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Top 10 Dishes + Other Must Try Foods in Italy
Updated: May 20
Fellow foodies, welcome to one of the best countries in the world to visit if you’re a fan of incredible cuisine. Italy has no shortage of delectable dishes, drinks, and sweets. If you’re ready to dive into the Italian culinary world, keep reading for the top 10 dishes in Italy as well as other must try foods in Italy.
Enjoy the freshest pasta you’ve ever tasted with mouthwatering flavors like truffle and walnut. Sip on refreshing cocktails and amazing wines. And don’t forget to start and end your day with a sweet treat when traveling in Italy. The pastries and desserts really are the icing on the cake.
It’s no secret one of Italy’s main draws is its cuisine, but what exactly should you try when you’re here? While the list could go on forever, there are certain dishes you definitely don’t want to miss out on. Let’s dive into the most popular food dishes in Italy and some lesser known must-eats.
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The Ultimate Guide to Italy for Foodies
Every region in Italy has its own local dishes, and some of these must try foods in Italy are found all throughout the country. From sweet to savory, carbs to meat, wine to coffee, Italy knows how to create incredible dishes and mouth watering flavors.
To begin, here are the top 10 dishes in Italy. If you keep reading you’ll find even more foods to try in Italy, it will be impossible to eat them all, but you might as well try.
Top 10 Dishes in Italy
1 Cacio e Pepe
Possibly the most popular dish in Italy, cacio e pepe is a simple dish with so much flavor. Made with pecorino romano cheese and ground black pepper, this pasta dish comes from the Lazio region (where Rome is located) but is commonly found in many places in Italy.
2 Carbonara
This is a creamy pasta made with cheese, eggs, fatty pork, and black pepper. Carbonara comes from the Lazio region as well (where Rome is located), but you can find it in many other cities throughout Italy.
Read Next: Top 5 Foodie Experiences in Rome
3 Quattro Formaggi Pizza
Italian pizza is traditionally a thin crust pizza. Quattro Formaggi is a classic flavor and it consists of four cheeses. These are generally cheeses such as mozzarella, gorgonzola, fontina, parmesan, camembert, mozzarella, or blue cheese.
4 Pasta alla Norma
This Italian pasta dish is native to Catania, Sicily. Pasta alla Norma is made with tomato sauce, fried eggplant slices, and most importantly, salted ricotta. You may find it occasionally outside of Sicily, but this pasta dish alone makes the visit to the southern isle worthwhile.
5 Tiramisu
Not only are the pasta and pizza a few of the best foods to try in Italy, but the desserts here are top tier as well. A classic Italian dessert you can often find anywhere is tiramisu. This decadent dessert is made with ladyfingers pastry, coffee, and mascarpone custard.
6 Trofie al Pesto
This Ligurian pasta dish is made with basil pesto and trofie pasta; specifically basil, pine nuts, cheese, and garlic. Just imagine savoring this delicious pasta with a view of the colorful buildings of Cinque Terre and the sea breeze in your hair (can it get any better).
7 Cannoli
Another dessert, and one of the best foods to try in Italy, is the Sicilian cannoli. These consist of crunchy fried pastry dough with a sweet ricotta filling and they make the perfect after-dinner treat.
8 Caprese Salad
An Italian lunch and dinner starter you can’t miss, Caprese salad is another of the must-try foods in Italy. This tasty concoction is made with fresh mozzarella cheese (more on Italian cheese below), tomatoes, and basil, then it’s topped with salt, olive oil, and sometimes a balsamic glaze. This Italian salad comes from the island of Capri but can be found all over Italy.
9 Arancini
Another Sicilian delight, arancini are rice balls stuffed with a filling, coated in breadcrumbs, and then fried. Because they originated in Sicily, you’ll find arancini shops offering a wide variety of fillings from cheese to spinach to bolognese throughout the southern island. I recommend trying several flavors and going back for more.
10 Margherita Pizza
This list of the top 10 dishes in Italy would be incomplete without the classic Margherita pizza. This delicious pizza is topped with crushed peeled tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, mozzarella, and olive oil. If you’ve had “Margherita pizza” in the USA before, don’t expect it to be just like that. Try an authentic Neapolitan pizza while in Italy and see for yourself.
READ NEXT: 6 Beautiful Cities to Visit in Italy
Other Must Try Foods in Italy
Pizza and Pasta…Obviously
It’s no secret that pizza and pasta are some of the best foods to eat in Italy. These two dishes are traditionally from here and they sure know how to make them well.
