Join me on a delicious tour of Italy, where every ingredient has a story and every meal is an adventure.
In this piece, I walk you through some of Italy’s most iconic foods — whether it’s the creamy dreaminess of a Tiramisù or the rich depth of an Osso Bucco.
Get ready to be hungry for food, tips, and storytelling from the heart of Italy.
Buon viaggio e buon appetito!
Pasta Dishes
Now that we’ve had a brief overview of the centuries-old culinary tradition in Italy, let’s start with what is, for many, the heart and soul of Italian cuisine: pasta.
1. Tagliatelle al Ragù (Bolognese)
Tagliatelle al Ragù: dense, meaty, clinging, eggy noodles. It’s simple, it’s not photogenic, but it’s good. Scratch that: it’s great—it’s the ultimate Italian comfort food.
Recommended City Location: The city of Bologna, where it originated.
Best Tasting Time: On a brisk autumn day, there’s not much more to ask for.
Eating Tips: Give the parmesan a miss for the first couple of mouthfuls to enjoy the flavors of sauce and pasta alone. It’s worth taking your time to truly appreciate.
2. Spaghetti alla Carbonara
It amazingly brings together creamy cheese, salty guanciale, and earthy black pepper. It’s a dish that is a lesson in how a few simple ingredients can come together to make something truly special.
Recommended City Location: Rome. The recipe is sacred here.
Best Tasting Time: Lunchtime, and the hectic Roman buzz embraces you.
Eating Tips: The fork-and-spoon method is not essential, but it is enjoyable. Make sure you mix well so that the cream sauce is even.
3. Pasta alla Norma
This marriage of supple eggplant and hearty tomato sauce, finished with the salty bite of ricotta salata, is just heavenly. A meatless spread to die for.
Recommended City Location: Catania, Sicily–the birthplace of cannoli.
Best Tasting Time: Summer night when eggplant is in season.
Eating Tips: Pair with a glass of regional red, and just savor that balance of tastes between each mouthful.
4. Trofie al Pesto
The bright, fresh, and herbal flavors of Genovese basil pesto are a wonderful complement to the chewy bite of trofie pasta. This dish is bursting with flavors of the Ligurian countryside.
Recommended City Location: Genoa—Pesto’s birthplace.
Best Tasting Time: Spring time, time for fresh and fragrant basil.
Eating Tips: Generously apply pesto, and have some olive oiled bread on the side for a true Liguria meal.
5. Orecchiette con Cime di Rapa
The peppery turnip greens, chewy rustic noodles make a delicious, homemade meal and packs use fragrant and delicious food with a garlicky, slightly bitter flavor.
Recommended City Location: Bari, Puglia where you can hear the pasta being made.
Best Tasting Time: Early fall, when turnip greens are ready to be picked.
Eating Tips: Top with breadcrumbs for extra texture and be sure to sauté the greens really well before adding the pasta.
6. Lasagne alla Bolognese
It’s made with layers of creamy béchamel, rich meat ragù, and pasta, and when you put all that together, it just melts apart in your mouth. It’s the definition of comfort food with its big, bold flavors and its rich, creamy texture.
Recommended City Location: Bologna, the home of this sandwich.
Best Tasting Time: Winter—hearty dishes that warm heart and soul.
Eating Tips: Let it sit for a few minutes before serving so the flavors can marry. Enjoy a leafy green salad alongside to counter all the richness.
Pizza & Baked Specialties
While pasta makes the world go ’round in Italy, you can’t just eat spaghetti alle vongole on your trip here. You’ve got to indulge in some pizza and baked goods as well.
7. Pizza Napoletana
Pizza Napoletana is THE pizza. This thin, soft crust is cooked in a wood-fired oven and topped with just San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala, and fresh basil — a classic that needs to be tasted by everyone looking for the real deal.
Recommended City Location: Naples, where this famous pizza originated from.
Best Tasting Time: Anytime! Pizza Napoletana is just one of those crowd-pleasers.
Eating Tips: But eat it hot, fresh from the oven, and fold it in the traditional Neapolitan way.
8. Focaccia di Recco
This is no ordinary focaccia. Focaccia di Recco is something much different. And it’s the cheesy and gooey inside that is the star. Thin and crispy (never dense), this Ligurian treat is sure to win you over.
Recommended City Location: Reccoin Liguria, the birthplace of this delicious type of focaccia.
Best Tasting Time: Enjoy an afternoon treat or light dinner.
Eating Tips: For the best results, eat it warm.
9. Sfincione
Sfincione isn’t pizza; it’s a thick, bready marvel from Sicily. Covered in a hearty tomato sauce, onions, pungent anchovies, and caciocavallo cheese, it’s a full-flavored variation on the theme that’s all so tasty.
Recommended City Location: Palermo, the capital of Sicily, where the tradition of Sfincione cooking.
Best Tasting Time: On market day or Christmas trade fair.
Eating Tips: It’s perfect paired with a cold drink and shared with friends.
