I need a unique Italian dish

[noir]

If you want to do something that reflects italian culture, focus on the overall style of the meal. Do a couple of courses and make the experience long, leisurely and with an appreciation for life and food. It'll go a long way.

Suggestions for a relatively easy coursed meal:

Olive crostini
Risotto with shrimp
Steak Florentine (contorni of broccoli rabe, mushrooms)
Biscotti and espresso

You can find plenty of recipes for these dishes online.

[RunDownHouse]

Toasted Ravioli.

I actually had a great meal at a StL Italian place, and had the Osso Boco, as recommended by a previous poster. It was served over a mushroom risotto. The meat was so tender I didn't need a knife at all, and the risotto provided a great, creamy texture. Risotto is easy enough to prepare, so if you're up to braising the shank yo ushould be good to go.

[PokerJans]

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why do you want to serve her something authentically italian?

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Long story, but basically we got in a fight about going to Italy and some other stuff...we are both pigheaded, and now I feel the need to cook authentic italian food that we wouldnt eat here in so cal - also because she says I never cook.

[PokerJans]

noir, I like that idea - it will go well with the context of why I am making the meal also

How hard is calamari to make? I dont want to fry it as is typical here

I love the idea of risotto + shrimp + some sort of meat + mushrooms

I have tried to make osso buco before...I wont try again

I would make polennta but she eats that [censored] like everyday

[fiskebent]

Saltimbocca is available at a lot of Italian restaurants and is easy to make. Basically it's veal, ham and sage. http://www.accidentalhedonist.com/in...25/saltimbocca

Risotto is also easy to make and you can add whatever ingredients you like. Noir suggested shrimp. I'm making some right now with bacon, onion and peas. If you make some, be sure to add a generous amount of parmesan cheese to make it creamy.

[Bicycles_Biatch]

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gnocchi?

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Easy to make... tastey to eat...

[alimoe]

The dish that I love from Italy is Ribollita. I've only seen it in one restaurant here in the states, but was all over Florence when I visited.

[z32fanatic]

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gnocchi

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My favorite kind of pasta. Pasta made out of Potatoes is the best of both worlds as far as I'm concerned. Add some alfredo sauce and a little Parmesan cheese to that and it's a great meal.

[wet work]

Maybe google Molto Mario, he does all sorts of stuff that don't involve pasta, etc. yet nonetheless are traditional Italian. Check out the menus at some of his restaurants. you should get tons of ideas.

[samjjones]

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gnocchi

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My favorite kind of pasta. Pasta made out of Potatoes is the best of both worlds as far as I'm concerned. Add some alfredo sauce and a little Parmesan cheese to that and it's a great meal.

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Done right, its excellent. Done poorly, gnocchi are dense lumps of tastelessness.