When your life-long dream of visiting Bella Italia finally comes true, you don’t want to disappoint yourself by ordering your favourite dish in the wrong place. Italians are rightly proud of their kitchens and you’re almost certain to avoid the disappointment of a lacklustre culinary experience if you know a little bit more about where to eat what.
Read on to find out what and where to eat in Italy.
Find out where and what you need to eat in Italy now
1. Bolognese & Lasagna in Bologna
Bolognese simply means ‘to come from’ Bologna,’ just like the beloved pasta dish! The dish many of us call spaghetti bolognese is actually called tagliatelle al ragu in its hometown and is made with a thicker pasta, often fresh and hand-made and the sauce or ragu is much less tomato-based than its American cousin we all know so well.
The same ragu sauce is used for making lasagna, so while in this region of Emilia-Romagna, you absolutely must make space in your belly for one of each!
Bologna is located in the state of Emilia Romagna, also known as the food valley and home to Parma ham, Parmigiano Reggiano and Balsamic vinegar.
2. Carbonara in Rome
Although unrecorded before WWII, this world-famous dish carries a few different origin stories. Some say carbonara started in Rome as a favourite of the city’s charcoal workers (carbone meaning charcoal). More intriguingly, some argue this delicious dish was named after the secret society Carbonari, from the time of Italy’s unification. Regardless of the origin of the name, Rome is the place to order a tasty dish of carbonara, made simply from pork meat such as guanciale or pancetta, pecorino cheese, pepper and egg. You read it right – there is no cream in a traditional carbonara!
Another similar, yet lesser known dish you can’t miss when in Rome is cacio e pepe. Not dissimilar to carbonara, it’s just pecorino and pepper tossed through hot pasta. Sound bland? Give it a go, I guarantee by the time you get home you’ll be itching to make it yourself!
Rome is also the place to enjoy zucchini flowers, deep fried and filled with mozzarella cheese and anchovies or artichokes roman style.
3. Pesto in Genoa
Very few experiences can beat a freshly made pesto, tossed through pasta or fluffy potato gnocchi with a glass of local wine in the Ligurian sun while overlooking the Mediterranean coast. The original Pesto Alla Genovese is still alive and well in its place of origin, Genoa and cannot be missed.
The recipe is so important here that it, like many other traditional Italian food products, is protected by local purity laws. Liguria is a magnificent part of Italy, home to the famous Cinque Terre and countless other more secluded beaches where mountains meet the sea. Of course, the seafood-lover will be spoiled with choices when looking at a Ligurian menu too, but don’t miss the pesto!
Liguria also has some claim to fame in the street-food category with their world famous focaccia, but also keep an eye out for a lesser-known local favourite called farinata, which is a thin bread made from chickpea flour and cooked in a pizza oven. Of course, in Liguria, you can request for some of their tasty pesto to be spread on top of either too!
4. Mozzarella in Naples
It’s commonly believed amongst southern Italians that one should not eat mozzarella di buffalo north of Rome – and even then it’s still not fresh enough! This is another Italian delicacy which you’ll need to return to Italy for again and again. Made from the milk of a buffalo cow, the real deal is flavourful, meaty in texture and succulent all at the same time.
Often served as a Caprese salad with slices of tomato, and best from the south, this dish is a must-have when in the area of Naples.
Who could forget though, that pizza has its home in Naples, a floppy, sloppy, flavour explosion like nothing else you’ll find anywhere in Italy. Also take note that as proud as Italians are of their regional cuisine, many will admit that the best espresso is found in Naples!
For limoncello lovers, you’ll find this sunshine-coloured liquor in abundance around Naples and the Amalfi coast.
5. Bruschetta in Tuscany
Originating from a simple piece of day-old bread, rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil, the fathers and mothers of bruschetta are commonly believed to be Etruscan – the original Tuscans! Two products that Tuscany is well known for are its extra virgin olive oil and crispy bread.
You will find all kinds of variations of this antipasto nationwide, the classic tomato version coming from the south where tomatoes thrive in the Mediterranean heat. Not a fan of tomatoes? No worries because the Tuscan cuisine is light on the tomatoes, favouring instead grilled vegetables, cured meats and liver spreads, legumes and of course wine.
Also look out for hearty vegetable soups like ribolita, crunchy cantucci for dunking in dessert wine and the stars of the show: the tagliata di manzo and the bistecca fiorentina. And don’t even thinking about asking for tomato sauce on your steak!
Comment below and tell us your best tips for what and where to eat in Italy!
