Best Italian Dishes for an Authentic Taste of Italy
No one does good food quite like the Italians; yes, I know it’s a strong statement, but as someone who considers themselves to be a foodie, someone raised with a great appreciation for Italian cuisine thanks to my great-uncle Dino, I feel like I have a leg to stand on here! I mean, once you’ve made your own fresh pasta by hand and never go a day without a block of Pecorino Romano on standby for grating over everything, you’re probably at least a little bit of an authority… right?
Okay, no, probably not; I’d certainly never presume to know more than any Italian nonna, and certainly not more than, say, Stanley Tucci, but I do love Italian food more than probably any other cuisine on Earth. And I am certainly not alone, given that food and wine tourism in Italy has grown by over a whopping 176% in the last decade! Eating Italian food in Italy is a foodie’s true dream.
That said, not all Italian foods are created equal, no matter how easy it may seem to serve up a pot of spaghetti in a simple tomato sauce. And every region of Italy has its own specialties that the people there do better than anywhere else in the country; whether you’re hiking in the Dolomites or having a fun family exploration through Naples, you’ll find truly special and superbly delicious food waiting for you.
Tuscan Polenta
In Tuscany, the concept of cucina povera reigns supreme; a food philosophy born out of necessity and economy, the “poverty kitchen” does a lot with simple and inexpensive ingredients, focusing on cheap local and seasonal offerings. Polenta is perhaps the most well known cucina povera recipe, a deceptively simple-looking cornmeal porridge that is warm and comforting to eat.
It’s easy to dress up with borlotti beans and kale, to top with a rich mushroom sauce, or to serve alongside a hearty beef stew–it’s so extremely delicious and versatile. And the next day? Take the cold leftovers, mold into a log or loaf, cut off slices and fry. So, so tasty!
Florentine Street Food
Beautiful, historically significant Florence is Tuscany’s capital city, so it stands to reason that you’re going to get some excellent cucina povera food here, primarily in the form of street food delights. Now, if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you’ll tuck into some lampredotto; this is a beef sandwich specifically made out of the fourth stomach of a cow, served on a great crusty roll with a spicy green sauce. If you’re not quite down for organ meat, however delectably prepared, that’s no problem either.
Florence has a huge sandwich culture thanks to the tradition of wine merchants serving snacks with their sample wares, so you can find delicious, simple panini on nearly every street corner. All’antico Vinaio is huge with solo travelers, definitely the big social media darling here, but do you really want to wait in an hour-long line for a sandwich? Nah. Go to the 150 year old I Fratellini or tiny Da Vinattieri instead, where you’ll find friendly staff and simple sandwiches made with heart and packed with flavor.
Also read: Solo Travel Essentials
Neapolitan Pizza
When it comes to Italian pizza, one region is lifted head and shoulders above the others on the regular, and that’s Naples. The ferociously proud Neapolitans serve up a pizza with a unique crust, pillow-thick at the edges and soft with sauce and toppings in the middle, dotted with smoky charred spots on the bottom thanks to being cooked in a 900F wood-fired oven. There are standards for what makes a pizza truly Neapolitan, and there are two specific varieties that are considered the most traditionally
Neapolitan: the tomato-basil-mozzarella Margherita, and the cheese-less oregano spiked Marinara with a tomato and olive oil sauce.
Pasta all’amatriciana
Sunday dinners at my grandpa’s house were traditionally a big pot of spaghetti with a rich, long-simmered smoked pork sauce, topped with a mountain of fresh-grated Pecorino Romano. I was well into my adulthood before I understood that this was our way of making Uncle Dino’s pasta all’amatriciana, a traditional Roman pasta dish.
We couldn’t get guanciale in my tiny little swamp of a hometown, but we did our best with what we did have, which is of course the core philosophy with Italian cuisine in general. Now, perhaps I am rose-tinted with nostalgia and that’s why I think all’amatriciana is among the best dishes Italy has to offer, but I don’t think I’m wrong.
The sauce is rich from hours of simmering and the fatty pork, the simple, lightly spicy flavors concentrated. It is filling, delicious and supremely comforting, particularly excellent as wintertime fare. We ate it with spaghetti-again, very small town, limited supplies–but it’s best with the slightly thicker bite of bucatini.
Venetian Seafood
In the Adriatic coastal Italian city of Venice, the cuisine of the day simply must always be seafood. Squid, anchovies, sardines and other aquatic delights can be found in the waters of Venice, making them incredibly local and special when in season.
A particularly unique offering here is seppie, or cuttlefish, a delicate molluscs that lives in the waters of the lagoon that surrounds the city. Only truly in season during the high tourist season of the summertime, the cuttlefish is cooked in its own ink and served over a bed of polenta to make seppie alla veneziana, a dish that blends the fruit of the lagoon with rustic peasant cooking for an unforgettable and deeply Venetian dining experience.
Arancini
Well, when you are planning your dream Italian itinerary, then Sicily’s got to be on your list. Why? Because Sicily is home to perhaps the most satisfying, delicious street food in existence: arancini. Or is it arancina? Arancino? There’s no real consensus on the name, but one thing everyone agrees on is that arancini are just a really excellent food.
I mean, how could you not love a pea-studded rice ball stuffed with mozzarella cheese and meat ragu (vegetarian versions do exist!) that’s then coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried? Melty, warm, crunchy, portable… it may be the most perfect food, alongside its potato-based Indian cousin, the samosa. But don’t make me choose!
Genoan Pesto
When you hear the word pesto, chances are very high that you think of the fresh green flavor of basil and pine nut pesto. This is the indelible legacy of pesto alla genovese! While the word pesto simply translates to paste, meaning most any herbs can become pesto, the basil pesto of Genoa is perhaps one of the most famous foods in Italy (and worldwide), certainly the one with the best marketing team behind it. But this is for good reason, since this pesto is light, but deeply flavorful, a transcendent little sauce when made correctly.
As with Neapolitan pizza, there are standards when it comes to what can be called true pesto alla genovese, so if you must buy yours at the store, look for the full name and the D.O.P. designation to ensure you’re getting something authentic… but honestly? It’s very easy to make your own, with the right good-quality ingredients.
Su Filindeu
No article on legendarily good Italian cuisine is complete without at least a mention of the truly special Italian dish of su filindeu, a rare hand-pulled pasta made by only three women in the tiny Sicilian city of Nuoro. Making the noodles is a precise process that requires such a deft hand, that even pasta maker Barilla and chef Jamie Oliver were unable to successfully replicate the result!
The noodles must be pulled into 256 threadlike strands that are then stretched over a special frame to dry. At serving time, they’re soaked in mutton broth and topped with pecorino sardo cheese. For centuries, the dish was only available during the twice a year Festival of San Francesco in Lula, served to pilgrims who completed a 21-mile on-foot journey to the Sanctuary of San Francesco; truly a special trip for religious pilgrims and those who enjoy backpacking through Italy alike.
But in the last fifteen years, pasta maker Paola Abraini and her family have also occasionally been supplying their special noodles to a few restaurants in Nuoro, allowing non-pilgrims a chance to try the rare dish.
Beyond Spaghetti: The True Flavors of Italy
If all you’ve known for Italian cuisine is a Friday night bowl of spaghetti with buttery garlic bread and a glass of wine, you’re in for a real treat once you decide to take the plunge and expanse your gustatory horizons! The true soul of Italy lies in the variety of her cuisine, from hearty beef stomach on a crusty roll to delicately hand-pulled noodles in broth. My advice? Pack your bags and head off to Italy to eat well, eat often, and most of all… enjoy!
