49 Italian Words and Phrases for Cooking


The kitchen in Italy is, without any doubts, the most favorite room in an Italian household. Having a big, bright and fully-equipped kitchen is the dream of every one of us! Why so? The kitchen for Italians is not just a place where you get some food ready and run off. Nope! It is a place devoted to the creation of something. Thus, a practical and welcoming atmosphere is a must-have.

Italians, unlikely other cultures, tend to consume their meals in the kitchen, where you can often find also a couch and a TV. Hence, it comes as no surprise the kitchen is probably the room where the Italian spend most of their time when at home.

Knowing the Italian names of the objects and the everyday actions carried out when cooking a meal will surely come you into handy when visiting your friends in Italy or taking your Italian cookery course in Tuscany.

This is why I have put together this list of sentences related to the kitchen and cooking, which you would hardly find in any textbooks.

Have fun!

Objects to be found in almost every kitchen

La pentolaThe pot
La padellaThe frying pan
Il lavandinoThe kitchen sink
Lo straccioThe mop
Le posateThe cutlery
La lavastoviglie The dishwasher
I fornelliThe stove
Il rubinetto The tap
Lo scaffale The shelf
L’armadietto The cabinet
Il bollitoreThe kettle
Il tagliereThe cutting board
La scodellaThe bowl
Il frigoriferoThe fridge
Il freezer The fridge-freezer
Il piattoThe dish
Il coltelloThe knife
Lo scolapastaThe colander

Actions to prepare a lovely meal

Tagliare a pezziTo chop
Tagliare a fetteTo slice
Cucinare a fuoco lentoTo braise
Cucinare a puntinoTo cook to a turn
Cuocere la pastaTo cook the pasta
Buttare la pastaTo put the pasta into the boiling water
Scolare la pasta To drain the pasta
Lessare le verdureTo boil the vegetables
Mettere in forno To put in the oven
Cucinare al forno To cook in the oven
Saltare in padellaTo stir-fry
L’acqua bolle The water boils
Friggere le uovaTo fry the eggs
Impanare To roll in breadcrumbs
Rosolare To brown
Mettere l’olio To put the oil
Aggiungere il saleTo add the salt
Pelare le patateTo peel the potatoes
CondireTo season
Scaldare To heat
Un pizzico di saleA pinch of salt
Grattugiare il formaggio To grate the cheese
Mescolare To stir


What about cooking a good dessert?

Amalgamare gli ingredientiTo combine the ingredients
Sbattere le uovaTo beat the eggs
Infornare la tortaTo bake the cake
Sfornare la tortaTo take out of the oven
Versare la farinaTo pour the flour
Inzuppare To soak
Spolverare il cacaoTo dust the cocoa powder
Montare a neve
To whip up

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Popular Italian Expressions about Food
Fare una spaghettataTo make and eat spaghetti
Essere pieno come un uovoTo be full as an egg
Essere un pezzo di paneTo be good and generous
Avere l’acquolina in boccaTo crave for a delicious food that you have seen or smelled
Italian expressions about good

Serena Capilli

I’m the creative force behind both this blog and my collection of short stories in simple Italian for language learners, available on Amazon.

Ciao👋! I’m Serena.

Teaching Italian is my vocation! I’ve been writing this blog since 2015 and publishing easy readers for language learners since 2022. I specialize in teaching adults.

My latest book releases 📖

Le Avventure di Paul a Roma

Gioielli, Caffè e Firenze

Test Your Italian

Not sure what your Italian level is?
I’ve created a free online Italian test to help you determine it.