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Vegetarian Italian recipes

Pasta, risotto, pizza and bakes without meat or fish. (357 recipes)

OrzottoBarley risotto

In Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino, barley was the everyday grain of the mountains long before rice arrived, and orzotto is the dish cooks make when they treat it like risotto: toasted, then fed hot stock ladle by ladle and finished with butter and cheese. This spring version uses leek, asparagus and peas; in autumn swap in squash or mushrooms. A portion gives about 16 g of protein, from the barley, peas and cheese, so it is not high-protein. Traditional Parmigiano and Grana Padano are made with animal rennet; use a vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese to keep it vegetarian. The common mistake is expecting it to cook in risotto time: barley needs 35–40 minutes and stays slightly chewy even when done. Chef's tip: stir in cold cubes of butter and the cheese off the heat and beat hard for a minute; that mantecatura makes it creamy.

60 minItalianRice & Grains
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Orzo e fagioliBarley and borlotti bean soup

In Friuli-Venezia Giulia, around Udine and up into the Carnic Alps, orzo e fagioli is the thick bowl that warms people through the cold months, made in big pots and eaten for supper over several days. Borlotti beans and pearl barley simmer slowly with potato, carrot and celery until the soup turns creamy and dense enough for a spoon to stand in it. Many families add pork rind or a ham bone; this version is vegetarian and vegan, building depth instead with a slow soffritto, rosemary and a final swirl of good olive oil. A bowl gives about 20 g of protein from the beans and barley. Soak the beans for 12 hours first; that time is not counted below. The most common mistake is adding the barley at the start: by the time the beans are soft it has collapsed into glue. Chef's tip: mash a ladleful of the cooked beans and potato against the side of the pot and stir it back in; it thickens the soup without any flour.

130 minItalianSoupsVegan
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Verdure grigliateGrilled vegetables

Every Italian region has its plate of verdure grigliate, laid out on summer lunch tables from Puglia to Liguria as part of the antipasti, or eaten as a side to bread and cheese. Slices of aubergine, courgette and pepper are grilled dry until striped and soft, then dressed afterwards in good olive oil, garlic, parsley and a little vinegar so they soak it up as they cool. It is vegan and light, with about 3 g of protein per portion; add a ball of mozzarella or a can of white beans to make it a meal. The common mistake is oiling the vegetables before grilling: they smoke, burn and turn greasy. Chef's tip: make it a few hours ahead; the dressing works its way in and it tastes better at room temperature than hot.

40 minItalianSidesVeganGluten free
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Insalata di risoRice salad

From July to the end of August, a big bowl of insalata di riso sits in Italian fridges ready for beach days, Ferragosto picnics and lazy suppers on the balcony. Firm, separate grains of rice are tossed with diced Emmental, hard-boiled egg, peas, sweet pepper, olives and the tangy chopped pickled vegetables called giardiniera, dressed only with olive oil. Many versions add ham, tuna or frankfurters; this one is vegetarian and gets its protein, about 23 g per portion, from the cheese, eggs, peas and rice. Emmental is usually made with animal rennet, so pick a vegetarian Swiss-style cheese if that matters. The classic mistake is overcooking the rice, which goes mushy and claggy as it cools; cook it just al dente and rinse it cold. Chef's tip: dress the rice with half the oil while it is still slightly warm so the grains stay separate, then add the rest when you mix in everything else.

35 minItalianSaladsGluten free
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Minestra di tenerumiSquash leaf and spaghetti soup

In Palermo and across Sicily, July and August bring bunches of tenerumi, the soft leaves and shoots of the long cucuzza squash, to every market stall, and families turn them into this light, brothy minestra for supper, often eaten warm rather than hot. The leaves cook down with garlic, ripe tomato and a little potato, and broken spaghetti is cooked right in the pot. It tastes green, sweet and gently garlicky, with about 5 g of protein per portion from the pasta and greens; grate pecorino over the top if you are not cooking it vegan (traditional pecorino uses animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian hard cheese). The common mistake is using only the large, tough leaves: pick the tender tops and shoots and strip the stringy stems. Chef's tip: let it rest for 10 minutes off the heat before serving; Sicilians say the flavour comes together as it cools a little.

