Italian Food to Try in Italy | Snacks, Pasta, Mains and Desserts

Italy is world-famous for its food, and Italian cuisine can be found all over the world, especially pizza and pasta. During my visits to Italy, I’ve enjoyed the food in restaurants, markets, cafes and bakeries. There have been many dishes that very much appealed, including Panino col Polpo, Tagliatelle al Ragù Bolognese and cacciucco.

I’ve found each region I’ve visited is different, and the local dishes are well worth trying. Pizza and pasta are very commonplace, but I have tried a selection of dishes beyond that.

To complement dining out during my longer stays, I have embraced the ingredients available in the country and have had good results cooking with them. The markets and supermarkets stock some great options. The ingredients in Italy are very good and a pleasure to cook.

Italian Main Course Dishes

Some of my favourite mains while exploring Italy.

Cacciucco

Cacciucco is an Italian fish stew native to the western coastal towns of Tuscany; we tried this in a restaurant in Livorno, and it tasted great. The one we ate included octopus, cuttlefish, dogfish, cod, prawns, and mussels in a tomato and wine sauce.

Fritto Misto

Fritto Misto includes variations of deep-fried fish. This often includes cod, other white fish, prawns and squid. We’ve eaten this all over Italy, and it makes for a nice treat meal.

Frico

Frico is a unique dish: a pie made of potatoes and cheese. It is a Friulian dish usually served with polenta and is very filling. We ordered this in a restaurant in Udine.

Cinghiale alla Cacciatora e Ceci Saltati

A flavourful, meaty main I enjoyed was Cinghiale alla Cacciatora e Ceci Saltati, a slow-cooked wild-boar stew, often served with sautéed chickpeas. This has origins in the Tuscan, Umbrian, and Maremman regions of Italy. This was a fantastic meal, one of many in the restaurants of Siena.

Parmigiana

A nice vegetarian main from southern Italy is Parmigiana, made with fried aubergine, a rich tomato sauce, and melted cheese, often Parmesan. Parmigiana is a widely available dish that I enjoyed most at the food markets in Bologna.

Tasting Menus

To offer a range of foods, many restaurants have a tasting menu that the chef prepares fresh. We enjoyed this and tried many dishes we wouldn’t have ordered beforehand. These usually include 5 or more dishes, including starters, mains, and desserts.

Pasta

Pasta is a popular part of Italian cuisine, and there are a range of varieties throughout the country. These are some of the more memorable ones for me.

Tagliatelle al Ragù Bolognese

Possibly one of the best-known dishes in Italy is Tagliatelle al Ragù Bolognese, which, outside the country, is called ‘spaghetti bolognese’. Tagliatelle al Ragù Bolognese has origins in Bologna and is served with tagliatelle rather than spaghetti. It is a beef ragù with great flavour, and it is served in lots of restaurants in Bologna. It’s one meal I frequently make at home, and I made some adjustments after eating it in its home town.

Chianti Rabbit Ragout

One of my bucket-list meals for our summer visit to Tuscany was Chianti rabbit ragu. This is a rich ragu made with rabbit meat, Chianti wine, herbs, and tomatoes. I had this in a posh restaurant with a view, and it tasted delicious with pasta and trimmings.

Lasagne Verdi Alla Bolognese

Another dish on my visit to the Emilia-Romagna region was Lasagne Verdi Alla Bolognese. This is made using Bolognese ragu, spinach lasagne sheets, béchamel sauce and cheese.

Ravioli

Ravioli is something I’ve eaten many times before my Italian adventures, but in situ, it hits the spot. This is a filled pasta in a distinctive shape, served with a variety of fillings and sauces. The dish pairs well with a tomato ragu and cheese, and one notable version was ricotta-filled ravioli with pecorino cheese fondue.

Pici alla Gricia alla Senese

A simple yet delicious pasta dish I tried in Siena was Pici alla Gricia alla Senese. This includes the local Pici pasta, crispy pork jowl, black pepper and Pecorino Romano cheese. Pici alla Gricia alla Senese was perfect for a lunch out and hit the right notes with its flavours.

