Pepperoni is one of the biggest staples of American Italian-style dining. It’s our favorite topping for our pizzas, a common ingredient for our sandwiches, and more. If you’re a fan of meat, you could hardly have avoided pepperoni. But do you know what is in these Italian-style sausages, or how they are made?

Pepperoni is made of a mixture of different ingredients, though pork is the primary meat. Beef will generally be added as a supplement. Both of these are ground together, and then dried. They are then mixed with an assortment of spices, including salt, black pepper, sugar, anise, cayenne pepper, and paprika. It is the paprika that gives pepperoni much of its color and spicy taste. The mixture is packed into a hog intestine or collagen casing and allowed to dry for between six and eight weeks. Finally, the sausage is cured, after which it is ready to be served.

At our Italian restaurant in Bothell, you can enjoy pepperoni on one of our wood stone fired pizzas. Come and taste this long-time favorite at Amaro Bistro tonight!

Formaggi is a type of Italian cheese-based sauce popularly used in pasta. It derives its name from an Italian word for cheese. It comes in many different forms, with individual chefs coming up with their own recipes; some formaggi will feature only one variety of cheese, while others will feature a mixture. One popular choice is the quattro formaggi, wherein four different hard and soft cheeses are combined so as to achieve a rich variety of textures and flavors.

You can experience the taste of formaggi at our Italian restaurant in Bothell on our heirloom tomato formaggi sandwich. Try this hearty classic at Amaro Bistro today!

Rigatoni is a popular type of Italian pasta that comes in the form of a tube-like shape with ridged edges. It is from these ridges that the pasta derives its name, which comes from rigati, an Italian term for “ridged”. It closely resembles penne, but different in that rigatoni features a larger diameter and is not cut on a diagonal line.

Since the distinctive rigatoni shape has enjoyed popularity in many countries outside of Italy, it can be found in many American Italian-style restaurants. At our Bothell Italian restaurant, you can enjoy this classic pasta in the form of our rigatoni bolognese, which comes with ground veal and lamb ragu, rosemary, red wine, and pecorino-romano.

All week long Amaro Bistro will be donating $1 from every Negroni we sell to the ASPCA, to prevent cruelty to animals.
So stop by this week and enjoy a delicious Negroni made from our namesake Amaro, the ‪‎Amaro Montenegro‬, and help the lives of our furry friends!

The artichoke is a big part of dining traditions in Italy and much of the Mediterranean area. In fact, the ancient Greeks had a story about how this curious vegetable first came about. As is the case with a lot of Greek myths, it involves one of the gods falling in love with a mortal.

As the myth goes, Zeus became infatuated with a beautiful woman by the name of Cynara. He elevated her to the level of godhood so that he could take her to Mount Olympus. Unfortunately, Cynara was unsatisfied with the life of a god, and often snuck back down the mountain to visit her family. When he found out, Zeus was so infuriated that he turned her into the world’s first artichoke plant.

At our Italian restaurant in Bothell, you can enjoy artichoke in the form of our ravioli di carciofo, our pollo pizza, and our grilled flat bread. Try one tonight at Amaro Bistro!

Do you like to drink a cup of coffee with your meal? Our Bothell Italian restaurant proudly serves Cafe Vita Coffee for your enjoyment. Such brews are a great complement to many Italian meals.

The Italians have strict customs when it comes to drinking coffee. Firstly, for most Italians, coffee means espresso. They will generally drink it as part of breakfast or during an afternoon break, but never during a large meal. At lunch and dinner, you might find that coffee is prohibited at the dining table. Further, while many people in the United States are used to enjoying their coffee as they leisurely walk down the street, Italians frown on drinking coffee on the move. Sit down, relax, and savor your brew the Italian way!

When it comes to seafood, halibut is always a strong choice. At our Italian restaurant in Bothell, you can enjoy this classic flatfish in several forms. If you haven’t tried it before, it has a gentle, mild taste that pairs well with a lot of Italian dishes.

Halibut comes with all of the benefits that you may expect find in most seafood, including crucial omega-3 fatty acids and lean protein. On top of this, halibut has a lot of additional impressive nutrients to offer. It is one of the world’s best sources of magnesium, which is important in fostering the flow of blood through your body. It is also a rich source of vitamin B6, vitamin B12, niacin, potassium, selenium, and folic acid. Getting plenty of this fish in your diet decreases your chances of heart disease, strokes, and even certain types of cancer.

Do you enjoy snacking on a quality Italian bread while you wait for your main course? At our Bothell Italian restaurant, you can precede your meal with one of our bruschetta al pomodoros off of our antipasti menu. This is a long-time favorite Italian appetizer that is sure to appeal to the entire table.

The word “bruschetta” is derived from the Italian bruscare, which means “to roast over coals”. The word describes not a specific type of bread, but rather a certain way that bread is prepared. It is usually made with Tuscan bread, like the variety you can find at Amaro Bistro, though it is also made with other types of Italian or French bread. The bread is toasted and seasoned with garlic and olive oil, along with any of a broad assortment of additional ingredients. We serve ours with roma tomatoes and organic basil, offering our diners a tantilizing preamble to any meal!

For a lot of people, nothing says Italian food like a quality piece of pizza. However, most of their experience with pizza comes from New York, Chicago, and other distinctly American locales. They therefore don’t know what to expect from a real, authentic Italian restaurant when they order a pizza. Will the pizza be the same as what they’re used to? Will they be able to eat it in a way that won’t look foolish to the Italian locals? Our Bothell Italian restaurant has the answers.

The good news is that there is really not a whole lot to worry about when it comes to authentic Italian pizza. Though we in America are mostly accustomed to the image of the European people eating their food with a knife and fork, Italians make an exception for their pizza. The only major difference you’re likely to notice is that your pizza will often come to you uncut; when dining at an Italian pizzeria, simply cut your own pie into quarters, pick up a quarter, fold it lengthwise, and enjoy.