35 minItalianSoupsVegan
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Biancomangiare (Sicilian almond-milk pudding)

In Sicily, and above all around Modica and Avola where the almonds grow, biancomangiare is the cool, white pudding of high summer, turned out of fluted moulds after Sunday lunch or eaten at the bar from a little glass. The old Sicilian kind is made with almond milk rather than cow's milk and thickened with starch, which makes it dairy-free and vegan. It is smooth and soft, faintly marzipan-scented, brightened with a strip of lemon peel and warmed with cinnamon. Serve it cold, topped with chopped pistachios, a dusting of cinnamon or a few jasmine flowers, as they do in Palermo. No egg has ever belonged in it, and nothing else is needed to set it: cornflour boiled in the almond milk sets it as it cools, the same way it sets a custard without yolks. Chef's tip: once it thickens, keep it bubbling for 2 more minutes; the common mistake is pulling it off too soon, which leaves a raw starch taste and a pudding that won't turn out cleanly.

205 minItalianDessertsVeganGluten free
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Macco di faveBroad bean purée

In Sicily, from the villages around Palermo to the hill towns of Ragusa, macco di fave is old peasant food that still appears every 19 March for the feast of San Giuseppe, and on cold evenings through the winter. Dried, peeled broad beans are cooked slowly until they fall into a thick, pale green-gold purée, scented with wild fennel and finished with a thread of peppery olive oil. It is eaten hot from the bowl with bread, or loosened with broken spaghetti; leftovers set firm and are sliced and fried. A bowl gives about 26 g of protein, almost all from the broad beans. Soak the split beans for 6–8 hours first; that time is not counted below. The most common mistake is walking away from the pot near the end: the purée thickens fast and catches on the base, which makes it taste scorched. Chef's tip: if you can't find wild fennel, use a bulb's feathery fronds plus a teaspoon of crushed fennel seeds for the same aniseed lift.

115 minItalianSoupsVeganGluten free
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Crocette di fichi (Calabrian baked fig crosses)Almond-stuffed fig crosses

Around Cosenza in northern Calabria the late-summer fig crop is dried in the sun, and the best figs are kept for crocette: two figs split open, laid across each other, filled with a toasted almond and a few fennel seeds, then baked until they darken and caramelise. They come out at Christmas, often stored in tins between bay leaves, and are eaten after dinner with nuts and mandarins. Expect a soft, jammy, chewy bite with crunch from the almond and the bright, slightly liquorice note of fennel. They go well with a cup of strong coffee or a little hard cheese. There is no egg and nothing added to bind them: in the oven the figs' own sugars soften and turn sticky, and as they cool they glue the cross together. Chef's tip: pull them out when they look shiny and just a shade darker; the common mistake is baking too long, which makes the figs hard and bitter.

55 minItalianDessertsVeganGluten free
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Pasta alla crudaiolaPasta with raw tomatoes and basil

In Puglia, through the hottest weeks of July and August, nobody wants to stand over a simmering sauce, so they make pasta alla crudaiola: ripe tomatoes chopped raw, left to steep with basil, garlic and olive oil, then tossed with hot pasta and salty grated ricotta salata. The heat of the pasta barely warms the tomatoes, so it tastes fresh and juicy. Ricotta salata is usually made with animal rennet; a vegetarian feta-style or hard cheese works well instead. The common mistake is using pale, watery winter tomatoes, which give a bland, thin sauce, so make this only when tomatoes are deep red and fragrant. Chef's tip: salt the chopped tomatoes 15 minutes ahead so they release their juices, which become the sauce.

