The 20 most famous dishes of Italy
Italian cuisine is the world's most famous, built on a few top-quality ingredients — olive oil, tomatoes, cheese and fresh pasta — with every region guarding its own dishes and traditions.
1Pizza Margherita
The classic Neapolitan pizza in the colours of the Italian flag: red tomato, white mozzarella and green basil…
2Spaghetti alla Carbonara
A Roman pasta with a creamy sauce of egg yolks, pecorino and black pepper with crisp guanciale — and…
3Lasagne alla Bolognese
Layers of pasta sheets with slow-cooked Bolognese ragù, béchamel and Parmesan, baked until golden.
4Risotto alla Milanese
Creamy arborio rice coloured gold with saffron, cooked gradually in stock and finished with butter and…
5Cacio e Pepe
Rome's simplest pasta — just pecorino, black pepper and starchy pasta water, emulsified into a stunning…
6Spaghetti all'Amatriciana
Pasta with tomato, guanciale, chili and pecorino, from the town of Amatrice near Rome.
7Trofie al Pesto Genovese
Genoa's green sauce of fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan and olive oil, tossed with trofie, potatoes…
8Ossobuco alla Milanese
Cross-cut veal shanks with marrow braised slowly in stock and vegetables until meltingly tender, finished…
9Bistecca alla Fiorentina
A huge T-bone of Tuscan beef, seared over embers and left rare inside, served with only olive oil and salt.
10Arancini
Sicilian rice balls stuffed with meat ragù, peas and mozzarella, crumbed and fried until golden like little…
11Melanzane alla Parmigiana
Layers of fried aubergine, basil tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan, baked until bubbling.
12Minestrone
A hearty Italian vegetable soup with beans, small pasta and tomato, changing with the season's vegetables.
13Potato Gnocchi
Soft dumplings of potato and flour, boiled until they float and served with butter and sage or tomato sauce.
14Saltimbocca alla Romana
Thin veal escalopes topped with prosciutto and a sage leaf, pan-fried in butter with a light sauce — the name…
15Focaccia Genovese
A soft flatbread from Genoa rich with olive oil, its surface covered in golden dimples, coarse salt and…
16Bruschetta al Pomodoro
Toasted bread rubbed with garlic and topped with fresh tomatoes, basil and olive oil — a simple, fresh…
17Ricotta & Spinach Ravioli
Fresh pasta parcels filled with ricotta, spinach and Parmesan, served with butter and sage.
18Tiramisù
An Italian dessert of savoiardi biscuits dipped in coffee, layered with mascarpone cream and dusted with…
19Panna Cotta
A silky vanilla cooked cream set with gelatine, served with berry sauce.
20Cannoli Siciliani
Crisp fried pastry tubes filled with sweetened ricotta cream, chocolate chips and pistachios — Sicily's…