As George Miller said, “The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you’re hungry again.”

With an estimated 120 million people around the world of Italian ancestry, it’s no wonder that Italian food is a major player in world cuisine.

Outside of Italy, the largest concentration of Italians are in Brazil, Argentina, the United States, Canada, and Australia.

It’s only natural that wherever Italians have settled they’ve proudly shared their rich food traditions with those around them; making the most of local ingredients as well as getting inspiration from the cooking techniques used in their new adopted homelands.

Below are several traditional and modern Italian recipes to help you celebrate Valentine’s Day, a holiday which is said to take its name from St. Valentine of Rome…making it a truly Roman holiday!

5 Recipes By Us Which Are Inspired by Modern Italian Cuisine

• Turkey and Cipolline Stuffed Mushrooms

• Last Minute Ravioli Lasagna

• Chicken, Olive, and Asiago Triangolari With Sherry-Braised Fennel

• Delicata Mezza Luna

• Wild Mushroom and Grana Padano Macaroni and Cheese

More Romantic Italian Dishes for Valentine’s Day

• Mascarpone, Fig and Proscuitto Bruschetta from Janet is Hungry

• Marcella Hazan’s Homemade Tagliatelle with Bolognese Meat Sauce from Serious Eats

• Mario Batali’s Fettuccine With Oyster Mushrooms, Sweet Garlic and Arugula from Cook Eat Fret

• Risotto Milanese With Saffron from Finding La Dolce Vita

• Osso Buco from Mark Bittman on the New York Times Bitten Blog

• Turkey and Orzo Stuffed Bell Peppers on a Bed of Tasty Arugula from Je Mange la Ville

• Baccala’ on Crostini of Fried Polenta from Lucullian Delights

• Limoncello Tiramisu from Proud Italian Cook

Enjoy!
Please join us tomorrow to read our latest Fish For Friday Recipe of the Week, which focuses on romantic shrimp recipes just in time for Valentine’s Day.

If you liked this article on HuggingtheCoast.Com, you might also enjoy:

• Celebrate Valentine’s Day With These Romantic Shrimp Recipes
• Fish For Friday Recipe: Shrimp and Eggs (I-Heart-Shrimp) Recipe
• Chimichurri Shrimp Cups with Roasted Garlic Marscapone Recipe
• Weekend Video Spotlight: An Italian Antipasto in 5 Minutes

Enjoy Doug's Original Seafood Recipes on About.Com Fish and Seafood Cooking

Follow HuggingtheCoast on Twitter

Find Out More About the Knack Fish & Seafood Cookbook by Doug DuCap and Linda Beaulieu