49 Italian words and collocations related to 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 pentola	The pot
La padella	The frying pan
Il lavandino	The kitchen sink
Lo straccio	The mop
Le posate	The cutlery
La lavastoviglie	The dishwasher
I fornelli	The stove
Il rubinetto	The tap
Lo scaffale	The shelf
L’armadietto	The cabinet
Il bollitore	The kettle
Il tagliere	The cutting board
La scodella	The bowl
Il frigorifero	The fridge
Il freezer	The fridge-freezer
Il piatto	The dish
Il coltello	The knife
Lo scolapasta	The colander

Actions to prepare a lovely meal

Tagliare a pezzi	To chop
Tagliare a fette	To slice
Cucinare a fuoco lento	To braise
Cucinare a puntino	To cook to a turn
Cuocere la pasta	To cook the pasta
Buttare la pasta	To put the pasta into the boiling water
Scolare la pasta	To drain the pasta
Lessare le verdure	To boil the vegetables
Mettere in forno	To put in the oven
Cucinare al forno	To cook in the oven
Saltare in padella	To stir-fry
L’acqua bolle	The water boils
Friggere le uova	To fry the eggs
Impanare	To roll in breadcrumbs
Rosolare	To brown
Mettere l’olio	To put the oil
Aggiungere il sale	To add the salt
Pelare le patate	To peel the potatoes
Condire	To season
Scaldare	To heat
Un pizzico di sale	A pinch of salt
Grattugiare il formaggio	To grate the cheese
Mescolare	To stir

What about cooking a good dessert?

Amalgamare gli ingredienti	To combine the ingredients
Sbattere le uova	To beat the eggs
Infornare la torta	To bake the cake
Sfornare la torta	To take out of the oven
Versare la farina	To pour the flour
Inzuppare	To soak
Spolverare il cacao	To dust the cocoa powder
Montare a neve	To whip up

4 FOOD-BASED IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS

And to end with the bang, if your Italian is already fabulous, but you want to speak like a pro, try to use these four food-related expressions:

Fare una spaghettata – to make and eat spaghetti

• Stasera facciamo una spaghettata tra amici

Essere pieno come un uovo  – to be full as an agg

• Ho mangiato troppo, mi sento pieno come un uovo

Essere un pezzo di pane – to be good and generous

• mio nonno era un pezzo di pane

Avere l’acquolina in bocca – to crave for a delicious food that you have seen or smelled

• Quella pubblicità mi ha fatto venire l’acquolina in bocca!