Italian Side Dishes (Contorni)
In Italy, vegetables are served as contorni, side dishes that accompany the main course, and they are often the most memorable part of the meal. Tuscan cooks let seasonal vegetables cook slowly in olive oil with garlic and herbs until they are soft and full of flavor.
Here are the side dishes we make at our cooking school in Tuscany: fagioli all’uccelletto, Roman-style braised artichokes, peperonata, slow-cooked green beans in tomato sauce, Tuscan cauliflower, baked fennel with oranges and olives, Sicilian caponata, potato croquettes and panzanella. Many of them are vegan and gluten-free.
Tuscan cauliflower with tomato, rosemary and fennel seeds
Even self-professed cauliflower haters will love this dish, if you can convince them to try it.
Tuscan slow-cooked green beans with tomato and basil
This is a signature dish of the late great Mario, the multitalented father of Tina who used to be one of our amazing instructors at our cooking classes in Italy. You may say that you like your green beans to be firm and crunchy, but after tasting this dish you may also appreciate their sweet, melt-in-the-mouth quality when slow cooked.
Sicilian orange and fennel salad with black olives
The most refreshing of winter salads, this sounds a little odd, but is wonderful!
Taralli: crunchy Italian fennel seed crackers, boiled then baked
Make traditional Italian taralli at home! This easy recipe uses flour, white wine, extra virgin olive oil, and toasted fennel seeds for a crispy, savory snack.
Baked fennel with oranges and olives
Baked Fennel with Oranges and Olives is a light, fragrant, and incredibly simple dish to prepare. Inspired by the classic Sicilian fennel and orange salad, this version takes the same refreshing ingredients and transforms them in the oven, deepening their flavors. The sweetness of the oranges, the subtle anise notes of the fennel, and the briny kick from the black olives come together beautifully in this elegant side dish.
Peperonata: Italian sweet and sour stewed peppers
This dish is even nicer the day after it has been made and is delicious warm, cold and at room temperature!
Eggplant caponata: Sicilian sweet and sour eggplant, without deep-frying
Easy Sicilian eggplant (aubergine) caponata: a sweet and sour dish with celery, olives, capers and tomato. Lighter, make-ahead and best served cold.
Crunchy pan-fried Brussels sprouts with hazelnuts and chili
They key to enjoying them is not to overcook them! This recipe keeps them crunchy and tasty.
Baked fennel with orange and pomegranate
Soft-baked fennel with orange and fresh pomegranate seeds: a colourful, easy autumn side dish from our Tuscan cooking school.
Sweet and sour baby onions in balsamic vinegar (cipolline in agrodolce)
Your guests will be fighting over these tangy onions! Remember to provide plenty of bread to mop up the delicious caramelized sauce coating them. At our cooking school in Tuscany, this side dish is one of the biggest hits!
Pomodori al riso: baked tomatoes stuffed with rice
You can only use parboiled rice in this recipe since the grains stay separate. Non parboiled rice will turn into a sticky blob!
Fagioli all’uccelletto: Tuscan cannellini beans with tomato and sage
Literally the name means “in the manner of little birds”: this is the way that small birds were cooked up when they were brought home from a morning’s hunting. Cannellini beans are so much nicer...
Creamy white beans with sage, tomato and balsamic vinegar
Creamy white beans in a tangy, herby tomato sauce - this is a Greek-style interpretation of the Tuscan fagioli all'uccelletto. These beans are great served hot or cold, either as an antipasto or as a side dish.
Baked stuffed onions with scamorza and fontina
Simple flavours - onion and smoked cheese - that combine perfectly for a dish that complements practically all main courses.
Carciofi alla romana: Roman-style braised artichokes with mint
These make a tasty little side dish or aperitif.
Panzanella: Tuscan bread and tomato salad, two ways
This is a great dish to make a couple of hours in advance in the summer, to have ready waiting for you in the fridge when you get back home. It is light yet satisfying.
Cecina: Tuscan chickpea flatbread from Livorno
There are versions of this all the way up to the French Riviera. In Livorno (Leghorn) it is served as an energy-packed sandwich.
Tuscan potato croquettes with garlic, parsley and nutmeg
The flavours of the nutmeg, garlic and parsley really stand out in this simple peasant side dish/appetizer.
Fennel gratin with Parmesan and fennel seeds
A simple yet delicious way to prepare this nutritious and aromatic vegetable.
Creamy braised celery in cherry tomato sauce
This is an original and tasty dish, ideal for using up leftover celery (those heads are always a little large to use up in one go…) It tends to come out creamier using spelt flour to coat, but wheat flour is fine too.