Regional Meat & Fish Dishes
But Italy is so much more than pizza and pasta. It has incredible meats and seafood that utilize time-honed, regional recipes.
10. Osso Buco alla Milanese
Osso Buco alla Milanese is a dish that’s like a warm hug. The veal shanks are slow-cooked to fall-off-the-bone perfection, while the white wine and broth give them so much flavor. Served with gremolata for brightness and risotto for fragrance, it’s rich, flavorful, and delicious.
Recommended City Location: Milan, where slow-cooked perfection climbs to new heights.
Best Tasting Time: A cold winter’s night when you just want to stay in and keep cozy and warm.
Eating Tips: Don’t forget to eat marrow! Use a teeny spoon to scrape it out, and you will enjoy the best part.
11. Saltimbocca alla Romana
Saltimbocca alla Romana is a sensory explosion. Delicious veal on the inside, salty prosciutto on the outside, and lots of fragrant sage from the garden.
It’s a beautiful and delicious dish that’s sure to impress. Some wine in the pan and WHAMMO! — you’ve got an aromatic and heavenly meal.
Recommended City Location: Rome, where classic elegance reigns supreme.
Best Tasting Time: A fun night out where the streets are lively, and you just want to embrace the culture.
Eating Tips: be generous with the wine sauce, it’s the glue that holds everything together.
12. Cacciucco
Cacciucco is for fish lovers. This Tuscan fish stew is a hodgepodge of all things seafood, slowly simmered with garlic and tomatoes and a little red wine. Each bite is bold and full of flavor, offering plenty of character.
Recommended City Location: Livorno, Tuscany, is its epicenter.
Best Tasting Time: A crisp fall day, and the breeze rolling off the sea. It calls for savory. And soulful.
Eating Tips: If you can spare a splash of extra virgin olive oil, it’s a delicious touch.
13. Arrosticini
It’s an exercise in simplicity, but boy does it work! These lamb skewers from Abruzzo are skewered on a stick and grilled over an open flame, turning the meat into a smoky, succulent treat.
They’re often eaten with some crusty bread and wine.
Recommended City Location: Abruzzo, the region where they are the star of festivals and backyard barbecues.
Cheeses & Cured Meats
14. Parmigiano Reggiano
Widely regarded as the “king of cheeses,” Parmigiano Reggiano is a food icon. After being aged for at least 24-36 months, it develops a strong and wonderfully nutty taste, which is delicious either on its own or shaved over a plate of pasta. Its granular nature provides a great burst of flavor when introduced into any meal.
Recommended City Location: Parma, Emilia-Romagna, where this famous cheese comes from.
Best Tasting Time: Any time is great.
Eating Tips: Try it in chunks with a splash of balsamic vinegar or spread it on a piece of warm, crispy toast.
15. Pecorino Romano
Pecorino Romano is a salty cheese made from sheep’s milk. This hard, crumbly cheese is a workhorse of many a Roman pasta and cheese plates.
It’s a cheese that punches above its weight and imparts a lot of flavor with its strong flavor.
Recommended City Location: Rome.
Best Tasting Time: Whenever you want to elevate a basic meal, especially at lunch.
Eating Tips: Sprinkle it on pasta or with fresh pears for a balanced snack.
16. Prosciutto di Parma
Prosciutto di Parma is the good stuff –– a little sweet, a little salty and more tender than you can imagine –– dry-cured and thinly sliced for months. It’s not just your average sandwich meat; it’s your new favorite thing.
Recommended City Location: Parma, an Italian city, named for the region.
Best Tasting Time: Great as an appetizer for a casual afternoon or evening hangout.
Eating Tips: It pairs perfectly with melon or figs, accentuating its savory flavor. Have it with thick bread and a glass of bubbles for a proper Italian meal.
17. Speck Alto Adige
Speck Alto Adige is the best of both worlds: It’s lightly smoked and then air-cured and has a hint of juniper. It tastes amazing on a sandwich, or on its own, as a salty snack.
Recommended City Location: South Tyrol in the Dolomites. And every bite tastes like the fresh mountain air.
Best Tasting Time: Perfect for a snuggly winter night or as a hearty meal on the mountains.
Try Some Slivers Thinly sliced.
Street Food & Comfort Snacks
18. Arancini (or Arancine)
You have to try arancini– those wonderful golden orbs of goodness! Sicilian rice balls that are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, they’re often filled with ragù, cheese, or peas.
The mix of flavors in a crispy coating is the perfect food.
Recommended City Location: Palermo, Sicily, the birthplace of this deliciousness.
Best Tasting Time: Afternoon snack. Got to have one. A little something to tide you over.
Eating Tips: Enjoy your Arancini hot.
19. Supplì
Supplì, its Roman brother, is a delicious treat. A ball of tomato-flavored rice with a chunk of mozzarella in the middle, it’s a warm, tasty bite that literally melts in your mouth. You’ll usually eat it as an antipasto but don’t let that stop you from eating it whenever you come across it.
