Coastal regions are known for their developments in delicious fish and seafood dishes

Coastal regions are known for their developments in delicious fish and seafood dishes.
For example, the island of Sardinia supplies a more traditional and simple style of cuisine, which often incorporated delicacies, associated with the sea.
Swordfish, lobster, anchovies, sardines, and other Mediterranean treats represent Italian cooking of the area.
In Sicily ( another island region ), a great deal of the cooking drew heavily from North African influences.
An Arab influence also affected cuisine on the island and within the rest of the south, especially with the introduction of various spices and sweets, such as the Sicilian ice cream cake called cassata.
As for one of the most popular Italian dishes, while the history books often state that pasta was a product of the Chinese brought back by Venetian merchant, Marco Polo, it was actually a rediscovery of a food item eaten during Etruscan and Roman times.
It is believed that the first pasta in Italy was made similar to the noodles of today from the same durum wheat which was cooked in ovens instead of boiled in water.