Italian cuisine

Italian cuisine is a style of cooking from Italy that people have enjoyed for many years. It started in Roman times and changed when new foods like potatoes and tomatoes arrived from the Americas. Today, Italian food is famous all over the world. In 2025, it was named an important part of culture by UNESCO.

Clockwise from top left: Neapolitan pizza, carbonara, espresso, and gelato

Italian food has many dishes from each region, but they all use a simple style. Many recipes use just a few fresh ingredients, showing how much quality matters in Italian cooking. This style has influenced other foods, especially in places like East Africa and the United States.

The meals often include pasta, fish, fruits, and vegetables, with cheese, cold cuts, and wine also being important. Popular treats like gelato, tiramisu, and cassata show how Italy mixes local flavors with sweet ingredients. Italy makes more wine than any other country and has many special foods protected by EU law.

History

Italian food has changed a lot over many years. Even before Italy was one country, people there were making tasty meals, as far back as the 4th century BC during ancient Roman times. Roman cooks wrote down fancy recipes in a book.

A Roman mosaic depicting a banquet during a hunting trip, from the Late Roman Villa Romana del Casale, Sicily

Over time, different cities made their own special ways of cooking. New foods like tomatoes and potatoes came from far away and changed what people ate. Today, each part of Italy has its own favorite dishes. For example, Milan is famous for its rice dishes, Bologna for its twisted pasta, and Naples for its pizza.

The Romans were among the first to write about food. They used many spices and grew foods like grapes and vegetables. Later, other cultures brought new ingredients, like rice and citrus fruits, which became part of Italian meals. Through the years, Italian cooks kept finding new ways to make tasty food, using what was around them.

Basic foods

Italian food uses many ingredients, like fruits, vegetables, grains, cheeses, meats, and fish. In northern Italy, people eat fish such as cod, potatoes, rice, corn, sausages, pork, and different cheeses. Pasta with tomatoes is popular everywhere in Italy, and the ingredients are usually fresh and lightly seasoned.

In northern regions, you’ll find stuffed pasta and dishes like polenta and risotto. Ligurian food includes fish and seafood, along with basil for pesto, nuts, and olive oil. Emilia-Romagna is known for its ham, salami, truffles, and special cheeses like Parmigiano Reggiano. Central Italy uses tomatoes, meats, fish, and pecorino cheese, while southern Italy enjoys tomatoes, peppers, olives, olive oil, garlic, and fish such as anchovies and sardines. Italy makes many types of cheese, with over 600 kinds.

Olive oil is the main fat used in Italian cooking and is the base for many sauces. Italy uses the most olive oil in the world and has many types of olive trees. Bread is also a staple in Italian meals, with many regional varieties.

Meats

Italian food includes many types of sausages and cured meats, which are important parts of meals. Meat such as beef, pork, and poultry is used in many dishes and as ingredients for pasta sauces. Fish and seafood are also very popular, often served as a main dish or used in pasta seasonings.

Salumi

Salumi are cured meats, often made from pork and used in appetizers. They can also include beef and cooked products like mortadella.

Pasta

Italy is famous for its many kinds of pasta, which come in different shapes and sizes, such as penne, maccheroni, spaghetti, linguine, fusilli, and lasagna. There are also filled pastas like ravioli and tortellini. Pasta can be made from durum wheat flour and water (dry pasta) or from soft wheat flour and eggs (fresh pasta). It is usually cooked by boiling and served in three ways: with a sauce (pastasciutta), in broth with vegetables (minestrone), or baked after seasoning (pasta al forno).

Pizza

Pizza is a well-known Italian food, made from a flat dough base topped with tomatoes, cheese, and other ingredients like meats, olives, and vegetables, then baked at high heat. Traditional Neapolitan pizza is part of Italy’s cultural heritage. In different regions, similar dishes like focaccia, piadina, crescia, and sfincione are also enjoyed.

