Italian food is at the center of the Mediterranean diet. Its major components are pasta, vegetables, low fat dairy products, and olive oil. Italians also enjoy a great variety of seafood. If you can’t resist your Calamari Fritti, ask for it lightly sautéed and pass up on the aioli to avoid excessive fat. A salad (Caesar or other) for starters adds fiber to a meal. Watch your dressings. Garlic Bread dipped in olive oil – yummy! (Better not.) Minestrone Soup is good, especially when prepared in-house from fresh ingredients. If it’s Pizza, try the one that’s loaded with fresh vegetables and extra tomato sauce, but no cheese. Yeah right! You tell the kids that!

Unfortunately, all pasta dishes are high in carbohydrates, and creamy Fettuccini Alfredo is the worst of the bunch. A Marinara or Clam sauce has a lower fat content. Try splitting a pasta dish – they’re often too large for one person anyway.

Leaner entrée choices are Grilled Fresh Fish, chicken, and meats, except sausages and sautéed items, such as Saltimbocca and Scaloppine. Most entrées come with vegetables, pasta, or polenta. Ask for pasta and vegetables to be served plain or with just a little Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. If you have Risotto, skip the butter and the cheese.

Biscotti and Sorbetto, both low in fat, are good dessert choices. Panna Cotta is tolerable, but Gelato and Tiramisu contain all of the usual suspects.

Italian Ristorante Menu

Appetizers

Crispy Calamari
(Deep-fried calamari (squid) with aïoli (garlic mayonnaise))

Caesar Salad
(Hearts of romaine and crunchy croutons with a creamy anchovy and lemon dressing)

Garlic Bread
(Toasted slices of Italian bread with garlic, butter, and cheese melted on top)

♥ Minestrone Soup
(A thick soup that generally contains pasta, beans, and vegetables in a robust tomato broth)

Pizza
(A round, thin yeast dough topped with tomato sauce and cheese and selected toppings)

Entrées

Penne Bolognese
(Quill shaped pasta with a hearty meat and tomato sauce)

♥ Spaghetti Marinara
(Thin pasta tossed with a garlic and tomato sauce and topped with Parmesan cheese)

♥ Linguini Alla Vongole
(Thin, flat pasta with olive oil, garlic, white wine, and fresh clams)

Fettuccini Alfredo
(Wide ribbon pasta with a rich Parmesan cream sauce)

♥ Grilled Fresh Fish
(Grilled fresh fish, served with fresh vegetables and polenta)

Risotto
(Italian rice stirred with chicken stock and flavored with braised meats, cheeses, vegetables)

Desserts

♥ Biscotti
(Dense, twice baked low fat cookies)

♥ Sorbetto
(Italian ice made mostly from fruit purees)

Gelato
(Italian ice cream made with whole milk and eggs)

Tiramisu
(Ladyfingers soaked in espresso and brandy, and layered with mascarpone and cocoa)

♥ Panna Cotta
(Vanilla flavored milk thickened with gelatin and served with a fruit puree)

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