Vegetarian Food
From 2002 to 2006 the number of vegetarians has increased from 3 million to 6 million in Italy.
Vegetarian food includes tofu, seitan, miso, couscous, guinoa, bulghur, barley, grain, Chinese cabbage and seaweed (nori, kombu, hiziki, etc.), and vegetarian cuisine offers a wide range of delicious recipes where these products are combined with tomatoes.


An excellent example of such recipes is vegetarian paella, prepared with tomatoes, green beans, peas, red peppers, onion, extra-virgin olive oil, saffron, ground chilly pepper, salt, lemon juice and vegetable soup. This dish provides a light tasty alternative to the meat or fish in paella and contains a variety of deliciuos vegetables.


Ratatouille is another dish which combines tomatoes, red and yellow peppers, aubergines, courgettes, onion and fresh spices. It can be served hot or cold : as a side dish to seitan cutlets;  as a main course with couscous, bulgur or grain, or as a starter.


Another vegetarian speciality (which also takes very little preparation) is the mediterranean first course spaghetti agli aromi: Italian spaghetti seasoned with tomatoes and delicately flavoured with soy cream and fresh herbs.
This  type of cuisine, which easily competes with other cuisines, is quickly gaining ground.