Regional cuisines

Each area of Italy has its own special dishes, mostly based on where it is located. This can be near the sea, in the mountains, or close to other countries. Italian food changes with the seasons and uses fresh ingredients.

Common ingredients in desserts include butter and oil. Staples for first courses are wheat, corn, and rice. Popular meats for main courses are beef and lamb.

Abruzzo and Molise

Pasta, meat, and vegetables are important in Abruzzo and Molise. Chili peppers are common in Abruzzo. Because of a long history of raising sheep, lamb dishes are popular. Lamb is often served with pasta. Mushrooms, rosemary, and garlic are also used a lot.

The region is known for its high-quality olive oil and fine wines like Montepulciano and Trebbiano d'Abruzzo. The most famous dish from Abruzzo is arrosticini, small pieces of lamb cooked on a stick.

Molise's most famous dish is cavatelli, a handmade pasta often served with meat sauce or vegetables. Pizzelle are a common dessert, especially at Christmas.

Aosta Valley

The Aosta Valley has soups thickened with bread, as well as cheese fondue, chestnuts, potatoes, and rice. Polenta, rye bread, smoked bacon, and game meat are staples. Butter and cream are important in many dishes.

Typical products include fontina cheese, Vallée d'Aoste Lard d'Arnad, and red wines.

Apulia

Apulian cuisine focuses on fresh ingredients from the land and sea.

Apulia grows many foods, including wheat, tomatoes, vegetables, and olive oil. The sea provides fish and seafood.

Goat and lamb are sometimes used. The region is known for pasta made from durum wheat, often served with tomato sauce or other ingredients. Popular desserts include zeppole, doughnuts with sugar and cream, and cartellate for Christmas.

Street foods include focaccia, panzerotti, and rustico.

Basilicata

The cuisine of Basilicata uses simple, inexpensive ingredients and has strong rural traditions.

Pork, often made into sausages or roasted, is common. Wild boar, mutton, and lamb are also popular. Pasta sauces use meats or vegetables. Horseradish is a common spice. The region makes cheeses and olive oils. The peperone crusco is a local favorite.

Traditional dishes include pasta con i peperoni cruschi, lagane e ceci, and tumact me tulez. The most famous wine is the Aglianico del Vulture.

Calabria

In Calabria, history has influenced its food. Seafood includes swordfish, shrimp, lobster, sea urchin, and squid. Pasta is often served with goat, beef, or pork sauce.

Main dishes include spicy sausages, goat, and land snails. Melon and watermelon are often served chilled. Calabrian wines include Greco di Bianco and Cirò.

Campania

Campania grows many vegetables and fruits, and the Gulf of Naples provides fish and seafood. The region loves pasta, especially spaghetti, often with tomato sauce, cheese, clams, and shellfish.

Neapolitan cuisine has deep roots and many influences. Spaghetti alla puttanesca is a popular dish. The region is famous for its mozzarella and many dishes like parmigiana di melanzane. Desserts include struffoli, pastiera, and sfogliatelle.

Pizza started in Naples and is now loved worldwide. It is flat bread with tomato sauce, cheese, and toppings.

Famous wines include Aglianico, Fiano, Falanghina, Lacryma Christi, and Greco di Tufo.

Emilia-Romagna

Emilia-Romagna is known for its egg and filled pasta made with soft wheat flour. The Romagna area is famous for pasta dishes and cheeses.

Bologna and Modena are known for tortellini, lasagna, and balsamic vinegar. Emilian cuisine varies, but rice is less common than in other northern regions. Polenta is popular.

Cheeses like Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano are produced here. The region is famous for meat products like prosciutto di Parma and mortadella Bologna. Desserts include zuppa inglese and panpepato.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia

The cuisine of Friuli-Venezia Giulia varies, with some areas having German and Slovene influences. Udine and Pordenone are known for prosciutto di San Daniele, Montasio cheese, and cjarsons stuffed pasta.

Other dishes include game meat, gnocchi, and polenta. Eastern areas have dishes like brovada and Jota. Seafood from the Adriatic is also used.

