15 Absolutely Must-try Italian Dishes Besides Pizza and Pasta
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Italian cooking goes far beyond pizza and pasta. These fifteen regional dishes and ingredients introduce rice snacks, soups, grilled meats, cheeses and desserts that you may encounter on a menu.
Recipes vary between households and restaurants. Ask about ingredients when you have a dietary requirement, and use the regional names as a starting point for exploring.
15 delicious foods to eat in Italy
Each entry explains what the food is and where it is particularly associated. The regions are guides to culinary traditions, rather than boundaries limiting where a dish can be found.
Arancini di riso – Sicily
Arancini or arancine are Sicilian stuffed rice snacks coated in breadcrumbs and fried. Both names are used, with regional preferences. Their name recalls little oranges, although their shapes can be round or pointed and they contain no orange.
Ragù, peas and cheese form one familiar filling, while other versions use ham, cheese, vegetables or fish. Saffron may colour the rice, but it is not essential to every recipe. The filling goes inside the rice; arancini are not generally served covered in meat sauce.
Bistecca alla Fiorentina – Tuscany
Bistecca alla fiorentina is a thick, bone-in beef steak associated with Florence and Tuscany. Chianina beef is a celebrated choice, although not every steak served under this name comes from that breed. Its T-shaped bone separates the tenderloin and striploin.
It is traditionally grilled over hot embers and served rare, often large enough to share. Thickness, weight and cooking time vary. Ask about the available cuts and preferred doneness rather than assuming the restaurant must refuse your request. This description is not a recipe or a guide to storing meat.
Ossobuco alla Milanese with saffron risotto – Lombardy
Ossobuco alla milanese is traditionally a cross-cut veal shank, slowly braised with ingredients such as vegetables, wine and broth. The bone contains marrow, and osso buco literally evokes a “bone with a hole”. Beef versions also exist, but veal is the classic Milanese association.
It is often accompanied by risotto alla milanese, coloured and flavoured with saffron. Carnaroli is one suitable risotto rice, rather than the only variety. A finishing mixture called gremolada commonly includes lemon zest, parsley and garlic.
Canederli – Trentino-Alto Adige
Canederli are dumplings associated with Trentino-Alto Adige and neighbouring Alpine food traditions; their German name is Knödel. Bread, eggs and milk are common base ingredients, with versions using speck, cheese, spinach or other additions.
They can be served in broth or with melted butter, among other preparations. Speck is a smoked, cured pork product associated with South Tyrol. Ask which version is on the menu: not all canederli contain the same ingredients.
Porchetta romana – Lazio
Porchetta is seasoned roast pork, often sliced and served in a bread roll. Ariccia, near Rome, is especially associated with Porchetta di Ariccia, but porchetta traditions also exist elsewhere in central Italy.
Garlic, rosemary and other seasonings give it a distinctive flavour. The phrase porchetta romana refers to a Roman-area style; it is not a literal translation meaning simply “Roman pork”. You may find it at markets, food stalls and specialist shops.
Fonduta Valdostana – Valle d’Aosta
Fonduta valdostana is a warm cheese preparation from Valle d’Aosta, made with Fontina, milk, butter and egg yolks. It differs from wine-based Alpine fondues, rather than being the same recipe with a different cheese.
It may be served with bread or vegetables, or used to accompany other dishes. The Fontina consortium’s traditional recipe illustrates its characteristic ingredients.
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Olive all’Ascolana – Marche
Olive all’ascolana are stuffed, breaded and fried olives associated with Ascoli Piceno. The large Ascolana tenera variety is prized for this dish. Oliva Ascolana del Piceno is a protected designation with a specified production area, rather than a name for every stuffed olive.
A traditional filling combines minced meat, cheese, egg and seasonings such as nutmeg. Recipes vary, and fish or vegetarian versions may be offered. Even though an olive is a plant food, the familiar stuffed version usually contains meat.
Ribollita – Tuscany
Ribollita is a thick Tuscan soup made with bread, beans and vegetables, commonly including cavolo nero, or Tuscan kale. Its name means “reboiled”, reflecting the practice of reheating the soup.
It is associated with economical home and rural cooking. Many recipes are plant-based, but check the broth and other ingredients if you need a vegetarian or vegan meal.
Polenta Taragna – Lombardy
Polenta taragna is associated with Lombardy’s Alpine valleys, including Valtellina and the Bergamo and Brescia areas. Buckwheat flour mixed with cornmeal gives it a darker colour than plain cornmeal polenta.
Butter and local cheeses enrich many versions, producing a hearty accompaniment or meal. The type of cheese and proportions vary by place and recipe.
Caprese salad – Campania
Insalata caprese combines tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, generally dressed with olive oil and salt. It is associated with Capri and Campania; its green, white and red ingredients recall the Italian flag.
Buffalo mozzarella is one choice, but cow’s-milk mozzarella can also be used. Ripe tomatoes are the point, rather than a requirement that they come from volcanic soil near Vesuvius. Pepper and other additions depend on the preparation.
Image by Dusan Tesanovic from Pixabay
Farinata of Genoa – Liguria
Farinata, known as fainâ in Genoese, is a thin chickpea-flour preparation associated with Liguria. Similar dishes and names occur elsewhere, including fainè in Sardinia.
A batter of chickpea flour, water, olive oil and salt is baked in a shallow pan, traditionally a copper one. Chickpea flour naturally contains no gluten, but that alone does not establish that a restaurant serving is safe for someone with coeliac disease: ingredients and cross-contact need to be checked.
Impepata di cozze – Campania
Impepata di cozze is a Neapolitan mussel preparation whose defining seasoning is abundant black pepper. The mussels release their juices as they cook, creating a broth; lemon is a common accompaniment.
Recipes can vary, but tomatoes, wine, garlic and parsley are not all defining requirements of a classic impepata. Bread is often served to soak up the juices. Cozze means “mussels”; pepe means “pepper”.
Arrosticini – Abruzzo
Arrosticini are small skewers of sheep meat associated with Abruzzo. Cubes of meat and fat are grilled over embers on a long, narrow brazier, often called a fornacella. Other versions may use different cuts or meats.
They are linked with the region’s pastoral traditions and are served in many parts of Abruzzo. Cooking depends on the meat, heat and skewer size; a fixed four-minute time and a single turn are not universal instructions.
Bottarga – Sardinia
Bottarga is an ingredient rather than a complete dish: salted and dried fish roe. Sardinia is especially known for mullet bottarga, while tuna bottarga is another Mediterranean variety.
Its concentrated savoury, briny flavour can be enjoyed in thin slices or grated over dishes. Try a little on bread, or ask how the restaurant serves it.
Image by Massimo Migoni from Pixabay
Tiramisù – Veneto
Tiramisù layers coffee-soaked savoiardi (ladyfinger biscuits) with mascarpone cream and cocoa. Egg yolks and sugar are central to a familiar traditional cream; some recipes also use whipped whites. Alcohol is optional, rather than required.
Treviso in Veneto is closely associated with the dessert, although accounts of its origins are contested. Le Beccherie’s documented recipe uses egg yolks, sugar, mascarpone, savoiardi, coffee and cocoa. This is an introduction to the dessert, not a complete recipe. Contemporary versions may add fruit or other flavours.
Image by Christo Anestev from Pixabay
Which of these would you like to try? Learning a few menu words can help you ask questions and appreciate the variety of Italian regional cooking.
