Mouthwatering Dishes to Try in Italy | The Ultimate List

There are plenty of reasons to love Italy, starting with its rich cultural background, ancient sites, spicy culture, and hot-headed people! However, everyone can agree on one – Italy is one of the top countries excelling in food making, and its cuisine is at the top of the chain.

Once you visit, it is simply impossible to forgo their favorite meals, so you should know which ones make the ultimate list. Keep on reading, and find out!

Pizza

Naturally, Pizza stands at the top! Perfected as comfort food, a snack, or even a delicacy, Pizza is Italy’s signature mark and ranks high among the most-favorite meals in the world.

Basically, you can get it anywhere in the country, whether it may be a city, a small village, or an off-beaten town. However, if you want to authenticate your experience, we suggest heading to Naples. If you are looking for a reason to expand your holiday outside the capital city, take the Rome to Naples train – the change-up will be worth it!

Why Naples, though? Well, traditional Neapolitan Pizza is considered to be one of the best types since the chefs tend to follow older recipes, allowing you a taste of the original Italian Pizza.

Pizza:

Lasagna

Soft, steamy, cheesy, and creamy – these are the pillar of the Italian Lasagna. While Lasagna, just like Pizza, is available mostly anywhere else and can be relatively quickly cooked, nothing beats the original recipes of an authentic Italian kitchen!

Made from Pasta leaves and layers of the famous Bolognese sauce, Lasagna is a filling, hot, and tasty dish that can have many variations. It originally comes with meat, the base of the Bolognese sauce, but it can be changed for vegetarian or vegan choices, so everyone will find something for themselves!

True to its name, Lasagna Bolognese is best to find in Bolognia. You can surely try it anywhere else, but if you find yourself in Bolognia, visit a local cafe or even a high-end restaurant!

Lasagna:

Spaghetti Carbonara

You cannot think of Italian cuisine and not imagine some kind of Pasta dish! Spaghetti Carbonara is one of those traditional Italian meals that are scooped out by every tourist, whether it may be their first visit to the Pasta Country or the hundredth!

Fresh Spaghetti noodles are accompanied by egg yolk, milk cream, cheese, and bacon. Actually, the recipe has changed a bit over the years, but present-day Carbonara is still quite close to the original. You can choose your own form of noodles, as well! Depending on your liking, you can switch to Tagliatelle, Capellini, Fettuccine, and a few else!

Spaghetti Carbonara is super easily found at any Italian restaurant, but we suggest staying in the country’s Pasta Capital. Rome! As the center of Italy’s culture, history, and cuisine, Rome has the widest variety of options regarding restaurants, street food, and local cafes. So, off to do some research!

Spaghetti Carbonara:

Pesto

Not a whole dish per se, Pesto is still considered one of the top gems of the Italian cuisine. Originating in Genoa, Italy’s northern region, the famous sauce has not been altered or changed since its birth in the 16th century, using the same amounts of garlic, olive oil, basil, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese.

While Pesto, as we know it now, was first documented in the 16th century, Italians are sure that it had its predecessors in Roman times. Back then, people used to eat a similar paste, with a change-up of herbs and spices. Also, while basil was an ingredient born in India, it was only firmly rooted in the Liguria region of Italy, so Pesto was kind of meant to be an Italian delicacy!

Most commonly, it is used on Pasta, but it can be added to anything, really. So, if you bring back a jar of authentic Italian Pesto as a souvenir, do not hesitate to add flavor to your salad, sandwiches, or even porridge!

Pesto:

Focaccia Bread

Last but not least, let’s try the famous Italian Focaccia! A dish both fit to be a compliment and eaten on its own, Focaccia is Italy’s pride and joy, with a humble set of ingredients and easy preparation.

It is incredible how this delicious bread can be made solely from flour, water, yeast, and salt. You can also use it to your liking. Make a sandwich, add as a side to your soup, or simply snack on it – Focaccia goes with everything.

As for where to try it – anywhere, really. There are several variations, so you can choose the Genoese Focaccia, the Florentine one, Messina’s version, and several more. So, maybe just pick a region of your interest, and look for the famous Italian bread there!

Focaccia:

Head to the gastronomical adventure and make sure to try everything on the way! Eating is a whole experience in itself, so pay attention once abroad. Buon appetito and have the best time!