France, Austria, and the former Yugoslavia had a great effect on the cooking techniques and food of Italy. Italian cuisine is based on a few dishes. These famous dishes are pasta, lasagna, ravioli, and pizza. Italian food is very spicy and often includes ingredients such as crushed red pepper, black pepper, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper. Cheese is also an indispensable ingredient. A few types of Italian cheese are romano, parmesan, mozzarella, ricotta, and gorgonzola.