Italiano Ingredient

Italian has three ways to express the presence of an ingredient in the name of a dish:

Dish di ingredient

the ingredient is the main or only component of the dish. e.g. “succo di limone” (lemon juice). In this case the article is never used before the ingredient.

Dish con ingredient

the ingredient is a visible component of the dish or used as garnish e.g. “fragole con panna” (strawberries with cream). In this case a definite article can be used before the ingredient.

Dish a ingredient

the dish has been flavored with the ingredient, or tastes like the ingredient e.g. “gelato al cioccolato” (chocolate ice cream). In this case the definite article is mandatory before the ingredient, forming an articulated preposition with a.