Other Pasta Dishes

There are over 350 types of pasta available in Italy, with a selection of sauce/ragu variations. As a result, there are lots of variants to try. We’ve sampled lots, including those featuring seafood, truffles, tomato-based ragu, and cheesy options.

Snacks, Pizzas & Baked Goods

When enjoying an Italian beer, there is a choice of snacks, from pizza and focaccia to savoury pastries.

Panino col Polpo

Panino col Polpo is a popular street food dish that originated from Puglia. It consists of tender grilled octopus tentacles served in a crusty bread roll and seasoned with lemon, parsley and olive oil. Panino col Polpo came onto my radar while staying in Bari, as there was a good selection of places serving it.

Arancini

Arancini are Italian rice balls that are coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. They are often stuffed with a meaty ragu or cheese. There are lots of regional variations of this dish, but it has Sicilian origins. I have had these many times at cafes with a beer, and they impressed me.

Pizza

Pizza is one of the world’s most famous foods, and Italy is its home. You’ll find plenty of excellent pizzas there, whether you sit down in a pizzeria or grab a slice between attractions.

Focaccia Barese

During our stays in Foggia and Bari in Puglia, Focaccia Barese was a popular treat for brunch or lunch. It is a thick flatbread made with unique ingredients: semolina flour and mashed potatoes. These are topped with tomatoes, large olives, oregano, and olive oil, then baked. The simplicity and flavour of these were very enjoyable, especially from bakeries where they are made fresh.

Cheese and Charcuterie Boards

Cheese and charcuterie boards are something we often try when travelling, and they are a good way to learn more about the local varieties available in shops. We sampled quite a few of these while in Italy, usually featuring local cold cuts and cheeses. Some of my top picks were Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano and Tuscan ham. A notable one in Bologna was when they paired cheese with matching dips.

Piadina Romagnola and Crescioni

Piadina Romagnola was a popular dish we tried in various cafes and bars on our latest trip to Rimini; it was often served with a combination of cheese and cured meats. It is usually made with white flour, lard or olive oil, salt, and water. The dough was traditionally cooked in a terracotta dish; however, nowadays it is prepared on flat pans or electric griddles.

In Ravenna, we enjoyed crescioni in the covered market and hit the spot for lunch. Crescioni is a stuffed flatbread made with the same dough as Piadina. I watched these being prepared, and the dough is cooked and stuffed much like a calzone.

Frittura Napoletana

A delicious dish, whether as a street food snack or a starter, was frittura napoletana, which we enjoyed in Bologna. The version we tried included potato croquettes, fried stuffed pasta cakes and deep-fried rice cakes like arancini. These were delicious; a seafood version is also popular in Naples.

Desserts and Cakes

There are plenty of sweet treats available in Italy, especially in cafes and bakeries. We also found some excellent dessert options in restaurants.

Cornetto

Very similar-looking to a croissant is the cornetto, a favourite of my wife’s from the bakeries and cafes of Italy. The Italian cornetto contains eggs and less butter than the French croissant and is usually filled. Popular fillings include chocolate or pistachio cream.

Tiramisu

Tiramisu is a famous dessert and is available throughout Italy, and we have eaten many versions. Its origins are claimed to be from Treviso, a beautiful city near Venice. It is made from espresso-soaked sponge fingers layered with a rich, whipped mixture of mascarpone cheese, eggs, and sugar, finished with a dusting of cocoa powder. It often contains alcohol in the form of Marsala wine, coffee liqueurs, or rum.

Cakes

Italian bakeries and cake shops are a dessert lover’s dream, and they have quite the selection. During our visits, we’ve picked up nutty, chocolaty, or fruity cakes and enjoyed them a lot.

Gelato

One food we really got into on our visit to the coastal city of Rimini was Gelato. There were lots of gelaterias, and they were an excellent place for a sweet treat. These come in lots of flavours and are served in cones or tubs. The fruity, nutty and dark chocolate versions hit the spot for me. Not all gelato is created equal, so check reviews; a handy blog post by the Puglia Guys explains what to look out for.