Recipes
Welcome to the tastiest classroom you’ll ever step into, the kind where you stir sauce while picking up new verbs, and roll gnocchi while rolling your R’s. Here, you won’t just cook Italian food… you’ll live it, speak it and, of course, eat it.
This page is where language learning meets the kitchen table. Each recipe is sprinkled with Italian vocabulary, expressions, and culture tips, designed to feed both your stomach and your inner polyglot.
Picture this: You’re kneading dough for fresh focaccia, and suddenly lievitare – to rise – sticks in your brain better than it ever would in a workbook. You’re simmering ragù and learning that bollire means to boil… and also how patience is the secret ingredient to both sauces and language mastery.
So grab your you’re about to become a little more fluent one bite at a time.
Featured recipe
Embark on a culinary journey through Italy… and beyond… with STS recipes. Perfect for language learners and food enthusiasts alike.
2 Servings ⏱ Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 15–20 mins | Chill time: Optional (but recommended!)
Insalata di riso
Insalata di riso is the ultimate summer dish. One of my all-time favourites, second only to pizza and right up there with gnocchi.
When I was a kid, I knew summer (and the glorious three months school break that came with it) had officially arrived the moment insalata di riso started to make an appearance on the dinner table.
In Italian, insalata means salad and riso means rice. And that’s exactly what this dish is: a rice salad. Simple, but seriously delicious. The ingredients just work together… magically. And bonus? They’re flexible.
Ingredients
- 160g rice (short-grain or parboiled)
- 90g tinned tuna in olive oil (drained)
- 2 eggs
- 70g ham (thick slice, cubed)
- 80g cheese (Emmental, provolone, cheese slices, etc., cubed)
- 50g peas (frozen or canned)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil (just a drizzle)
- Optional: a splash of lemon juice for extra zing
Instructions
Step 1
Start by boiling the rice in salted water until cooked (follow the cooking times indicated on the rice package).
Step 2
Cook the peas (if using frozen) for few minutes in boiling water. If using canned, just drain them.
Step 3
Hard-boil the eggs: place in cold water, bring to a boil, then cook for 9-10 minutes. Cool under cold running water and peel. Chop into small pieces.
Step 4
While the rice is boiling, prepare the other ingredients: cube the cheese and ham. Drain the tuna. Mix everything together in a large bowl.
Step 5
When the rice is cooked, drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and cool it down.
Step 6
Combine the rice, eggs, and peas with the tuna, ham, and cheese. Season with a drizzle of olive oil and, if you like, a little lemon juice.
Step 7
Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving, or enjoy immediately if you just can’t wait!
Let’s start with the rice. You can prepare all other ingredients, while the rice is boiling.
Now for the peas – you can use tinned or frozen, depending to your taste. I always use frozen peas, because I prefer their flavour to that of the tinned ones. And to keep things super practical, I usually boil them together with the rice.
Here are all the other ingredients: cheese and ham cut in small cubes, sliced hard-boiled egg, tinned tuna, and some capers for that extra punch.
And… voilà (yes, that’s French!)… All ingredients are now mixed together. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or dig in!
Cooking Tips & Variations
This is truly the choose-your-own-adventure of Italian summer food. Insalata di riso is meant to be fun, eclectic, and full of flavour. You can prep it ahead, store it in the fridge, and tweak it each time with different ingredients based on your cravings, what’s in season, or simply what’s hiding in the back of your fridge.
As mentioned before, this dish is amazing because so versatile. Once you’ve added the staples, the world is your oyster (no pun intended!). When I was growing up, we used to add slices of wurstel as well, but I later came to dislike that kind of food. Now, let me give you an idea of popular extra ingredients you could include to create an even tastier insalata (mix and match as you like):
pickled vegetables, olives, capers (some of my all-time favs), corn kernels, cherry tomatoes, cooked shrimps, boiled or raw vegetables cut in small cubes or thin slices… My mum, for example, loves to add thinly sliced courgettes and, of course, mayonnaise. She absolutely must have mayonnaise with her insalata di riso!
ciao
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