The First Course

Il primo is the first ‘real’ course in the Italian meal. Traditionally, it was the ‘filler’, and on rare occasions the whole meal would be pared down to this one course.

There are some wonderful soups in the Italian repertoire. Each coastal region has its own distinctive fish soup, and there is an infinite variety of vegetable soups. Rice may be added in the north, pasta in the south and beans in central Italy; in Liguria the soup might be predominantly green and give off the heady fragrance of pesto, while around Naples it will be based on tomatoes, onions and garlic.