27 minItalianPasta & Noodles
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Ossi dei mortiBone-shaped almond biscuits

Italian families remember their dead on 2 November, and in Lombardy, Sicily and much of the country in between, the pastry shops fill with 'bones of the dead'. Shapes and recipes vary from town to town; this is the northern style, a lean dough of egg white, sugar, flour and toasted chopped almonds, scented with cinnamon, clove and lemon and rolled into knobbly bone shapes. They bake very hard and crunchy, made for dunking in coffee, milk or a sweet vin santo-style wine, and they keep for weeks. Sicilian children traditionally find them in a basket left by the departed, together with fruit made of marzipan. Chef's tip: let the shaped bones dry for half an hour before baking, which gives them their pale crust; skipping the rest is the common slip, and the bones spread into flat blobs.

72 minItalianBaking
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ZaletiCornmeal raisin biscuits

Their name comes from the Venetian word for 'little yellow ones', after the polenta flour that gives them their colour and slightly gritty bite. Bakers in Venice and the Veneto make them all year, though they are especially popular at Carnival, dipped in a glass of sweet wine or eaten with a morning cappuccino. The dough is buttery and lemony, studded with plump raisins. Traditionally the raisins are soaked in grappa or rum; here they are soaked in warm water with a little lemon juice, and the spirit is an option for adults. Chef's tip: use fine cornmeal, not coarse polenta, or the biscuits crumble; and stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears, because overworking makes them dense rather than short.

45 minItalianBaking
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Spaghetti al pomodoroSpaghetti with tomato and basil

From Naples to Turin, spaghetti al pomodoro is what Italian families cook on a Tuesday night when the cupboard holds little more than a tin of tomatoes, a bulb of garlic and a pot of basil on the windowsill. The sauce cooks in the time the pasta boils, turning sweet and glossy as the tomatoes break down in good olive oil. Because there is no cheese in the sauce it is vegan as written, and children love its plain, bright flavour. The most common mistake is burning the garlic: once it turns brown it makes the whole sauce bitter, so keep the heat gentle. Chef's tip: finish the pasta in the sauce pan with a splash of its cooking water for a minute, so the sauce clings instead of sliding off.

25 minItalianPasta & NoodlesVegan
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Pasta al limoneLemon butter pasta

On the Amalfi Coast, where knobbly lemons hang over every terrace, pasta al limone is a summer supper made in the time it takes to boil water. Lemon zest, juice, butter and grated cheese melt into the starchy cooking water to make a light, creamy sauce with no cream at all, fragrant and sharp. Parmesan is traditionally made with animal rennet, so use a vegetarian hard cheese if you need the dish to be fully vegetarian. The usual mistake is adding the cheese over high heat, which makes it clump into strings; take the pan off the flame first. Chef's tip: zest the lemons before you juice them, and only the yellow part, as the white pith is bitter.

20 minItalianPasta & Noodles
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Zucchine trifolateGarlic parsley courgettes

Zucchine trifolate is a contorno cooked all over Italy through the summer glut, when every market stall is piled with courgettes: thin slices sautéed in olive oil with garlic and finished with chopped parsley, the same way Italians cook mushrooms 'trifolati'. They come out golden at the edges and tender in the middle, and go beside eggs, cheese or a plate of beans and bread. It is vegan, gluten free and light. The most common mistake is crowding the pan, which steams the courgettes into a watery mush; cook them in a wide pan or in two batches. Chef's tip: salt only at the end, because salt draws out water and stops the slices browning.

15 minItalianSidesVeganGluten free
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Pasta con la ricotta

Sicilian mothers make pasta con la ricotta on busy evenings and for children home from school: fresh sheep's or cow's milk ricotta is loosened with hot pasta water into a soft, milky sauce, then seasoned with black pepper and a little grated cheese. It is mild, creamy and ready in a quarter of an hour. Ricotta is made without rennet, but parmesan or pecorino usually contain animal rennet, so use a vegetarian hard cheese if needed. The common mistake is spooning cold ricotta straight onto the pasta, where it stays in lumps; whisk it with hot water first. Chef's tip: a little lemon zest or a few mint leaves lifts the sauce without hiding the ricotta.

