Mouth-watering Italian food

We could talk about Italian food all day, so we’ve really picked the best of the best for this. Italy is known for its regional, local specialities, and also for fondly arguing about whose version is the proper way of making it. That passion for food is everywhere you go. These are our favourite local foods and where you should go to get them.

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01 Arancini in Sicily

Get some cooked rice, stuff it with a delicious filling, then roll it into a ball, coat it in breadcrumbs and fry. It’s comforting, oozy, crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Arancini is also part of the extensive street food scene in Sicily. Each stall or restaurant specialises in something different, which means you get to try the lot.

Check out the Flavours of Sicily self-drive tour to get a full 8 days of Sicily’s famous food.

02 Tagliatelle alla Bolognese in Bologna

You might do a good spag bol at home but we can promise you a treat if you try it from the home of bolognese. Top tip - they don’t use spaghetti here because thicker pastas like tagliatelle and taglioni soak up the sauce better.

03 Tiramisu in Venice

Tiramisu translates as ‘cheer me up’ - and if you’ve ever had one, you’ll know that’s the perfect name for it. Coffee, chocolate and cream - do you need to know any more? They created it in Treviso, near Venice, so you’ve got to try one when you’re here.

04 Pizza in the Neapolitan Riviera

There are a few reasons pizza’s so amazing here. The dough is incredibly light and easy to digest - when you finish one, you feel like you could have two more. They generally use san marzano tomatoes from the rich volcanic soil near Vesuvius. Once crushed, they usually just add salt and basil - super simple. Add fresh mozzarella and cook in a stone oven at extremely high temperatures - they’re done in about 60 seconds. The dough melts in your mouth.

Check out the Flavours of the Amalfi Coast self-guided tour for 5 days full of tasty Neapolitan food.

05 Porchetta in Tuscany

Proper hearty, countryside food, a bit like a hog roast with plenty of garlic, sage, rosemary and wild fennel. The whole pig is roasted and is one of the most common street foods in central Italy. Porchettaros are everywhere, selling sandwiches as well as sliced porchetta to take home.

06 Orecchiette in Puglia

Orecchiette means ‘little ears’ and you won’t have to keep your eyes or ears open too much to find it in Puglia. The sauces and veg are the stars of the show because they come straight from local farms - the style is simple, tasty and this little pasta, shaped like a tiny cup, catches it all.

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