Colorful cooking: how the color of ingredients influences taste and mood

Color in the kitchen: a current and healthy trend

Colorful cooking is increasingly at the center of contemporary tables. It is not just about aesthetics, but a way to make meals more stimulating and diets healthier. Nutrition studies, also reported by the Italian Food Academy, confirm that a dish rich in colors brings with it a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Eating “in colors” means better balancing nutrition and turning the meal into a multisensory experience involving sight, taste, and emotional well-being.

A story of symbolism, science, and tradition

The link between color and food is ancient: Greeks and Romans already attributed symbolic and therapeutic powers to colors. Over time, science confirmed what popular traditions had long intuited: natural pigments in foods (such as carotenoids, anthocyanins, and chlorophyll) not only give color but also provide health benefits. In Sicily, for example, the red of tomatoes recalls energy and vitality, while the green of basil symbolizes freshness and rebirth. Even today, the Mediterranean diet is considered a perfect model of a “rainbow on the plate,” capable of uniting health and conviviality.

A colorful recipe: tricolor pasta with vegetables and saffron

A perfect example of colorful cooking is tricolor pasta with vegetables and saffron. It begins with a light sauté of onion and zucchini, to which red and yellow peppers cut into cubes are added. After being sautéed, al dente short pasta is mixed in, along with a few spoonfuls of cooking water. Separately, saffron is dissolved in a little hot broth and poured into the pan, giving the dish a golden hue. A handful of fresh basil completes the recipe. The result is a dish that combines red, yellow, and green in a celebration of taste, health, and positive energy.