15 minItalianPasta & Noodles
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Paste di mandorlaSoft almond paste cookies

Every Sicilian pasticceria keeps a tray of these by the till: small, pale, crackled mounds of almond paste, crisp on the outside and soft and chewy within, each crowned with a whole almond or half a candied cherry. They appear at weddings, christenings and on Sunday trays bought after Mass, and they are wonderful with an espresso or a glass of chilled almond milk. Made from ground almonds, sugar and egg white, they are naturally gluten free and dairy free. A strip of lemon zest and a little honey keep them moist for days. Chef's tip: rest the shaped cookies uncovered for an hour, or overnight in the fridge, so a thin skin forms and they crack attractively in the oven; baking them too long is the classic error, and they turn hard right through.

38 minItalianBakingGluten free
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Pasta ai funghiMushroom pasta

Pasta ai funghi is an autumn weeknight standby across Italy, from the porcini woods of Piedmont to the trattorie of Rome, made with whatever mushrooms the market has. The mushrooms are seared until browned and nutty, then tossed with garlic, parsley and pasta water into a silky, oil-based sauce that is vegan as written. Serve it with a green salad. The most common mistake is stirring the mushrooms too early and too often, so they release water and boil grey instead of browning. Chef's tip: a few dried porcini, soaked and chopped, with a spoon of their soaking liquid give ordinary mushrooms a deep, woodland flavour.

23 minItalianPasta & NoodlesVegan
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South Tyrolean buckwheat torte

Buckwheat once grew on the terraces of the Vinschgau and Pustertal valleys, and Buchweizentorte, also called torta di grano saraceno, is what South Tyrolean farmhouse kitchens made of it: an earthy grey-brown almond sponge, split and filled with sharp red lingonberry jam. Mountain huts above Merano and Bolzano still serve wedges of it with a cloud of whipped cream after a hike, and it is naturally free of wheat flour. The crumb is tender and nutty, the jam cutting the richness. Overbeating after the flour goes in is the common mistake, as it knocks the air out of the whites and the cake stays flat and dense; fold lightly. Chef's tip: leave the torte a day before splitting it; the crumb firms up, it cuts cleanly and the jam soaks in evenly.

80 minItalianBakingGluten free
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Torta di meleApple cake

Ask anyone in Trentino, Emilia or Piedmont for their nonna's torta di mele and they will describe much the same thing: a plain, lemon-scented batter with thin apple slices sunk all through it and fanned over the top, baked in a round tin on a Sunday and finished at breakfast the next morning with caffè latte. It is soft, moist and only lightly sweet, the apples almost melting into custardy pockets. A slice also makes a good after-school snack. Thick wedges of apple are the usual mistake: they stay hard while the batter overcooks, so slice them 3–4 mm thin. Chef's tip: hold back the prettiest slices for the top and brush them with a little melted butter and sugar, so they caramelise at the edges.

65 minItalianBaking
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Ciabatta

Surprisingly young for an Italian classic, ciabatta was created in 1982 by a baker near Adria, in the Veneto, as Italy's answer to the French baguettes that were filling sandwich shops. Its name means 'slipper', after its flat, floury, oblong shape. The dough is so wet it is barely shaped at all, which gives a thin, crisp crust and a chewy, glossy crumb full of irregular holes, with a wheaty, slightly tangy flavour from an overnight biga. Split it for panini with grilled vegetables and mozzarella, dip it in good olive oil, or serve it with soup and antipasti. The commonest error is panicking at the sticky dough and working in extra flour; that closes up the crumb, so use wet hands and a scraper instead. Chef's tip: once the dough has risen, don't shape it, just cut it into strips with a floured scraper and flip each one over onto its cloth, so the bubbled underside becomes the top.

