Beyond Pizza and Pasta: 10 Must-Try Popular Italian Food Delicacies

Whether you’re Italian or not, we’re certain you’ve loved Italian cuisine in one way or another. While pizza and pasta have taken over the world like wildfire, there are many other popular Italian dishes you can explore and fall in love with! In this blog, curated by Burrata House, we will discover the top ten must-try Italian dishes you will love! Read on!

Uncovering The Top 10 Popular Italian Dishes

Here are the top ten popular Italian dishes you shouldn’t wait any longer to try!

Baccala Mantecato

This dish is a specialty of the city built on 100 small islands: Venice. If you’re into seafood, this one’s for you. The lavish dish includes creamy and salty boiled fish, which is first covered in olive oil until it achieves a delicious, spreadable texture. It is served on toasted bread, making the dish effortlessly serve a unique, memorable, and delightful seafood experience. It captures the essence of Venetian cuisine with perfection. So the next time you visit Italy, make sure this dish is on your must-have list!

Arancini

Also known as “little oranges”, Arancini is the perfect depiction of the beautiful island of Sicily. These are little, golden-fried rice balls stuffed with the elite mixture of cheese, meat, and peas. The best part about Arancini? It can be taken as street food to have on the go or as an appetizer in a fancy restaurant! 

Osso Buco

Coming all the way from Lombardy, the northern region of Italy, Osso Buco is a dish you’ll never forget! It holds the delectable flavors of braised veal shanks and is cooked with white wine, aromatic vegetables, and broth to give its unique flavor. It’s typically served with gremolata as well, which is a mixture of garlic, parsley, and lemon zest. 

Cannoli

Once again, coming from the breathtaking island of Sicily, Cannoli is a crisp tube-like pastry that’s filled with a cream-like mixture of ricotta. Best adorned with chocolate chips of pistachios, the dish is renowned for its contrasting inner taste and outer layering. The delectable combination of the crispy shell and the tasty mixture is alone a reason to have this dish on your next trip to Italy! One bite of this dish and you’ll understand why it’s one of the most popular Italian foods!

Truffle Risotto

This is where Italians take risotto to the next level. Truffle risotto is the one dish that can embody sophistication like no other. Hailing from northern Italy’s Piedmont region, Truffle Risotto is best known for its aromatic and earthy flavor, which adds an element of uniqueness to the dish’s creamy rice texture. Get ready to delight all your senses with one spoonful of this luxurious dish!

Ribollita

Originating from Tuscany, Ribollita is where creativity meets resourcefulness. It’s a soup made utilizing leftover vegetables, beans, and bread, creating a taste unlike any other! It’s a form of art to create a medley as flavorful as Ribollita, making it one of the most popular Italian foods! So make sure you’re not missing out on it the next time you visit Italy!

Caponata

Once again, we’re here with a dish that originates from Sicily. The sweet and sour eggplant relish, Caponata, uses capers, tomatoes, olives, and pine nuts to create the perfect topping for bruschetta. But the best part about this dish is that it can be served as a side dish too, or can be enjoyed as a standalone! The unmatched versatility of this dish is alone a reason to try it the next time you’re out and about!

Culatello

This one’s for ham lovers! Originating from the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy, Culatello is the best ham you’ll ever taste! The tenderness, the flavor, and the aroma are all unmatched! The ham is first salted, aged, and then cured to perfection. The fine cuts in the pork thinly slice the ham, and the artistic dish is then served with bread to embody the art of popular Italian food. You simply cannot skip on this one!

Pecorino Romano

Hailing from the regions of Lazio and Sardina, Pecorino Romano deserves its spotlight against mozzarella and parmesan. This luxurious cheese may not be a dish by itself, but it serves as the perfect accompaniment ingredient to other dishes. Made with sheep’s milk, this cheese comes with a unique salty and tangy flavor that enhances the taste of other dishes. Whether you use it on pasta or savor it by itself, Pecorino Romano never disappoints.

Torta Caprese

As the name suggests, Torta Caprese is a dish from the exquisite island of Capri. It’s a flourless chocolate cake made with cocoa, dark chocolate, almonds, and love. The richness and nutty flavors of the dish make it impossible not to fall in love with the dish on your first bite! It is best served with sprinkled, powdered sugar on top of whipped cream, enhancing the sweetness of the desert to the sky.

Conclusion

To sum it up, Italy is renowned for its cuisine, and we’re not only talking about the classic Pizza and Pasta here. Although the two have taken over the world too, with each country inventing their own unique flavors, it’s no doubt Italy has a lot more to offer. So the next time you visit Italy, make sure to try these popular Italian foods and dishes to ensure you never miss out on the best Italy has to offer!

Buon Appetito!

FAQs

Pizza. And then Pasta. It goes without saying!

Yes, you can! Many popular Italian foods offer vegetarian options as well, giving you the chance to explore the country’s delicacies with all your heart and soul!

Yes, they are. Most countries will have Italian restaurants with popular Italian food items on the menu. However, just know that the taste may vary from country to country and region to region.