Tiramisu is a famous dessert from this region.

Lazio

Lazio uses fresh, seasonal ingredients from Roman Campagna. Popular foods include peas, artichokes, lamb, and cheeses like pecorino romano and ricotta.

Pasta dishes like carbonara and amatriciana are common. Offal is used in dishes such as rigatoni with pajata sauce. Abbacchio is a traditional lamb dish.

The region is known for porchetta and Frascati wine. The Jewish community influenced Roman cuisine, including carciofi alla giudia.

Liguria

Ligurian cuisine uses local ingredients and imports from trade. It is known for herbs, vegetables, and seafood. Savory pies with greens, artichokes, and cheeses are popular. Onions and olive oil are used often.

Due to limited wheat land, Ligurians use chickpeas in farinata and polenta-like panissa. Fresh fish is important. Baccalà is a key protein in coastal areas.

Hilly areas use chestnuts for food. Ligurian pastas include corzetti and pansoti. Pesto, made from basil, is a local sauce often served with pasta.

Lombardy

Due to its history and location, Lombard cuisine is very varied. First courses include risotto, soups, and stuffed pasta. Main courses feature meat and fish from the region's lakes and rivers.

Rice dishes, especially risotto, are popular, with risotto alla milanese being famous. Other specialties include cotoletta alla milanese, cassoeula, and bresaola. Cheeses like Grana Padano and Gorgonzola are common. Polenta is a staple. Desserts include panettone.

Marche

On the coast of Marche, fish and seafood are common. Inland, pigs are used for sausages and prosciuttos. Suckling pig and chicken are often stuffed and roasted.

Ascoli is known for olive all'ascolana, stuffed olives. Campofilone is famous for its thin, hand-made pasta.

Piedmont

Piedmontese cuisine is influenced by French cuisine. The region offers a refined variety of foods. It is known for its cheeses and wines like Barolo and Barbaresco.

Piedmont gathers nuts, mushrooms, and cardoons, and hunts and fishes. Truffles, garlic, vegetables, cheese, and rice are common. The region makes Vermouth and Ratafia.

Famous dishes include agnolotti, paniscia, taglierini, bagna càuda, and bicerin. Piedmont is known for pastry and chocolate, including Nutella and gianduiotto.

Sardinia

The cuisine of Sardinia is unique and enriched by interactions with Mediterranean cultures.

Suckling pig and wild boar are often roasted or boiled. Herbs like mint and myrtle are used. Sardinia has special breads. Malloreddus is a typical pasta.

Baked breads include carasau and pistocu. Seafood like rock lobster and scampi is common. Casu marzu is a local sheep cheese.

Sicily

Sicilian cuisine has influences from many cultures over time. It uses fresh vegetables and fish like tuna and seabream.

Traditional dishes include arancini, pasta alla Norma, and caponata. Desserts like cannoli and granita are popular. Marsala is a famous fortified wine.

Trentino-Alto Adige

The cuisine of South Tyrol—in the Trentino-Alto Adige region—mixes Italian, Mediterranean, and alpine influences. Traditional speck prosciutto is a key product. Dishes include goulash, knödel, apple strudel, and spätzle.

The Trentino area has soups and polenta. It makes sausages, yogurt, cheese, and freshwater fish. Typical dishes include zuppa d'orzo and canederli. The region is known for its Non Valley apples.

Tuscany

Tuscan cuisine is simple and focuses on fresh, high-quality ingredients like olive oil, legumes, and meats.

Classic dishes include ribollita, a soup made from leftover minestrone and vegetables. Lampredotto, made from tripe, is another staple. Tuscany has many pastas like tortelli and pici.

High-quality local ingredients are important. The region produces white truffles and many meats like wild boar and pork. Lardo is a famous cured fatback.

Desserts include cantucci and panforte. Famous wines include Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti.

Umbria

Umbrian dishes often use boiling or roasting with olive oil and herbs. Vegetables are popular in spring and summer, while meat from hunting and truffles are common in fall and winter.

