamb and beef, porcini mushrooms, oil and garlic in a tomato basil sauce.
ALFREDO SAUCE Heavy cream with fresh herbs, garlic and parmesan cheese.
CHAMPAGNE CREAM SAUCE Light cream sauce seasoned with ginger, shallots, garlic and champagne.
TORTELLINI Small, crescent shaped pasta pouches stuffed with various fillings.
FETTUCCINI Egg noodles, rolled flat and cut into 3/8 inch wide strips.
ANGEL HAIR Long, extremely thin noodle, the smallest and most delicate pasta.
CAPELLINI Thin pasta strands, slightly thicker than angel hair pasta.
ZITI Thin tubes of macaroni, usually around 2 inches long.
LINGUINI Long, narrow, flat noodles, not as wide as fettuccini.
RAVIOLI Little square or round pillows of dough, filled with a variety of mixtures such as cheese, meat or vegetables. We currently have only cheese filled.
CALAMARI Squid
PASTINA Italian for "tiny dough".  Tiny pasta often used in soups.
FAGIOLI Mushroom

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Last Updated:  August 24, 2001