Italian Food: 24 Photos Beyond the Pizza & Pasta

Written by

Most people think of pasta and pizza as soon as they hear the word Italy! Definitely, those are the Italian most staples dishes (which you can’t find better anywhere else)! However, Italian food goes beyond these cheesy and carb loaded acclaimed popular foods. There are a lot of seafood, vegetables, nuts on the daily Italian table, pastries and much more.

Below are 25 photos of Italians traditional dishes that I indulged while in Italy for the first time, besides the pasta and pizza (off course). I have some new favorites dishes now with I would like to start with below.

P.S: As a curious fact, the beloved hazelnut spread (Nutella) is from Italy. Although the Frenchs have mastered the baking, the Italians have mastered the filling in the baked goods! For your disappointment, I have no pictures on this article of pastries filled with Nutella.

Sfogliatella

This is a traditional Neapolitan pastry and my favorite ever! It’s finely made with crunchy layers and a dense filling. Imagine a filled cronut 10 times better and crunchier. Usually it has the shape of a triangle but can also be a cone shape (which represents the Mont Vesusvio volcano due to its shape). The traditional sfogliattella is filled with a sweet cream however you can find them savory as well. Although its is a chain, one of the best stores that are specialized on these treats is Cuori de Sfogliattella! A must try!!!

Grilled Fish & Roasted Potatoes

Seabass with roasted potatoes at Pizza Ciro, Rome. They come to your table to debone the fish. It had a very Mediterranean flavor with black olives and some good amount of olive oil.

Steak & Fior de Zucca

  • Italian Florentine Steak
    They use rock salt to cook the steaks just like in Brazil.
  • Fried stuffed zucchini flower. It’s so delicate on its texture and flavor.

Roasted Chestnuts

  •  Little stands selling chestnuts in paper cones appear in every piazza throughout Italy.
  • It was my first time trying it, I was so excited (right in front of the Trevi fountain)

Cuoppo Misto (Fried food)

Cuoppo Misto is humble dish from Naples and a delicious Italian tradition. Cuoppo means pepper cone where its filled with a mix of bite-size deep-fried foods. It’s a famous street food. It can contain fried zucchini, calamari, eggplants, polenta sticks, risotto balls, potato croquettes etc. Just depends on the vendor and your preference. Some places will let you pick your own fried combinations.

Grilled vegetables Antipasto

Antipasto in Italian means before the meal. It’s like an appetizer but it’s not fried food. It mainly consist in grilled vegetables, or can also be cheese and meats (like a cheese board) This one had eggplants mushrooms, roasted pepper, potato salad (and I can’t remember the rest 🤣)

Seafood Risotto

Risotto is more of a northern Italian rice dish cooked with broth until it reaches a creamy consistency. The broth can be made with meat, fish, or vegetables, and its cooked with white wine and parmesan cheese. In the south of Italy the seafood risotto is the most popular.

Pizza a Taglio (by the meter)

Pizza a taglio (which means cut) is a roman style of pizza and it is sold by the weight. They literary cut the pizza with scissors right in front of you according to the size that you want and you pay for pizza by the kilogram. This type of pizza has a thick crispy crust and is baked in a large rectangular tray.

Brioche with Gelato & Lobster Tail

  • Bombolini or brioche with gelato is pretty much a bun stuffed with Italian ice cream. In the south of Italy they eat this for breakfast! I had to follow the tradition 😁
  • Lobster tail its a type of sfogliatella but shaped differently, more long and usually filled with a lemon ricotta cream

Babà

Babà is a small yeast cake which is soaked in syrup and hard liquor (usually rum)! It can also be filled with whipped cream or pastry cream. It’s a very popular dessert in Italy.

Limoncello & Delizie al Limone

  • Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur mainly produced in Southern Italy. It’s usually drank after a meal as a digestive
  • Delizie al Limone is a sponge cakes filled with a lemon cream, brushed with Limoncello syrup and covered in a lemon and whipped cream glaze

Insalada di Mare (seafood salad)

Italy’s classic bright salad of gently cooked and marinated seafood, including shrimp, octopus, squid, scallops, and mussels, with lemon juice, olive oil and parsley. Very refreshing and protein packed.

Pork Saltimbocca

Pork saltimboca is a Roman dish prepared with pork or veal, prosciutto, sage and sometimes a creamy wine sauce . It’s very flavorful and tender.

Fiocco di Neve

 Fiocco di neve (“the snowflake”) is a cream-filled doughball that quickly became a “new classic” of Neapolitan pastry. They can have different fillings and are usually rolled ups on coconut flakes, crunched pistachios or chocolae sprinkles. The pistachio is my favorite!

Croissant & Pistachio filled Pastries

Once again pistachios! I’m a fan of them so any food or dessert with pistachio is a winner for me. Italians have a lot of pastries like croissant and filled pies but I gotta say they are not as good as the French. However, if you find a croissant filled with pistachio cream you shouldn’t dare to hesitate, you will never ask for Nutella again in your life!

Crostata de Frutta

It’s basically an Italian fruit tart. The custard has a velvety texture and the citric flavors of the fruits make this dessert not very sweet.

Biscotti

Biscotti is the Italian almond biscuits. They are twice-baked, oblong-shaped, dry, crunchy, and may be dipped in a coffee or you can try in a glass of Prosecco 😉. I was just as surprised by the prosecco but after trying both ways, the bubbles are my favorite over the coffee.

And to finalize it… the happy hour in Italy!!! The Aperol Spritz one of the most popular cocktail and usually served with chips, nuts, olives or Taralli (my absolute favorite Italian crackers) which are similar to a round breadstick or a pretzel. In Italy, even a drink always come with food (snacks). Some bars have the aperitivo hour (7pm to 9pm) which has a little buffet full of snacks and you can eat as much as you want as long as you buy drinks.

Aperol Spritz or Limoncello Spritz

  • Aperol Spritz
  • Limoncello Spritz

If you enjoyed this article, please leave a comment or share on your social media. Feel free to add any other comment or food that you would like to be included. 😁

Comments are closed.