12 Italian Dishes That Will Make You Question Everything You Know About Pasta

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Italy is one of the world’s most famous tourist destinations, and with good reason. This charming nation draws millions of tourists yearly with the promise of excellent weather, beautiful beaches, and historic cities. For many travelers, though, it’s the food that appeals to them most.

Italian cuisine is vibrant, diverse, exciting, and, of course, delicious. However, despite the divine options, many people avoid local delicacies and authentic Italian offerings. As a result, people are missing out on beautiful traditional Italian dishes unique to each region. To learn more, here are 12 Italian dishes you must try during your Italian vacation.

Scrippelle ‘Mbusse, Teramo, Abruzzo

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We’ll kick things off with Scrippelle ‘Mbusse, known simply as Scrippelle. This tasty omelet/crepe-like dish comes from the province of Teramo in the Abruzzo region. In English, Scrippelle ‘Mbusse translates to ‘wet crepes,’ which doesn’t sound appetizing but sums up the dish nicely.

Scrippelle ‘Mbusse are light crepes, or crespelle in Italian, filled with grated cheese. They’re rolled up and covered in a flavorful homemade broth. It may sound simple, but the flavor combinations are out of this world. Most Teramo locals also include smoked pancetta and chili in their crepes for added flavor. Scrippelle was mistakenly invented when a cook dropped some crespelle into boiling broth.

Risotto Alla Milanese, Milan, Lombardy

Risotto is a world-famous Italian dish served in most restaurants worldwide. However, it originates from more humble beginnings in Milan during the 19th century. Therefore, you must try risotto alla Milanese during your trip to the city. This classic northern Italy dish is said to have come about in the mid-1800s.

It’s widely believed a team of glassmakers created risotto alla Milanese when they decided to add the saffron they used to color stained-glass windows in Milan’s iconic Duomo Cathedral to their risotto rice. The rest is history. You can expect rich flavors, a creamy texture, and a vibrant yellow hue. You’ll find it in most Milanese restaurants.

Coppia Ferrarese, Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna

If you want to impress your friends with Italian cooking, making a fresh coppia ferrarese is a surefire way to do just that. The city of Ferrara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Emilia Romagna, is known for many things, including this peculiarly shaped bread.

Also known as ciopa, pane ferrarese, and ciupeta, this loaf is a sourdough bread made with flour, lard, malt, and olive oil. It tastes excellent but is loved most for its twisted shape, which is believed to pay homage to 15th-century author Lucrezia Borgia’s curly tresses. Although legend has it, the Duke of Este was served the ‘twisted bread’ in 1536 during a dinner held in his honor.

Pizza, Naples, Campania

Pizza is arguably the most famous Italian dish, but do you know where it originated? Well, if you happen to be visiting Naples, a city in Southern Italy, you’re about to find out. Although its exact origins are unknown and hotly debated, with the Chinese and Greeks making something similar, the modern pizza we enjoy today was created in Naples in the 1800s.

The traditional Neapolitan pizza is made with basic but fresh ingredients. It features a simple dough made from flour, water, salt, and yeast. As for toppings, no fancy ingredients were used to make the first pizza because it was aimed at poorer residents. Traditionally, this pizza is topped with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, olive oil, and fresh basil.

Carbonara, Rome, Lazio

The following Italian dish on our list is another belter. If you’ve never had a traditional carbonara before, you’re seriously missing out, so quickly book those flights to Rome. Carbonara is a hearty pasta dish renowned for being super creamy, rich, and delicious. It’s a typical dish of the Lazio region, which includes Rome, and it took its modern form and name in the 20th century.

Carbonara is usually made with hard cheese, pecorino romano, fatty cured pork, eggs, salt, and pepper. Although it’s a relatively easy dish to make, its flavors are incredibly impactful. Spaghetti is commonly used, but tagliatelle, rigatoni, and bucatini are also used. Some dish variations also use bacon lardons, pancetta, and grana padano or parmesan.

Seadas, Sardinia

Created for the poorer population in the 15th century, this traditional Sardinian savory dessert is a must-try during your Sardinia vacation. It’s made using simple ingredients, but the outcome is spectacular. Seadas are sweet, savory, and slightly salty semolina pastries filled with pecorino and lemon zest.