Recommended City Location: Rome, where Supplì livens up local dishes.
Best Tasting Time: Best visited in the evening before dinner.
Eating Tips: Supplì is food to be eaten with your fingers–get your hands dirty.
20. Panzerotti
Imagine a warm, fried dough pastry filled with tomato and mozzarella. Congratulations, you just imagined a Panzerotti! These traditional treats from Puglia are the ultimate grab-and-go comfort snack.
Recommended City Location: Naples, where these delicious and bite sized creations were invented.
Best Tasting Time: One of those can work as a good snack for lunch.
Eating Tips: Bite with caution, the filling is quite hot.
Desserts
21. Tiramisù
Tiramisù is a poem to Italy. Made of layers of espresso-dipped ladyfingers and mascarpone, it’s sweet but not too sweet. It’s a treat that speaks softly and carries a lot of cocoa on your nose. And a smile on your face.
Recommended City Location: Treviso in Veneto, and its roots are as rich as the dessert.
Best Tasting Time: Late evenings. You will fall asleep to the night coffee.
Eating Tips: Use a spoon to savor the different layers, and, if you have the willpower, wait a while, everything tastes stronger later.
22. Cannoli Siciliani
Cannoli Siciliani are pastry shells filled with sweet, creamy ricotta, with a delicious crunchy shell surrounding them, and, depending on the whim of the chef, chocolate or pieces of candied fruit mixed in.
They are a luscious, irresistible treat.
Recommended City Location: Palermo, Sicily. Home of the greatest cannolo you will have.
Best Tasting Time: Around siesta time, is a little sugar pick-up.
Eating Tips: Eat with your hands and enjoy the crispy and creamy combination.
23. Panettone
Panettone — a Christmas treat from Milan, Italy — is a bread filled with raisins and candied orange. It’s a fluffy ball of happiness that screams, “Italian Christmas.”
Recommended City Location: Milan,The city responsible for that festive flair.
Best Tasting Time: Christmastime, when sharing is caring and every mouthful is seasoned with festive joy
For the ultimate indulgence, enjoy your toast with a glass of vin santo.
24. Gelato
Gelato is one of the creamiest and smoothest ice treats around. It comes in all kinds of flavors, from pistachio to stracciatella, on a hot sunny day in Italy there’s nothing better.
Recommended City Location: But in Florence, you can get a cone (or cup) of art in itself.
Best Tasting Time: Any time you need a smile or something to brighten your day.
Eating Tips: Take it in a cup, in a cone, I don’t care—either way, you’ll feel like you’re in heaven.
25. Pastiera Napoletana
Pastiera Napoletana is a perfumed Easter pie, made with ricotta, cooked wheat, and orange flower water. If My Struggle is the sound of Norway, then pastiera is all of Naples and all of its Easter traditions!
Recommended City Location: Naples—where Easter spirit is literally on the streets, on the buildings and infesting every oven.
Best Tasting Time: Easter week— haven’t missed one in 10 years.
Travel Eating Tips
Eat Like a Local. Live the Italian time table. Meals in Italy are a process. Lunch is the main meal of the day, usually occurring between the hours of 1 and 4 p.m., while dinner is even later than in Spain, typically starting around 9 p.m. (if not later).
Portion Sizes. Italian dinners are slow. The portion sizes are not massive, which means you can savor each course and your meal!
Quality Over Quantity. Italians value quality over quantity. Instead of ordering a big plate of mediocre food, choose a smaller but well-prepared dish.
Understand Gelato. Not all gelato is the same. Search for artisanal gelato shops that produce it fresh in small batches each day.
Coffee Culture. Italians take their coffee seriously. “Caffè” means you’ll be served a quick shot of espresso. Cappuccinos are only consumed in morning.
Tipping Norms. Tipping is appreciated, but not obligatory. Change left-over coins into smaller denominations at hotel desks.
FAQ
1. What makes Italian gelato different from ice cream?
Gelato has less air than ice cream, making it creamier and denser. Flavors such as pistachio and stracciatella aren’t something you typically find in ice cream.
2. What should I expect when dining in Italy?
Anticipate several slow-paced dishes, usually starting with antipasto, then pasta, a primo, and dessert.
3. Can I ask for substitutions or changes to menu items in Italy?
There’s no recipe tweaking allowed; just let the chef create his or her signature dishes.
4. Can I find vegetarian options in Italy?
Of course! Dishes like Pasta alla Norma and all sorts of pizzas are amazing vegetarian meals.
5. How can I find that authentic Italian diner?
Locals know best, so be sure to ask around.
Conclusion
Italian cuisine is more than a meal: It’s a magical food tour of all the country’s regions and cuisines. Every meal is an experience. When you tour Italy through food, you’ll quickly learn that every region is special.
So take your time, ask away, and see where your taste buds take you. Get off the beaten path and immerse yourself in authentic, local food.
Let the food guide you — and remember: the best memories are created when you follow a stomach. Buon appetito!