The best food to eat in Italy

Italy is quite possibly my favourite country in Europe and it’s the food as well as the people and scenery which enable it to cement this placing.

Eating a meal out in Italy is a full on experience in itself due to the sheer number of courses:

  • Antipasto: Something to nibble on such as olives, anchovies, cured meats, cheeses, pickled meats and vegetables in oil or vinegar. Translated to English antipasto means “before the meal.”
  • Primo: Pasta (typically) is a first course, served as an appetizer.
  • Secondo: The main, or second course. Small portions of fish or meat are usual choices.
  • Contorno: A platter of vegetables usually accompanies the main course.
  • Dolce: A sweet dish to finish.

Here is my round up of the best food to eat in Italy.

The best food to eat in italy

Gelato

Gelato is softer than ice cream and there are providers everywhere in Italy offering a huge range of individual flavours. I tend to opt for the classics like lemon or hazelnut and chocolate which I can compare from vendor to vendor.

Margherita Pizza

No trip to Italy would be complete without sampling a Margherita Pizza. They might seem low on ingredients and simple, but the thin crusts, sauces (unique to the restaurant serving you), basil and mozzarella cheese cooked in a woodfire oven make a real Italian Margherita Pizza worth trekking across the globe for.

Pizza

Pasta Carbonara

A simple pasta dish made with egg, bacon, Parmesan cheese and white wine tossed together with rigatoni or spaghetti noodles.

Prosecco

I’m rarely one to turn down a glass of wine- sipping the dry Italian sparkling wine on a Gondola in Venice really topped the experience for me.

Prosecco

Salad

Too many carbs and sweets you can really crave some greens! I loved eating simple salads dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and continued to make them this way long after I returned home.

Tapas

Something I loved about bars in Milan was the free tapas during happy hour which included items such as risotto balls, bruschetta, olives, and melon wrapped in parma ham.

tapas

Tiramisu

Tiramisu is my personal favourite desert and what has become my contribution to Christmas dinner (dubbed Tiramisarah). I’ve seen it made in different ways and forms but the layers and coffee taste is constant.

What makes these the best food to eat in Italy?

Dissecting these plates down to their primary ingredients, it’s the Italian produce such as cheeses and meats and sauces which make it what it is.

Probably  the best experience you could have in Italy and a way to discover and learn about it’s culinary delights would be to go on a food tour.

The tours include transport, tastings and an English speaking guide. They run seven days per week for most of the year. Check out their site and let me know if you take a tour with them!

Have you ever taken a food tour? Did I miss anything? What do you think the best food to eat in Italy is?

19 Comments

  1. kenza dwn
    January 30, 2016 / 3:37 am

    I never took a food tour but I definitely love italian food, soo yummy !

    The best thing I ever eat was from a friend from Sicilia who cooked me pasta with chicken, pistachio pesto and zuchini, it was sooooooooooo good !

    • January 30, 2016 / 4:28 pm

      That sounds so yum Kenza! One of those dishes you could attempt to recreate at home but would probably, sadly never be as good as it was when she made it.

  2. August 5, 2015 / 10:05 am

    Panzerotti!

    And seafood along the coast.

    Italy is my favourite food country. I’m dying to return.

  3. Liz Salthouse
    June 18, 2015 / 10:03 am

    I can recommend Venetian cicchetti too – they’re small snacks like tapas but less spicy than Spanish food and much more fish is involved! There are loads of different types and all are delicious!!

    • June 18, 2015 / 11:54 am

      Oh wow they sound amazing! Will certainly have to seek them out in the future.

  4. Lyn - A Hole in my Shoe
    June 14, 2015 / 1:53 pm

    If I had to choose a favourite, it would have to be Italian food. Thank you for sharing, I drooled all the way through.

  5. June 12, 2015 / 5:24 pm

    Mmmm-mmmm, Italian food! I found it hard to get past gelato in your post…but then I spied prosecco and tiramisu… I particularly liked the Sicilian green olives in Italy – those with a glass of prosecco. Yum.

    • June 14, 2015 / 9:10 pm

      Glad you fought your way though! Yes green olives and make an excellent start to a meal don’t they.

  6. Julie
    June 12, 2015 / 4:11 pm

    Everyone loves Italian food don’t they – there really is something for everyone whether it’s pizza, pasta or gelato. A fav of mine while travelling in Italy was Linguine Lobster! Mmm. I’ve never taken a food tour in Italy but I did dine at Il Buco in Sorrento…it was a total food tour in itself. Absolutely to die for! 😉

    • June 14, 2015 / 9:17 pm

      Woah just googled Il Buco and there are some stunning food photos on their website. I think an added bonus with a food tour such as Emilia Delizia’s is the movement between bites to work things off a bit!

  7. Malinda
    June 11, 2015 / 11:58 am

    I really do think I was Italian in my past life, I just love all this food!
    Thanks for joining in #wednesdaywanderlust this week

  8. Lauren
    June 5, 2015 / 10:45 pm

    I’m salivating! I like the term Tiramisarah 🙂

  9. June 5, 2015 / 8:39 am

    I’ve always wanted to visit Italy, primarily for the food! Unfortunately I’m gluten intolerant and wouldn’t be able to have delicious things like pasta and pizza (actually so sad about that!), but I reckon the antipasto platters would cheer me right up

    • June 5, 2015 / 3:34 pm

      It’s such a fab part of the world and while I can’t imagine a life without pizza or pasta, there must be plenty of delicious bites on offer for people with food intolerance’s and allergies like yourself Meagan! Man thinking about antipasto platters is making me hungry…

  10. Christine | A Keane Sense
    June 5, 2015 / 6:46 am

    Italian Food, amazing! I want to visit Italy just for the food! When we were in Europe (actually every time we are in Europe), we got gelato every day! So good, but so bad for my hips ha

    • June 5, 2015 / 3:36 pm

      So amazing, Mexico is another country I could visit just for the food! Calories don’t count on holiday right? 😉