Italy Dishes

If you plan to travel Italy, congratulations, you are going to a real foodies' paradise as Italians have so many mind-blowing local specialties that you may start considering the option to stay there forever.

Last updated: 26.07.2024

Popular Italian food

Yes, of course you know, what pizza and pasta taste like, but how about the authentic ones? Have you even realized how many types of pasta inventive Italians cook? It is not limited only to spaghetti and сannelloni! Even Italians themselves have lost the count of pasta types. Anyway, it doesn’t matter at all, as any pasta you pick will become a pleasant tasty discovery.

The list of famous Italian dishes is, indeed, long. Juicy lasagna, fresh ravioli, tasty risotto with mushrooms, bruschetta with tomatoes, Italian bread focaccia… still need any reasons to pack your bags and head to Italy as fast as you can?

Italian sauces

Sauce is an invariable "companion" of any Italian pasta, as it usually determines the taste of the dish. Italians love to invent sauces with tomatoes such as Bolognese, Marinara or Sugo di pomodoro, just perfect for pasta.

A universal ingredient that can be used in sauces or as a separate dressing is olive oil. Moreover, it is one of the basic components of the famous Ligurian sauce "pesto".

Italian cheese

Cheese has occupied its place in the list of the most famous Italian food. So how many types of cheese can you name? Just imagine, the country produces almost 600 of them!

The most popular sorts of cheese in Italy include mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan, gorgonzola, and mascarpone. But what's your favorite one? Well, this question definitely needs extensive degustation!

Must-visit Italian regions for cheese lovers:

Sicily;
Tuscany;
Lombardy;
Piedmont;
Sardinia.

Italian desserts

If you are a sweet tooth, Italy has a wide range of options to please any, even the most sophisticated, demands. We bet you won't resist trying such gastronomic masterpieces as Tiramisu, Ricotta cake, and Pannacotta, plus all regional delicacies are special for certain provinces!

And to top it all, don't deprive yourself of a pleasure to try famous Italian ice-cream, gelato, which is simply fantastic.

Popular desserts in Italy:

Tiramisu;
Cannoli;
Panna cotta;
Gelato;
Panettone;
Biscotti;
Semifreddo;
Torta Della Nonna;
Bomboloni.

Italian sayings about food

Italians are true enthusiasts in everything regarding their national cuisine so it is no surprise that Italian culture has lots of sayings, revolving around food. Thus, when an Italian wants to encourage someone, he or she will say "tutto finisce a tarallucci e vino" which is literally translated as "it all ends with biscuits and wine", meaning that everything is going to be just fine.

Having a special attitude to wine, Italians even replace an apple in the famous English proverb "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" with a bit of their favorite drink, saying "due dita di vino e una pedata al medico". To continue the topic of the national specialties, when something or somebody makes a nice match Italians usually say "sta come il cacio sui maccheroni" (it’s like cheese on pasta) or exclaim "Che pizza!" (What a pizza!) when they come across something boring.

Generally, Italian cooking traditions vary from one region to another, so debating on this topic can take you quite long. If you want to get a bit more, read our post on Must-taste dishes on your trip to Italy and check out our best food tours to Italy.

Continue reading

Italy Drinks
Explore
Italy Traditions: Clothing, Religion, Weddings
Explore
European Festivals & Carnivals you Didn't Know About
Explore
Must-Taste Dishes of Italian Cuisine
Explore
Italy Wine Guide
Explore