Castelluccio is known for lentils. Spoleto and Monteleone are known for spelt. Freshwater fish like trout and perch are eaten. Orvieto and Sagrantino di Montefalco are important wines.

Veneto

Venetian cuisine varies by area. Coastal regions use fish and seafood, while plains areas use ingredients like pumpkin, asparagus, and frog legs.

Polenta, made from maize meal, is a traditional food. It can be served with cheese, meat, or vegetables. Beans and peas are used in dishes like pasta e fagioli and risi e bisi.

Venice has heavy dishes with spices and sauces. Less fish and more meat is eaten away from the coast. Typical products include sausages like sopressa, Piave cheese, and Asiago cheese. Vegetables like red radicchio from Treviso are prized.

Squid and cuttlefish are common, as is squid ink. Popular desserts include tiramisu and nougat.

Famous Venetian wines include Bardolino, Prosecco, and Valpolicella DOC wines.

Meal structure

Main article: Italian meal structure

Italian meals are like those in the European Mediterranean area. They usually have breakfast (colazione), lunch (pranzo), and dinner (cena). Breakfast is often light or sometimes skipped. People in Italy also have snacks in the late morning and mid-afternoon, called merenda.

Traditional Italian meals often have four or five courses, especially on weekends when families and friends eat together for a long time. During special occasions like Christmas and New Year's Eve, meals can last for many hours. Today, meals with many courses are saved for special events like weddings. Everyday meals usually include a first course, like pasta or risotto, and sometimes a second course, such as meat or poultry, along with a side dish and coffee. Bread is commonly placed on the table and is enjoyed with both the first and second courses. It is often used to help soak up any remaining sauce or broth.

Meal stage	Description
Aperitivo	Apéritif usually enjoyed as an appetiser before a large meal; they may be Campari, Martini, Cinzano, Prosecco, Aperol, Spritz, Vermouth, Negroni, etc.
Antipasto	lit. 'before (the) meal', hot or cold, usually consists of cheese, prosciutto, sliced sausage, marinated vegetables or fish, bruschetta, and bread appetisers.
Primo	"First course", usually consists of a hot dish such as pasta (most frequently), risotto, gnocchi or soup with a sauce, vegetarian, meat or fish sugo or ragù as a sauce. The primo is the most frequent course, with the others often seen as somewhat optional. This course is the main source of carbohydrates of the meal.
Secondo	"Second course", the main dish, usually fish or meat with potatoes. Traditionally, veal, pork, and chicken are most commonly used, at least in the north, although beef has become more popular since World War II, and wild game meat is also found, particularly in Tuscany. Fish is also very popular, especially in the south.
Contorno	"Side dish". It may be a salad or cooked vegetables. A traditional menu features salad along with the main course.
Formaggio e frutta	"Cheese and fruits", the first dessert. Local cheeses may be part of the antipasto or contorno as well. Cheese is often eaten the last before fruit, after secondo or contorno.
Dolce	"Sweet", such as cakes (e.g. tiramisu), biscuits or ice cream.
Caffè	lit. 'coffee'.
Digestivo	"Digestives", liquors, and liqueurs (grappa, amaro, limoncello, sambuca, nocino, etc., sometimes referred to as ammazzacaffè, 'coffee-killer', since they would "kill" or "remove" the taste of coffee).

Food establishments

Italy has many special places where people go to eat, each with its own job. These places usually stick to what they are known for. The country has many fancy restaurants.

