Authentic, Delectable Vatican Recipes

What types of foods are served in Vatican City?

Most dishes are Italian by default since that is the country in which the Vatican rests.

What's the secret to creating Italian dishes at home?

The Vatican is a sovereign nation, found in Rome, Italy, and is the center of the Roman Catholic church. It's quite natural that many of the top choices in cuisine are Italian, but this cookbook also includes different recipes that happen to be favorites of the current pope, past popes and cardinals, and the Swiss Guard, who handles security for the Vatican.

The Vatican chefs have their choice of ingredients and equipment when they prepare meals for the pope, his staff, and visitors. Money is no object. Many Roman Catholics donate to their church, and some of this money allows the Vatican to prepare almost any kind of dish the pope and his visitors prefer.

The meals in Vatican City usually consist of risotto and pasta dishes. They begin with an appetizer or antipasto, then a small-sized first course and the second, or main course. Those courses often are followed by fruits, cheeses or desserts like biscotti or tiramisu.

Vatican cuisine has also been influenced to a degree by Arabic, Jewish, Greek and other cultures. Turn the page, and let's cook like the chefs at the Vatican do!