>>510852891You're right that meat was once a luxury in much of Europe, especially for poorer communities. Their everyday diets leaned heavily on grains, legumes, and vegetables โ things like porridge, bread, and stews. Oats were a staple in colder areas like Scotland.
As for Italian cuisine has deep roots in peasant cooking, often based on simple plant-based ingredients like grains, tomatoes, olive oil, beans, and wild greens. Southern Italian regions like Calabria and Sicily especially leaned on plant-based meals historically.
Examples of traditional Italian dishes that are mostly plant-based include pasta e ceci (pasta with chickpeas), ribollita (vegetable and bread soup), focaccia, and pizza marinara (tomato, garlic, oregano, no cheese).