955 minItalianBreads & ParathasVegan
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Coppia ferrareseTwisted olive oil bread

Four crunchy horns joined at a soft central knot make the coppia ferrarese the most recognisable bread in Emilia-Romagna; Ferrara's bakers have shaped it since at least the Renaissance, and it has had IGP status since 2001. The dough is stiff and very smooth, rolled thin and twisted into spirals, so the ends bake shatteringly crisp while the 'belly' in the middle stays tender. Ferrarese eat it with salumi for meat-eaters, with cheese, grilled vegetables or a bowl of pumpkin cappellacci. It is traditionally made with lard; this version uses olive oil instead, which keeps it vegan and still gives the light, crumbly crunch. Rolling the strips too thick is the usual slip, because thick horns stay bready instead of crisp. Chef's tip: a pasta machine makes the dough as smooth and thin as a Ferrara baker's rollers, and the barley malt gives the horns their honey-brown colour.

255 minItalianBreads & ParathasVegan
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Polenta e lattePolenta in milk

In farmhouses across Lombardy and the Veneto, the polenta left over from lunch was cut into pieces at night and dropped into bowls of warm milk for the children, and polenta e latte is still remembered fondly as a cosy winter supper. Freshly made polenta works just as well: soft, golden and comforting, with the milk soaking into it. It contains milk; it has no gluten, egg, nuts, soya, sesame or fish. Chef's tip: whisk the polenta into the water in a thin stream, like rain, to keep it smooth.

45 minItalianRice & GrainsGluten free
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Crostata di marmellata (Italian jam tart)

Crostata di marmellata is the tart that Italian grandmothers bake on Sunday and cut into slices for the week's merenda, the after-school snack eaten from Turin to Palermo with a glass of milk. A tender, lemon-scented pasta frolla holds a layer of apricot or cherry jam under a simple lattice. Choose a high-fruit jam to keep the sugar down. It contains gluten, milk and egg. Chef's tip: chill the pastry well and keep it cold; warm pasta frolla tears and shrinks in the oven.

60 minItalianBaking
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Pane di AltamuraDurum wheat sourdough loaf

Locals in Altamura like to quote Horace, who praised the bread of this corner of Apulia two thousand years ago; in 2003 it became the first bread in Europe to receive DOP protection. Pane di Altamura is made only from twice-milled durum semolina grown on the Murgia plateau, sourdough, salt and water, and it is famous for keeping fresh for a week. The crust is thick and crunchy, the crumb is sunflower-yellow, springy and faintly sweet. Its classic shapes are the folded 'accavallato' and the tall 'cappello da prete', or priest's hat, made by folding the loaf over itself before baking. Eat it with olive oil and tomatoes, with burrata and grilled vegetables, or in thick slices beside a bean soup. Plain durum flour or coarse pasta semolina are the wrong substitutes: you need the fine, flour-like semola rimacinata, or the dough stays gritty and won't rise. Chef's tip: durum dough is extensible rather than springy, so knead it well and give it a stiff hydration; a wet durum dough spreads flat instead of standing tall.

1210 minItalianBreads & ParathasVegan
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Semolina in broth (semolino in brodo)

Semolino in brodo is the dish Italian nonne cook for anyone who needs something gentle: babies at the start of weaning and older children with a cold. Fine durum-wheat semolina is rained into hot vegetable broth and stirred into a soft, silky porridge, usually served at supper. For babies the broth is home-made without salt, and the grated parmesan that adults add stays out or is kept to the tiniest pinch, because it is salty. It contains gluten (wheat), and milk if you add parmesan; there is no egg, nuts, soya, sesame or fish. Chef's tip: rain the semolina in from a height while whisking, and you will never get lumps.

12 minItalianSoups
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Torta MargheritaPotato starch sponge cake

Torta Margherita has been baked around Pavia in Lombardy for centuries and is still the plain, yellow cake Italian grandmothers make for a child's birthday merenda or a Sunday breakfast. Potato starch gives it a fine, melting crumb, and a thick snowfall of icing sugar is all it needs, though children like it split and spread with jam. It contains egg, milk and gluten. Chef's tip: cream the butter and sugar for a full five minutes until almost white; that air is what makes the cake rise.