Try classics like pizza Margherita and quattro formaggi, or see what your local restaurants offer. You can find toppings such as prosciutto and mortadella or twists on the classics like a lemon honey drizzled quattro formaggi in Cinque Terre.
The pasta in Italy is the freshest you can find. I mentioned cacio e pepe, trofie al pesto, pasta alla Norma, and carbonara above in the top 10 dishes in Italy, but there are many others I recommend as well.
If you have time and are hungry enough, try lemon pasta on the Amalfi Coast, walnut pasta with the creamiest sauce ever, and any pasta with truffle in and on it like the truffle & chocolate risotto we tried in Florence.
Margherita Pizza
Quattro Formaggi Pizza
Carbonara
Cacio e Pepe
Gnocchi
Lemon Pasta
Walnut Pasta
Pasta alla Norma
Truffle & Chocolate Risotto
Savory + Starters
Not only are the main entrees in Italy to die for, but even their starters, or antipasti, are all so flavorful. Some of the best starters to begin your Italian dining experience with are:
Bruschetta
Caprese Salad
Focaccia
Arancini
Eggplant Caponata
Read Next: 5 Best Experiences in Rome for Foodies
Meats & Cheeses
Italy boasts some of the best cheese and meats around the world. If you’re a fan of either, you will be foodie heaven while in Italy. Enjoy the freshest and creamiest cheeses like mozzarella di Bufala and burrata, or a sharper cheese like parmesan and pecorino.
When it comes to meats in Italy for foodies, try the prosciutto, mortadella, pancetta, soppressata, and guanciale. You can often find these as pizza toppings or in sandwiches, or grab some from a local market.
Mozzarella di Bufala
Burrata
Parmesan
Pecorino
Prosciutto
Soppressata
Pancetta
Guanciale
Desserts and Pastries
Some of the best must try foods in Italy are the sweets. Desserts here are mouthwatering and pastries are the best way to start your day (paired with an espresso or cappuccino of course).
The best Italian pastries you must try are:
Pistachio Croissants - fluffy croissants stuffed with a sweet, creamy pistachio filling
Bombolone - Italian donuts made with butter, eggs, and brioche dough (often filled with various fillings)
Sfogliatella - flaky pastry filled with a creamy, custard-like filling
Granita & Brioche - a water based frozen treat (similar to “Italian ice”) served with a sweet brioche bun for breakfast, traditionally Sicilian
Cannoli - crunchy fried pastry dough with a sweet ricotta filling
Cantucci or biscotti - lightly sweet, crunchy almond biscuits often served with dessert wine
Must-try desserts in Italy are:
Panna Cotta - this Italian dessert is made of sweetened cream that is thickened with gelatin and is often topped with a fruit compote or other flavors like espresso
Gelato - Italian ice cream that you can find in a wide variety of flavors in every city
Marzipan - a European confection made of sugar and almond meal
Tiramisu - a cake like dessert made with ladyfingers pastry, coffee, and mascarpone custard
Cocktails, Wine, and Coffee
Don’t forget to pair these must try foods in Italy with a delicious drink! From morning to night, Italy has the perfect refreshing cocktail, wine, or coffee to enjoy with your meals.
Aperol Spritz - a classic Italian aperitif cocktail consisting of prosecco, bitters, and soda water (orange in color and enjoyed before a meal)
Limoncello - a lemon liqueur most commonly affiliated with the Amalfi Coast
Sciacchetrà Wine - sweet, white dessert wine originating in Cinque Terre’s coastal towns
All the wine - a must try while in Italy, learn more about regional wines in Italy
Espresso - Italians take food, wine, AND coffee very seriously, start your day with espresso or a cappuccino while traveling in Italy
READ NEXT: What to Pack for Italy in Fall
Must Try Foods in Italy
It’s no secret that Italy knows how to cook and drink. If you’re thinking about planning a trip to Italy solely to try as much food as you can, that is a great idea. You could spend all your waking hours slowly enjoying all the flavors this European country has to offer.
Now you have the ultimate guide to Italy for foodies, you can make your way around the country dining on the top 10 dishes in Italy and other must try foods and drinks.
Get ready to sip on an Aperol Spritz while savoring the view of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, dip your brioche in granita to start your day on the right foot in Sicily, or beg for more when you lick your plate clean after trying carbonara in Rome.
Fellow foodies, if you haven’t been yet, this is your sign to book a trip to the land of la dolce vita and try as many of the best foods to eat in Italy as possible. No trip to Italy is complete without eating far too much!
While you’re visiting Italy, you may also find these travel guides helpful…
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