What to eat in Italy

A Sicilian staple, caponata is an eggplant dish caramelised with celery and capers and bound together in a sweet and sour relish. It's a perfect starter, piled liberally on top of bread.

Sicily loves its seafood – swordfish, in particular. This 'involtini' (roll), is a piece of locally-caught swordfish stuffed with breadcrumbs and either baked or fried. Buonissimo.

This indulgent tube-shaped Italian pastry originated in Sicily and comes with a range of fillings, none better than Nutella or crema di pistachio (pistachio cream). A perfect end to a meal, or for a sweet snack on the go.

Eaten at any time of the day, granita is how Sicilians cool themselves down in the unrelenting heat of summer. It’s a sorbet-like mix of ice with flavours like coffee, lemon, raspberry, kiwi and Nutella. In Sicily, the granita is thicker than usual, so it’s eaten with a spoon.

Never throw away your stale bread, just make it into panzanella. This salad is full of classic Italian flavours – tomatoes, onion, basil, balsamic – all tossed together. Works well as a side or as a fresh and light plant-based lunch. 

The mother of all steaks, this Florentine T-bone has true carnivores in its sights. The Bistecca alla Fiorentina comes from a local breed of cow – the Chianina – and is served simply with salt and pepper and some herbs. It’s cooked rare, the traditional way, and melts in your mouth if done well.

Tortelli is a type of pasta similar to tortellini, only bigger! Originating in the northern valley of Mugello in Tuscany, these parcels are packed full of a spiced potato mix, and can be served with a simple burnt butter and sage sauce, or with a hearty ragu.

You can’t go past a piece of cake to finish off a meal. Castagnaccio is one of only a few gluten-free sweets common to Italy – made with chestnut flour and studded with walnuts, pine nuts, raisins and rosemary. Top it off with a sweet wine, such as a vin santo, and you’re set.

This Roman speciality has one hearty vegetable at its core – the artichoke. It’s usually a side dish and is made from a rounder and less thorny artichoke called the mammole.

Cured meats vary by region in Italy, and one of Lazio's claims to fame is guanciale – a pork cheek product. Similar to pancetta or bacon, it can be sliced thinly, fried and scrambled with eggs or tossed in a salad, but is most known for its use in a traditional carbonara recipe.

Simply meaning ‘cheese and pepper’ in many central Italian dialects, that’s exactly what the sauce is, but it’s not that simple to master. It uses a sharp pecorino cheese – and lots of it – tossed with pepper and a dash of starchy pasta water to bind it all together.

This classic Roman dish is a thin piece of veal wrapped in prosciutto and sage, then cooked to perfection. If you’re looking for all the Italian flavours wrapped into one without being pizza or pasta, saltimbocca may be the ideal choice.

Emilia Romagna is known for some of Italy’s best produce, like balsamic vinegar and parmesan cheese. You might be able to taste DOP (Protected Denomination of Origin) balsamic vinegar in an acetaia in Modena and sample some Parmigiano Reggiano, perhaps purchasing the best of the best to take home with you.

A staple on any menu in Bologna, mortadella is a large Italian pork sausage, flavoured with spices including whole black pepper, myrtle berries and pistachios. Sliced thinly, it’s a perfect meal starter, and features heavily on local antipasto spreads.

Truffle hunting, anyone? Among other varieties, the white truffles are found growing close to the roots of oak, poplar and linden trees and have a fragrant and robust flavour, perfect paired with a cheesy, creamy pasta sauce.

News just in: Bologna is home to Bolognese. Locally known as ragu, there are different variations, but it’ll usually include beef, pork or veal slow-cooked in a tomato and red wine sauce. Spoon over tagliatelle and shave some parmesan on top, and you’re in heaven.