Who doesn’t love Italian food? Few people will remain indifferent to the famous dishes – pizza, pasta and risotto. But this is not all that this friendly and sunny country can offer us. Let’s still figure out what tasty things you can eat when visiting Italy ?!

For an appetizer, take a salad – a very light and “patriotic” salad of tomato, mozzarella and basil pieces. You can also order frittata – an Italian omelet with any fillings (cheese, potatoes, vegetables and even pasta) or bruschetta – a hot Italian sandwich, most often a hot toast with tomatoes and garlic. Sandwich lovers will appreciate Italian triangular tramezzino sandwiches, grilled crispy panini and closed calzone or panzerotto pizza.

At first, in Italy it is customary to serve both soups and traditional pasta and risotto. And keep in mind that you need to leave room for the second (usually meat and vegetables) and dessert, and portions in Italy are often very decent. The most famous Italian soup is minestrone, translated as “big soup”, it is believed that this soup was one of the most favorite dishes of the genius Leonardo da Vinci. Minestrone is prepared differently in every region of Italy, this is the main feature of Italian cuisine, but the traditional recipe includes a lot of vegetables, rice or pasta, beans and a lot of greens. This is a very tasty and satisfying dish. If you are relaxing on the coast, be sure to try the cacucco goulash soup made from fresh seafood, according to all the rules, it should include at least 5 varieties of fish.

Is it worth mentioning the world-famous bolognese and carbonara pastas. In their homeland, they are divine, like any pizza. Italians prefer simplicity in everything and the most popular pizza has been and remains the classic Margherita, by the way, Italians eat pizza as an appetizer before serving the main course. The classics include lasagna – an Italian casserole from meat to vegetarian, generously flavored with cheese and bechamel milk sauce, caneloni – stuffed dough tubes, risotto – a rice dish cooked according to a special technology, traditionally with seafood or mushrooms, ravioli and tortellinni – Italian dumplings with various fillings.

Whatever you choose from this impressive list, we are sure that Italian cuisine will take a leading position among your taste preferences and, most importantly, do not forget to generously flavor everything with Parmesan.

Be sure to try the gnocchi – Italian-style dumplings, they are made from potatoes, semolina and cheese and served with traditional sauces.

An unusual Sicilian dish that is definitely worth a try for tourists tired of pasta and pizza – Arancini. Literally arancini translates as “little oranges”. Outwardly, they really resemble them. Arancini – Italian rice balls stuffed with minced meat, mozzarella, green peas, tomato sauce. They are rolled in breadcrumbs and then fried in olive oil. It turns out crispy on the outside, but very tender on the inside, a dish that is rarely prepared outside of Italy.

You may also like the classic Italian beef dish. Osso buco is translated as “hollow bone”, which (together with the brain) is just used to make meat stew. The composition must have veal shank, coarsely chopped vegetables, tomato sauce, spices. It sounds too simple, but in fact, even the most demanding tasters like ossobuco. The most popular variety is Milanese. The dish is usually served with risotto or vegetable puree.

Frittata is not just an Italian omelette – it is a breakfast dish worthy of a real gourmet. Frittata is prepared with a filling of vegetables, cheese, meat or sausage, as well as a mixture of aromatic spices. The omelette is first fried on the stove and then baked in the oven or brought to readiness under the lid. In Naples, they like to cook the dish with pasta, and the classic “peasant” frittata necessarily contains leeks and parmesan. You can eat it warm or cold – it will still be delicious. Bring a mixture of dried herbs and cheese from Italy. As well as Italian sausages, prosciutto cotto, bresaola, speck, capicollo or other unusual varieties – all of them are great for making frittata.

Well, and, of course, desserts, as without them. Delicate panna cotta, classic tiramisu and crispy cannoli. Panna cotta is a simple and tasty pudding-like cream-based dessert served in small portions with berry or any other sweet sauce and pieces of fruit.

Tiramisu, translated from Italian as “cheer me up”, is a delicious multi-layered dessert with mascarpone cheese and crispy savoiardi cookies. Tiramisu is insanely popular all over the world and there are a huge number of recipes and variations of it, but it is best to try it in the classic version and, if possible, in Italy.

Cannoli is a traditional Sicilian dessert, in the form of a crispy tube with curd cheese and sweet syrup. Once upon a time, cannoli was prepared exclusively on holidays, but over time, the dessert gained such popularity that it began to be prepared daily and even outside the country.

Gelato deserves special mention – the famous Italian ice cream based on cow’s milk, with the addition of chocolate, nuts, fresh berries and fruits. The technology for making gelato is different from the technology for making regular ice cream. It is thicker in texture. Contains less air and most importantly – it does not freeze! Gelato is prepared in front of you and served chilled, not frozen.

Of the drinks, it is worth noting the amazing Italian coffee, which is significantly different from the one we are used to in our homeland. For dinner, Italians allow themselves good wine (good wine can be bought in almost any supermarket for 3-4 €), limoncella lemon liqueur or grappa – a strong tincture (from 40 to 55%) on grape leaves.

Lunch in an average restaurant for two will cost you 45-50 €, a tourist business lunch is about 15 €, and you can buy a piece of pizza for a snack for 2.5-4 €. Do not forget that the best establishments in terms of price and quality are those establishments that are chosen by local residents.

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Italian cuisine is one of the most popular in the world. This is due to its simplicity, authenticity, and variety. It’s a cuisine that has been passed down through generations and has become a way of life for many Italians.

The Italian cuisine is based on fresh ingredients, cooked with care and attention to detail by people who love what they do. This makes the food taste amazing!

The Italian cuisine has some of the most well-known dishes in the world like pizza, pasta, risotto, gelato, tiramisu and more! You can find these dishes in every corner of Italy – from Sicily to Lombardy – not just in big cities like Rome or Milan.