60 minItalianBaking
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Pan di Spagna (Italian sponge)

Almost every Italian birthday cake, from a child's party in Naples to a name-day torta in Turin, starts with pan di Spagna: a golden, springy sponge made only of eggs, sugar and flour, beaten until it holds its own air. It is split into layers, moistened with a little syrup and filled with crema pasticcera, whipped cream or chocolate. Without butter or milk it is dairy free. It contains egg and gluten. Chef's tip: soak the layers with orange-juice syrup rather than plain sugar syrup, and children will love it even more.

65 minItalianBaking
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Cream of rice in vegetable broth (crema di riso)

The Italian weaning ritual, lo svezzamento, traditionally starts at midday with a bowl of pappa: home-made brodo vegetale thickened with crema di riso, fine rice flour, and finished with a drop of extra-virgin olive oil. Paediatric habits in Italy favour a fresh broth of carrot, potato and courgette made without salt, and the cooked vegetables are often mashed in as the weeks go by. It is pale, light and gently savoury. It contains none of the common allergens (milk, egg, gluten, peanut, tree nuts, soya, sesame, fish), as long as the rice flour is pure rice. Chef's tip: freeze the spare broth in ice-cube trays, so each pappa takes only five minutes.

55 minItalianRice & GrainsVeganGluten free
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Salame di cioccolatoChocolate biscuit log

Salame di cioccolato is the sweet that Italian children help to make: crushed biscuits mixed with melted chocolate, butter and cocoa, rolled into a log, chilled and dusted with icing sugar so that, when sliced, it looks just like a salami with "fat" spots of biscuit. It is served at birthday parties and Christmas, and some families add rum for adults. This version uses no raw eggs and no alcohol, so it is safe for everyone. Chef's tip: break the biscuits by hand into pieces the size of a fingernail; crumbs make it look like a plain chocolate log.

20 minItalianDesserts
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VignarolaArtichoke, broad bean and pea stew

Vignarola is the dish Romans wait for all year: for a few weeks in April and May, when the first artichokes, broad beans and peas all arrive at once at the markets of Campo de' Fiori and Testaccio, they are stewed together gently with spring onion, lettuce and mint. It is eaten as a side or a light main with bread. Romans usually add a little guanciale (cured pork cheek); this version leaves it out and is fully vegan. Chef's tip: add the peas and broad beans only for the last few minutes; they should stay bright green and sweet.

70 minItalianVegetarianVeganGluten free
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Zuppa di cicerchieGrass pea soup

Cicerchie (grass peas) are an ancient legume that looks like a small, squared-off chickpea, grown on the hills of the Marche and Umbria around Serra de' Conti and Gubbio. They make a thick, nutty, rustic winter soup cooked with garlic, tomato and rosemary, served over toasted bread with a thread of new olive oil. Grass peas contain a natural toxin when eaten in large amounts, so always soak them for at least 24 hours, changing the water a few times, and enjoy them as an occasional dish. Chef's tip: change the soaking water at least three times; it removes most of the toxin and makes the peas easier to digest.

105 minItalianSoupsVeganGluten free
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Tramezzini all'uovoEgg mayonnaise sandwiches

In the bars of Venice, around Campo Santa Margherita and the Rialto, glass cases are piled with tramezzini: soft white sandwich triangles with no crusts, so generously filled they look like small pillows. They are eaten standing at the bar mid-morning or with an aperitivo in the evening. Egg and mayonnaise is one of the classic fillings; tuna and olives is another. Use mayonnaise made with pasteurised eggs. Chef's tip: pile the filling in a mound in the middle, not spread to the edges; pressing the bread around it gives the classic puffy shape.

25 minItalianSnacks & Starters
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Ciceri e triaChickpeas with pasta

In the Salento, at the heel of Puglia, ciceri e tria is an ancient dish, its name from the Arabic "itriya" for dried pasta: creamy chickpeas cooked with bay and garlic, tossed with homemade ribbons of flour-and-water pasta, a third of which are fried in olive oil until crisp and scattered on top. It is made for the feast of San Giuseppe on 19 March, and in the trattorie of Lecce all year round. Chef's tip: the contrast is the whole point; fry the pasta strips until golden and crunchy and add them only at the very last moment, so they stay crisp.

