10 Iconic Dishes You Must Try in Italy

Certain food dishes represent the nation that invented them. Italy has such a rich food culture it’s impossible to nail it down to a single dish. To fully appreciate 10 iconic Italian dishes at their finest, you must try them in Italy!

10. Lasagne alla Bolognese

Lasagne alla Bolognese is a classic Italian dish that’s famous throughout the world. It was invented in the city of Bologna. Many consider it the signature dish of Italy. Traditionally, it features multiple layers of beef, tomato, and onion bolognese sauce, as well as bechamel sauce and lasagne pasta sheets, finishing off with a cheesy top.

9. Fettuccine al Pomodoro

Fettuccine al Pomodoro is a classic Italian dish that’s lighter and cooked more quickly than other pasta dishes with long-cooked meat sauce. Pomodoro means “tomato.” The tomato and basil sauce gives this dish its iconic taste. Some mistake Pomodoro sauce for marinara sauce, but each is distinct. Marinara is liquidy and chunky, while Pomodoro is thicker and smoother.

8. Gnocchi di Patate

Gnocchi di Patate, or potato gnocchi, is a popular alternative to pasta and can be dressed with practically any pasta sauce, as well as pesto or burnt butter and sage. Gnocchi is soft dough dumplings made from potatoes, semolina or wheat flour, eggs, cheese, breadcrumbs, and cornmeal. Varieties of potato gnocchi can vary by region. There are many flavors.

7. Melanzane alla Parmigiana

Melanzane alla Parmigiana, or eggplant Parmesan, is prepared in a way similar to that of lasagna. The dish is made with sliced and fried eggplant that’s layered with mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and tomato sauce and then baked. The eggplant is either dusted in flour or dredged in egg and flour (Sicilian style), then fried before being layered and baked.

6. Pollo alla Cacciatora

Pollo alla Cacciatora, also known as chicken cacciatore, is a classic chicken stew dish that is a blend of chicken, tomato sauce, herbs, vegetables, and wine. The chicken is cut into pieces and quickly pan-fried. Next, it’s stewed in a tomato sauce with rosemary, garlic, onion, celery, carrots, bay leaf, olives, and white wine.

5. Pizza Margherita

Pizza Margherita is considered the archetype of a thin-crust pizza. This simple, typical Neapolitan pizza has a roundish shape with raised edges. It’s garnished with hand-crushed peeled tomatoes (or tomato sauce) and (Buffalo) mozzarella cheese, fresh basil leaves, and extra virgin olive oil. The simple dough is made by mixing flour with yeast, salt, and water.

4. Costoletta alla Milanese

Costoletta alla Milanese, a Lombardy signature dish, was invented in 1148. It starts with a lightly tenderized bone-in veal cutlet coated in crunchy breadcrumbs and fried in clarified butter. Then it’s likely sprinkled with salt. Some purists also asked for melted butter to be poured over the cutlet before being served.

3. Vitello Tonnato

The literal translation of vitello tonnato means “tunnied veal.” First, the veal is marinated and then boiled. Next, it’s cut into thin slices and allowed to reach room temperature or be chilled. It’s covered in a rich fish sauce made with tuna, capers, anchovy, hard-boiled eggs, and lemon juice. It’s typically served cold as an antipasto.

2. Tiramisù

Tiramisù is an iconic Italian dessert. Traditional tiramisù consists of layers of soft biscuits, egg, mascarpone cheese, sugar, wine, rum, cocoa powder, and espresso coffee. The combination of coffee and alcohol makes this dessert the perfect “pick me up.” The strong flavor of the dessert will linger pleasantly in your mouth for an entire evening until you brush your teeth.

1. Panna Cotta

Panna Cotta is a light, traditional Italian custard from the Piedmont region. It’s made from sweetened cream that’s thickened and molded with unflavored gelatin. The cream is typically aromatized with coffee, vanilla, or other flavorings. It’s often served with berries or sauce made from Caramello or chocolate. It also may be covered with other fruits or liqueurs.