This quintessential Sardinian dessert is deep-fried to offer a delightful crunch and warm filling. It’s then drizzled in honey before being served. The lemon-scented cheese filling is to die for, while the honey helps to balance out the flavors, adding a subtle sweetness to the dessert. Aside from the delicious flavors, we love how this recipe only uses ingredients local to the island.

Costoletta alla Valdostana, Courmayeur, Aosta Valley

Courmayeur and Aosta Valley are best known for outdoor experiences, primarily skiing. However, you’ll also find many Italian culinary delights in the region, including Costoletta alla Valdostana, one of the tastiest. Costoletta alla Valdostana is one of Aosta Valley’s most typical dishes.

A popular main course in autumn and winter because it contains fatty ingredients, this dish features a veal cutlet, ham, and fontina cheese. The veal is wrapped in the ham and fontina cheese before being shallow fried, giving the dish the cheese pull of dreams. Meanwhile, the crispy breaded veal provides a fantastic contrast of textures. This dish is usually served with salad or on its own.

Tielle of Puglia, Bari, Puglia

Tielle of Puglia, or La Tielle, is a comforting oven dish similar to a casserole. However, Italians have taken things to a new level by including epic flavors and beautiful ingredients. This Puglia potato and mussel casserole uses potatoes, mussels, Carnaroli rice, various vegetables, and grated cheese.

The vegetables are dipped in olive oil to flavor the dish and seasoned with basil, rosemary, and mint. Vegetables typically used in La Tielle include tomatoes, onions, and celery, although almost any vegetable can be used. Locals will often use whatever ingredients they have. If you want to try a dish that warms the belly and soul, Tielle of Puglia is perfect.

Ragù alla Bolognese, Bologna, Emilia Romagna

12 Italian Dishes Ragù alla Bolognese, Bologna, Emilia Romagna — © K / Adobe Stock

No Italian recipe list is complete without ragù alla bolognese, a world-famous pasta sauce invented in Bologna, Northern Italy, in the 18th century. The chances are you’ve had spaghetti and bolognese sauce at home, as it’s an incredibly popular dish. However, no jar of sauce can compete with an authentic ragù made in the heart of Bologna.

In Italy, ragù alla bolognese isn’t a spaghetti and bolognese dish. Instead, it’s a meat sauce prepared in the Bolognese style. It’s traditionally prepared using pork, beef, carrots, onion, celery, and tomato sauce. Oh, and it’s never served with spaghetti. Italians usually serve ragù alla bolognese with tagliatelle. Anna Maria Trattoria is an excellent local restaurant where you can try authentic ragù alla bolognese in Bologna.

Cannoli, Caltanissetta, Sicily

If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll quickly fall in love with cannolis in Sicily if you haven’t already. Cannoli is another famous Italian dish, but it originates from the island of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, so it’s best to try it there. This sweet dessert originated in Caltanissetta, Central Sicily, between 827 and 1091 AD.

Therefore, eating a cannoli in Sicily isn’t just a treat; it’s also a bite of history. For those who don’t know, cannolis are tubes of crisp pastry dough filled with sweetened ricotta cheese mixed with chocolate chips. They are usually 3.5 to 4 inches (9 to 10 centimeters) long and decorated with sugar, candied fruits, or pistachio.

Spezzatino di Agnello, Potenza, Basilicata

Basilicata is a region in Southern Italy famed for its rolling mountains and dense forests. The cuisine in this region’s cities and towns, including Potenza, focuses on lamb and mutton. One of the most popular local dishes incorporating lamb is spezzatino di Agnello, a type of lamb stew.

To make this dish, lamb is stewed in a large pot with onions, potatoes, bay leaves, and peppers. Most Italians also throw red chilis in for a kick of heat. Once cooked, the lamb is incredibly tender, juicy, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. This dish is typically served in spring when the best meat can be sourced, but you’ll find it in most restaurants throughout the year.

Caprese Salad, Capri

The final Italian dish on our list is the iconic Caprese salad. Although this dish may be super simple, it packs a punch with its flavors, vibrance, and lightness. As such, it’s become an icon of Italian gastronomy. Italians refer to it as Insalata Caprese, consisting of six basic ingredients.

The ingredients are fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, salt, and olive oil, all sourced locally. In most restaurants, Caprese salad is arranged on your plate to form the Italian flag’s green, white, and red colors. In Italy, Caprese salad is usually an antipasto (starter). It’s rarely served as a side dish or main course.