130 minItalianPasta & NoodlesVegan
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CiambottaSummer vegetable stew

In August, when the vegetable gardens of Basilicata and the Cilento are overflowing, families make ciambotta: peppers, aubergines, potatoes, courgettes, onion and tomato stewed slowly together in olive oil until soft and sweet. Farmworkers once ate it in the fields with bread; today it's a summer supper, eaten warm or at room temperature, sometimes with an egg cracked on top. Chef's tip: add the vegetables in stages, potatoes first and courgettes last; that way they all finish tender at the same time without any turning to mush.

60 minItalianVegetarianVeganGluten free
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Budino al cioccolatoChocolate pudding

Budino is the dessert Italian children find in the fridge on a Sunday afternoon: a soft, wobbly milk pudding flavoured with cocoa and set with cornflour, poured into little cups or a mould and chilled. It is the kind of thing nonna makes in ten minutes for the grandchildren's merenda (afternoon snack), and it is gluten free and egg free. Chef's tip: whisk the cocoa, sugar and cornflour together before adding the milk; mixed dry, they don't form lumps.

15 minItalianDessertsGluten free
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Cioccolata caldaThick hot chocolate

Italian hot chocolate is not a milky drink but almost a pudding: thick enough to coat a spoon, made with real dark chocolate and cocoa thickened with a little starch. On cold winter afternoons in Turin, Florence and Perugia, families sit in historic cafés with a cup topped with whipped cream (con panna), dipping biscuits into it. Children love it. Chef's tip: mix the cornflour and cocoa with a little cold milk to a smooth paste first; dropped straight into hot milk, they form lumps.

15 minItalianDrinksGluten free
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Caffè d'orzoBarley coffee

In Italian bars you can always ask for "un orzo": a hot drink made from roasted barley that looks like coffee and has a toasty, slightly sweet taste but no caffeine. During the war, when coffee was scarce, families drank it every morning, and today it is given to children, pregnant women and anyone avoiding caffeine. It can be made in a moka pot, served in a small cup like espresso or in a large one with milk. Barley contains gluten. Chef's tip: don't press the barley into the moka basket like coffee; packed tightly, it blocks the water and the pot hisses.

7 minItalianDrinksVegan
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BicerinLayered chocolate and coffee drink

The bicerin ("little glass" in Piedmontese dialect) has been served since 1763 at the tiny Caffè al Bicerin opposite the Consolata church in Turin, where it was the drink that churchgoers had after fasting before Mass. It is three layers in a small glass: thick hot chocolate at the bottom, espresso in the middle and cold, lightly whipped cream on top, not stirred, so you taste each layer in turn. Contains caffeine. Chef's tip: pour the coffee and then the cream slowly over the back of a spoon so the layers sit on top of each other instead of mixing.

10 minItalianDrinksGluten free
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Frittata di zucchineCourgette frittata

Frittata is Italy's everyday dish for a quick supper or a packed lunch: a thick, flat omelette cooked slowly in a pan, then flipped over a plate. Courgette frittata, with soft, golden slices of courgette and Parmigiano, is the summer favourite, taken to the beach in a panino or cut into squares for children. It is just as good cold the next day. Parmigiano is made with animal rennet; choose a vegetarian hard cheese if you need to. Chef's tip: cook the courgettes until golden before adding the eggs; raw courgettes make the frittata watery.

25 minItalianVegetarianGluten free
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Cappuccino

In Italy the cappuccino is strictly a breakfast drink, ordered at the bar counter with a cornetto before 11 in the morning, never after a meal. It is a single espresso topped with an equal amount of hot milk and a thick cap of velvety foam, named after the brown habits of Capuchin friars. Baristas in Turin and Trieste are famous for their thick, glossy microfoam. Contains caffeine, so it's not for children. Chef's tip: heat the milk only to about 65 °C, when the jug is too hot to hold for more than a second; hotter milk tastes cooked and the foam collapses.

