Pizza pugliese (left) and pizza Margherita (DOC) (right)
Spaghetti alla carbonara
Tiramisu is an Italian dessert.

This is a list of Italian foods and drinks. Italian cuisine has developed through centuries of social and political changes, with roots as far back as the 4th century BC. Italian cuisine has its origins in Etruscan, ancient Greek, and ancient Roman cuisines. Significant changes occurred with the discovery of the New World and the introduction of potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers and maize, now central to the cuisine, but not introduced in quantity until the 18th century.[1][2]

Italian cuisine includes deeply rooted traditions common to the whole country, as well as all the regional gastronomies, different from each other, especially between the north, the centre and the south of Italy, which are in continuous exchange.[3][4][5] Many dishes that were once regional have proliferated with variations throughout the country.[6][7] Italian cuisine offers an abundance of taste, and is one of the most popular and copied around the world.[8] The most popular dishes and recipes, over the centuries, have often been created by ordinary people more so than by chefs, which is why many Italian recipes are suitable for home and daily cooking, respecting regional specificities.[9][10][11]

The Mediterranean diet forms the basis of Italian cuisine, rich in pasta, fish, fruits and vegetables.[12] Cheese, cold cuts and wine are central to Italian cuisine, and along with pizza and coffee (especially espresso) form part of Italian gastronomic culture.[13] Desserts have a long tradition of merging local flavours such as citrus fruits, pistachio and almonds with sweet cheeses such as mascarpone and ricotta or exotic tastes such as cocoa, vanilla and cinnamon. Gelato,[14] tiramisu[15] and cassata are among the most famous examples of Italian desserts, cakes and patisserie. Italian cuisine relies heavily on traditional products; the country has a large number of traditional specialities protected under EU law.[16] Italy is the world's largest producer of wine, as well as the country with the widest variety of indigenous grapevine varieties in the world.[17][18]

Foods and drinks

Note: the "Other foods" section is necessary to list foods without a specific placement.

Soups, sauces and condiments

Minestrone
Pappa al pomodoro
Salsa verde

Creams

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2024)

Bread

Bruschetta
Crostini
Focaccia
Panino
Piadina

Common pizzas

A pizza Margherita

Pasta varieties

Main article: List of pasta

A collection of different pasta varieties
Cappelletti
Farfalle
Ravioli
Rigatoni
Tagliatelle
Trofie

Pasta dishes

See also: List of pasta dishes

Lasagne al forno with ragù
Bucatini all'amatriciana
Gnocchi di ricotta, dressed in butter and sage
Orecchiette con cime di rapa
Pasta alla Norma
Penne all'arrabbiata
Ravioli di ricotta e spinaci
Spaghetti alla puttanesca
Spaghetti cacio e pepe
Tortelli di zucca
Trenette al pesto

Rice dishes

See also: List of rice dishes

Arancini
Insalata di riso

Rice dishes are very common in northern Italy, especially in the Lombardy and Veneto regions, though rice dishes are found throughout the country.

Fish dishes

See also: List of fish dishes

A variation of acqua pazza, a fish dish featuring black olives, scallions and mushrooms
Baccalà alla lucana
Cacciucco
Cappon magro
Sarde in saor

Meat dishes and cured meats

Abbacchio alla romana
Bistecca alla fiorentina
Braciola served with grilled aubergines
Bruscitti served with polenta porridge
Carne pizzaiola
Cotechino, polenta and lentils
Cotoletta with potatoes
Ossobuco served with risotto alla milanese
Porchetta
Rabbit cacciatora
Saltimbocca
Trippa alla parmigiana

Vegetable dishes

See also: List of vegetable dishes

Caponata
Carciofi alla romana
Parmigiana di melanzane

Nut dishes

Wines

Further information: Italian wine, Lists of Italian DOCG, DOC, and IGT wines.

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2024)
Tuscan Chianti in a traditional fiasco
Sangiovese grapes
Vineyards in Langhe and Montferrat, Piedmont, the official name of a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising "five distinct wine-growing areas with outstanding landscapes" plus the Castle of Grinzane Cavour in the region of Piedmont, Italy.[44]
DOCG and DOC labels on two Italian wine bottles
Poggio Amorelli, a typical winery of Chianti region
A bottle of Prosecco di Conegliano spumante extra dry and a glass of Prosecco frizzante, which stops forming bubbles soon after it is poured
A Montepulciano d'Abruzzo wine made from the Montepulciano grape, in the Abruzzo region

Liqueurs

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2024)
Bottles of limoncello

Non-alcoholic drinks

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2024)

Cheeses

Further information: List of Italian cheeses, and the more select List of Italian PDO cheeses

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2024)

Considering the large number of Italian cheeses, only the most famous ones are listed below.

Asiago
Gorgonzola
Mozzarella
Parmigiano Reggiano
Pecorino romano
Ricotta
Stracchino
Taleggio

Cheese dishes

Mozzarella in carrozza

Desserts and pastry

Main article: List of Italian desserts

See also: Sicilian cuisine – Desserts and sweets and List of desserts

Bombolone
Cannoli siciliani
Cassata siciliana
Chiacchiere
Colomba pasquale
Confetti di Sulmona
Frittelle
Gelato
Gelo di melone
Pandoro
Panettone
Panna cotta
Semifreddo
Sfogliatelle Santa Rosa
Tiramisu in Naples
Zeppole
Zuppa inglese

Other foods

Frittata
Olive all'ascolana
Timballo

Doughs

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2024)

Coffee

Bicerin
Espresso is a coffee brewed by forcing a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure through finely ground coffee beans.

Olive oil

Fruits, vegetables and legumes

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2024)

Unique dishes and foods by region

Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Prosciutto di San Daniele

Veneto

Main article: Cuisine of Veneto

Pasta e fagioli

Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol

Canederli

Lombardy

Main article: Lombard cuisine

Panettone
Ossobuco with risotto alla milanese
Pizzoccheri
Tortelli di zucca
Casoncelli
Cassoeula
Colomba pasquale
Pavese agnolotti with Pavese stew-based sauce
Taleggio
Mondeghili

Valle D'Aosta

Piedmont

Bagna càuda with ingredients
Panna cotta with cream and garnish

Liguria

Emilia-Romagna

Boiled cotechino (top) served with polenta and lentils
Passatelli
Tagliatelle al ragù

Tuscany

Ribollita

Tuscan bread specialties

Umbria

Specialties of the Norcineria (Umbrian Butcher)

Marche

Olive all'ascolana

Unique ham and sausage specialties

Lazio

Gnocchi

Abruzzo and Molise

Arrosticini

Campania

Sfogliatella
Spaghetti alle vongole

Apulia

Orecchiette with cime di rapa sauce

Apulian bread specialties

Basilicata

Pasta con i peperoni cruschi

Calabria

'Nduja with bread, with a piece of 'nduja sausage in the background

Sicily

Main articles: List of Sicilian dishes and Sicilian cuisine

Sardinia

Ingredients

Most important ingredients (see also: Italian herbs and spices):

Other common ingredients

Balsamic vinegar
Pasta being prepared in a pasta machine
Radicchio

Herbs and spices

Main article: List of Italian soups

See also: List of soups and List of sauces

See also

References

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