Food establishments

The garden at an _[osteria](/wiki/Osteria)_ in [Castello Roganzuolo](/wiki/Castello_Roganzuolo), [Veneto](/wiki/Veneto), Italy

A pizzeria in [Naples](/wiki/Naples), Italy, c. 1910

Interior of a [trattoria](/wiki/Trattoria) in [Tolmezzo](/wiki/Tolmezzo), [Friuli](/wiki/Friuli), Italy

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An agriturismo in Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy

Establishment	Description
Agriturismo	Working farms that offer accommodations and meals. Sometimes meals are served to guests only. According to Italian law, they can only serve locally made products (except drinks). Marked by a green and gold sign with a knife and fork.
Bar/caffè	Locations which serve coffee, soft drinks, juice, and alcohol. Hours are generally from 6 am to 10 pm. Foods may include cornetti and other sweet breads (often called brioche in northern Italy), panini, tramezzini (sandwiches), and spuntini (snacks such as olives and potato crisps).
Caffetteria	Locations where coffee and similar drinks are consumed, and desserts can also be eaten.
Birreria	A bar that offers beer; found in central and northern regions of Italy.
Bruschetteria	Specialises in bruschetta, although other dishes may also be offered.
Enoteca	Place where wines are sold or offered for tasting, displayed to the public on the basis of criteria that facilitate their choice.
Fiaschetteria	Locations which serve wine in fiaschi and bottles, although other dishes may also be offered.
Formaggeria	A shop serving cheese.
Frasca	Friulian wine producers that open for the evening and may offer food along with their wines.
Gelateria	A shop where the customer can get gelato to go, or sit down and eat it in a cup or a cone. Bigger ice desserts, coffee or liquors may also be ordered.
Locanda	Locations where it is possible to consume food and where one can be accommodated.
Osteria	Focused on simple food of the region, often having no written menu. Many are open only at night, but some are open for lunch. The name has become fashionable for upscale restaurants with a rustic regional style.
Panificio or panetteria	A shop serving flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries, and pies.
Paninoteca or panineria	Sandwich shop open during the day.
Pasticceria	A shop serving a variety of pastries, confectioneries, biscuits, and cakes.
Pastificio	A shop serving artisanal pasta.
Piadineria	Specialises in piadina, although other dishes may also be offered.
Pizzeria	Specialises in pizza, often with wood-fired ovens.
Polenteria	Serving polenta; uncommon, and found only in northern regions.
Ristorante	Often offers upscale cuisine and printed menus.
Rosticceria	Fast food restaurant, offering local dishes such as cotoletta alla milanese, roasted meat (usually pork or chicken), supplì, and arancini even as take-away.
Sagra	Popular festival, which takes place in a town or in a district to celebrate an event, or an agro-food product, where it is possible to consume food.
Salumeria	A shop serving salumi and cheeses.
Spaghetteria	Originating in Naples, offering pasta dishes and other main courses.
Tavola calda	lit. 'hot table', offers pre-made regional dishes. Most open at 11 am and close late.
Trattoria	A dining establishment, often family-run, with inexpensive prices and an informal atmosphere.

Drinks

Coffee

Alcoholic beverages

Wine

Main article: Italian wine

Italy makes the most wine in the world and has the most different kinds of grapes. Italy grows hundreds of different grapes, making its wine industry very varied. Some famous red wines are Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino, and Amarone.

In 1963, Italy made a law to make sure wines came from certain places and were made in specific ways. Later, in 1980, they made an even higher standard for the best wines.

In Italy, people often drink water and wine with their meals.

Beer

Main article: Beer in Italy

Italy is known for its wine, but beer, especially mass-produced pale lagers, is also common. Beer is often enjoyed with pizza and has become popular for drinking in many other situations since the 1970s. Two well-known Italian beer brands are Peroni and Moretti.

Other

Italy has many other popular alcoholic drinks. Limoncello, a lemon-flavored drink from Campania (Sorrento, Amalfi, and the Gulf of Naples), is very popular. It's usually served very cold in small glasses.

Amaro Averna is a common drink from Sicily made with herbs, often enjoyed after big meals. Mirto, a drink made from myrtle berries and leaves, is popular in Sardinia and other places. Another well-known drink is Amaro Lucano from Basilicata.

Grappa is a common drink in northern Italy. Three famous Italian drinks are Martini, Vermouth, and Campari. Prosecco, a sparkling drink from the Veneto region, is becoming popular around the world as a cheaper option to French champagne.

