Italy is known all over the world for its mouthwatering dishes. Every foodie have tried at least pizza, ragù alla bolognese, lasagna and spaghetti. But each region has its own local specialties you may never have heard of.
Thankfully, we are here with a list of the one food you need to try in every region.
Look at the image to see the dishes.
Coda alla vaccinara – Lazio
Born in the heart of Rome, oxtail stew requires a long and slow cooking, but the result is worth the wait.
Oxtail was one of the less appreciated parts of the bovine that cooked with tomato, celery, raisins and a pinch of cocoa powder becomes a delicious dish that could be served with pasta or polenta.
Affunniatella – Molise
Tasty and spicy dish made with seasonal vegetables and eggs. Usually it is made with friarelli peppers (long green peppers), onion, eggs, ripe tomatoes, basil and chili pepper.
Bocconotti – Abruzzo
Sweets made of round-shaped pastry filled with chocolate, almonds, liquid coffee and grape jam. The name suggests that this delicious sweets can be eaten in one bite and they are addictive!
Canederli – Trentino South Tyrol
Canederli are round dumplings made of stale bread, flour, eggs and milk. They could be enriched with speck and cheese and served in a beef broth or with melted butter.
Cartellate – Basilicata
Traditional Christmas sweets made of light fried dough covered with honey or icing sugar.
Cassoeula – Lombardy
An inviting savoy cabbage and pork stew, ideal to give you energy during the coldest period of the year.
Culurgiones – Sardinia
Culurgiones have the same concept of raviolis. In this case they are stuffed with mashed potatoes, pecorino cheese and mint. Their are shaped into ears of wheat and could be seasoned with a simple tomato sauce. Delicious!
Cuoppo napoletano – Campania
The cuoppo napoletano is an iconic dish of Naples and a masterpiece of street food.
The cuoppo is a paper cone holding a mix of deep-fried foods. It could be only fried fish or a mix of vegetables like potato croquettes, courgette flowers, aubergines with little fried mozzarellas.
Frico – Friuli-Venezia Giulia
A dish of Friulan peasant tradition made with potatoes and Montasio cheese. A crunchy crust encloses the soft cheese center that could be enriched with onions and herbs to create interesting variations. It is usually served as a main course with polenta.
Fristingo – Le Marche
A delicious Christmas cake made with nuts and dried figs. Like every regional recipe there are many variations, some of them add cocoa powder and coffee, others rhum and candied fruit.
Latte fritto – Liguria
Literally, fried milk, is a typical dish that could used both as dessert or with the fritto misto alla genovese (mix of fried foods). It is simple, yummy and loved by the kids!
Maccheroni al ferro – Calabria
We can’t talk about food in Italy without including pasta, and there are many of them.
‘Al ferro’ is a method to prepare homemade pasta with knitting needle. Perfect with a rich sauce, a ragu or a sauce with meatballs.
Pane e panelle – Sicily
A street food typically found in Palermo, Sicily. It is a sandwich filled with chickpea fritters.
Paposcia – Apulia
It is a flat bread, very common in the Gargano area. It takes its name from its long flat shape, similar to a bedroom slipper.
It can be filled with anything you want, but the traditional recipe includes the ‘paposcia alla contadina’ with olives and caciocavallo cheese or the ‘paposcia alla Sant’ Mnà-iole’ with anchovies and capers.
Ravioli al plin – Piedmont
There are many kind of ravioli in Italy. They are usually made of fresh pasta filled with meat and vegetables. These ones comes from the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato area. The name indicates the pinch you have to do to close them.
Ribollita – Tuscany
A tasty soup made with leftovers, perfect to warm you up in the winter months.
It is prepared with seasonal produce but the main ingredients are: black cabbage, beans and vegetables; everything is thickened with stale bread. The soup is cooked twice, as suggested by the name (re-boiled), to acquire more flavour.
Sarde in Saor – Veneto
Tasty appetizer of the Venetian cuisine, coming from the sailor tradition. Sardines are deep-fried then left to marinate with onions in a sweetened vinegar solution. Then you add raisins and pine nuts when serving.
Strangozzi alla norcina – Umbria
This recipe is quintessentially Umbria! The strangozzi are typical homemade fettuccine and the norcina sauce comes from Norcia (Umbrian town) and is made with sausage and cooking cream. The result is a rich mouthwatering pasta dish.
Tegole – Valle d’Aosta
Typical cookies made of nuts and almond flours created by pastry chefs in 1930. The name comes from their shape that reminds a roof tile.
Torta di tagliatelle – Emilia Romagna
It’s a delicious and crunchy cake made with a soft dough base and real tagliatelle on top.
Have you tried one of them? Let us know which one in the comments below.
