An Eclectic Guide to the Best Italian Food

The Best Signature Meals to Eat in Italy

Italian food is distinguished across the globe as a beloved cuisine. And nowhere in the world compares to the authentic, high quality dishes found within the Italian cities. For any foodie out there, Italy offers a genuine dining experience of gastronomic proportions. The fresh and simple ingredients will leave a deep imprint of delicious memories. If you are traveling the Italian countryside, here’s the best signature foods you must try before leaving.

Eating out in Italy

Eating at traditional restaurants is the best way to immerse yourself in Italian culture. The usual meal consists of the antipasto (appetizer), primo (first course pasta), secondo (second meat course), dolce (desserts), and drinks to wrap it all up. You can order which portions you like. However, the full course usually wasn’t an overwhelming amount of food. Now for all my favorite signature Italian food. Buon Appetito!

Antipasto (Appetizer Italian Food):

• Prosciutto – and other sliced deli meats
• Olives – the olive oil and Balsamic vinaigrette are pretty amazing too
• Caprese Salad – simple sliced tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and a basil leaf (Try some before heading to the ancient ruins)
• Bruschetta – bread topped with diced tomatoes
• Sarde in Saor – sweet and sour sardines with onions (amazing in Venice)
• Baccala Mantecato – salt cod spread
• Sampi alla Veneziana – shrimp with olive oil and lemon juice. A lot of Italian food is super simple but amazing
• Fritto Misto – deep fried seafood (Mama Eats in Rome has superb entirely gluten-free selection)

Primo (Main Course Italian Food) :

• Spaghetti alla Carbonara – most amazing dish in Rome (check out Sugo d’oro for a complete gluten-free selection)
• Pizza – arguably even better than New York Style pizza, these pies are unbelievably delicious. Head to Naples for some of the best Margherita pizza of your life.  
• Lasagne Al Ragu – meat lasagna (tried some tasty gluten-free version in Pisa)
• Seafood Risotto – creamy rice with mixed seafood
• Spaghetti ai Frutti di Mare – fresh clams and mussels on spaghetti with tomato sauce
• Cannelloni – kind of like lasagna’s cousin
• Gnocchi – small, soft dough dumpling dish (pronounced “nyow kee”, so they say)
• Spaghetti al Nero di Sepia – squid ink pasta (a Venetian specialty)
• Truffles – delicious mushrooms that you must try on anything
• Pasta -literally an infinite endless variety of outstanding pasta

Secondo (Meat Italian Food):

• Bistecca alla Fiorentina – a super-rare veal steak that weighs almost 2 kg (a specialty in Florence)
• Swordfish
• Roast Pork Loin
• Braised Lamb Shanks
• Parmesan Chicken
• Meatballs

Dolce (Dessert Italian Food):

• Tiramisu – (had some amazing ones in Venice!)
• Gelato – awesome ice-cream of all kinds of flavors (GROM in Florence was one of my favorites)
• Cannoli – classic
• Panna Cotta – a sweet silky custard

Drinks:

• Limoncello – a drink to help with digesting food, it’s a lemon liqueur with a strong kick
• Aperol Spritz – possibly Italy’s signature drink
• Wine – the wide variety of wines are exquisite, especially in the Tuscany region
• Bellini – an ambrosial Prosecco and peach cocktail that originated in Venice
• Espresso – an enticing brew, for all the coffee fanatics

The heavenly cuisines that await you in Italy make the entire trip worth it. Italian chefs are nutritionally conscious, so you’ll have no trouble avoiding any particular allergen. It’s surprisingly super easy to eat gluten free pasta and other Italian foods too! Of course, the pizza is out of this world so would highly recommend trying a huge variety. Be sure to try each cities specialties! If it’s your first visit to Italy, check out more of these useful tips. Hope you enjoy all the fantastic flavors as much as I did. Keep Leveling up!

Check out my Italian food vlog for a more visual representation of all the amazing food in Italy!

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