Desserts

Main article: List of Italian desserts

In Italy, sweets like biscuits and candy are grouped together. Popular treats include candied fruits, torrone, and nut brittles.

Italy is famous for its special gelato, a type of ice cream loved all over the world. Silver-coated almond dragées, called confetti in Italian, are often given as gifts at celebrations like weddings and graduations. These almonds are wrapped in a small tulle bag.

Some famous Italian desserts are:

Panettone, a special Christmas cake
Gelato, creamy Italian ice cream
Panna cotta with toppings
Tiramisu dusted with cocoa powder
Cannoli filled with pistachios and chocolate chips
Torta mimosa
Cassata, a marzipan cake
Sfogliatelle filled with custard
Zuccotto
Crostata

Holiday cuisine

Every region in Italy has special recipes for holidays. On Festa di San Giuseppe ('Saint Joseph's Day') on March 19, people in Sicily thank Saint Joseph for helping them long ago. They eat fava beans and wear red clothes and enjoy a treat called zeppole.

For Easter Sunday, families all over Italy eat lamb, called abbacchio in central Italy. A popular Easter cake is the colomba pasquale (Easter dove), often just called "Italian Easter Cake" in other countries. It is shaped like a dove and topped with almonds and pearl sugar.

On Christmas Eve, many people have a special meatless dinner called cena di magro, following old traditions. This dinner is a big, tasty meal with fish and seafood. Common cakes during Christmas are panettone and pandoro.

International

Africa

Former Italian colonies

Italy once ruled parts of Africa. Places like Ethiopia, Eritrea, Libya, and Somalia use many Italian foods today.

South Africa

Many people in South Africa have Italian roots. They enjoy foods such as prosciutto and cheeses. Every city has Italian restaurants and pizzerias. Olive oil production is growing.

Europe

Croatia

Italian foods came to Croatia with people from Dalmatia and Istria. Examples include scampi alla busara, brudet, and Istrian jota.

France

The food of Corsica in France is very similar to Italian food because Corsica was ruled by Italy for many years. The County of Nice also uses Italian styles.

Malta

Maltese food uses many Italian ideas, along with Spanish, French, and other nearby foods.

Monaco

Monégasque food uses lots of Italian styles, especially from Lombardy.

San Marino

Sammarinese food is very much like Italian food, especially from Emilia-Romagna and Marche. San Marino makes cheese, wine, and livestock.

Slovenia

Because Slovenia is close to Italy, it uses many Italian foods. Examples are njoki, rizota, and zilkrofi.

Switzerland

The food in Ticino uses many Italian ideas. Popular dishes include polenta and risotto.

Pizzoccheri come from Valtellina. Bruscitti is a dish from Lombardy and lower Ticino.

North and Central America

United States

Main article: Italian-American cuisine

Italian-American food comes from Italian styles but uses ingredients found in the United States. Foods from Southern Italy include pasta, tomato sauce, and olive oil. Pizza became popular in the United States when Italian immigrants brought it.

Mexico

In Mexico, torta de milanesa is a common sandwich made with bread and a fried pork or beef cutlet.

South America

Argentina

Because many people from Italy moved to Argentina, Italian foods are very common there. Examples include milanesa and sorrentinos.

Brazil

Italian food is popular in Brazil because many Italians moved there. São Paulo has its own style of pizza.

Uruguay

Many Italians moved to Uruguay, so foods like pasta, baña cauda, and torta frita are common there.

Venezuela

Venezuelan food uses some Italian ideas, like pasticho and Pan Chabata bread.

"Gnocchi del 29"

In some South American countries, people eat gnocchi on the 29th of each month. This comes from a story about Saint Pantaleon, who was known for helping people.

Oceania

The many Italians who moved to Australia changed the country’s food. Chicken parmigiana became popular there. In the 1950s, the first espresso machines appeared in Sydney, and many Italian coffee houses opened in cities like Melbourne.

The Italian community in New Zealand also added Italian flavors to local foods.