5 minItalianDrinksGluten free
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Passato di verdureSmooth vegetable soup

Passato di verdure is the soup Italian children grow up on: a pot of mixed vegetables, simmered in water until soft and blended until velvety, with a thread of olive oil on top. It is the first food many Italian babies are given at around six months, without salt, and it stays the family's light supper for years. For babies from 6 months, the purée here is made with no salt and no stock; older children and adults season their bowls at the table. Chef's tip: take out the baby's portion before you add any salt, and blend it extra smooth.

45 minItalianSoupsVeganGluten free
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Pizzette rosseMini tomato pizzas

At every Italian children's birthday party, and in every bakery window from Rome to Bari, there is a tray of pizzette: small round pizzas the size of a palm, topped with tomato and a little mozzarella and oregano, soft and easy for small hands. Mothers buy them by the dozen for school snacks and christening buffets. They freeze well. Mozzarella is usually made with calf rennet; vegetarian versions are easy to find. Chef's tip: cook the tomato sauce briefly first and keep it thick; a runny sauce makes soggy pizzette that slide off the plate.

45 minItalianPizza
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Scarola e fagioliEscarole and bean soup

Scarola e fagioli is one of the oldest dishes of Neapolitan home cooking: tender escarole, a slightly bitter winter salad green, simmered with creamy cannellini beans, garlic, chilli and olive oil into a thick soup, sometimes with broken pasta stirred in. In Naples it is a cold-weather supper, eaten with toasted bread rubbed with garlic. Chef's tip: mash a ladle of the beans into the broth; it thickens the soup and makes it creamy without any cream.

40 minItalianSoupsVeganGluten free
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OrzataAlmond syrup drink

Orzata was first made from barley (orzo), but in Liguria, Sardinia and Sicily it has long been made from almonds: a milky, sweet almond syrup, diluted with ice-cold water and drunk on hot summer afternoons in seaside bars and at home. Its gentle almond and orange-blossom flavour makes it a children's favourite. Contains nuts. Chef's tip: soak the blanched almonds in water for an hour before blending; they release more milk and the syrup is richer.

20 minItalianDrinksVeganGluten free
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MarocchinoEspresso with cocoa and milk foam

The marocchino was born in the bars of Alessandria in Piedmont, and it is now ordered all over northern Italy: a little glass dusted inside with cocoa, filled with an espresso and topped with milk foam and more cocoa, sometimes with a spoonful of chocolate sauce at the bottom. Its name comes from the brown colour of a leather called "marocchino" once used for hat bands. It is a mid-morning or afternoon treat. Contains caffeine. Chef's tip: dust the empty glass with cocoa before pouring the coffee in; it sticks to the hot glass and gives each sip a chocolate edge.

5 minItalianDrinksGluten free
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Polpette di pane al sugoBread balls in tomato sauce

When meat was a luxury, families in Calabria, Basilicata and Campania made "meatballs" from stale bread, eggs, pecorino, garlic and parsley, fried until crisp and then simmered in tomato sauce. These polpette are so good that they're still made today, as a Friday supper or as part of a Sunday spread, eaten with lots of bread to wipe up the sauce. Pecorino is usually made with animal rennet; a vegetarian hard cheese works. Chef's tip: squeeze the soaked bread really dry; wet bread makes polpette that break apart in the sauce.

60 minItalianVegetarian
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CiambelloneItalian ring cake

Every Italian nonna has her own ciambellone, the tall, plain ring cake that sits under a glass dome on the kitchen counter for breakfast, sliced and dunked in caffellatte or eaten with jam. It is made with eggs, sugar, flour and oil or butter, flavoured with lemon zest, and often marbled with cocoa. In Rome and Emilia it is also the cake brought to friends' houses and church fêtes. Chef's tip: whisk the eggs and sugar for a full 8 minutes, until very pale and thick; that air is what makes the cake rise tall without much baking powder.

60 minItalianBaking
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Torta allo yogurtYogurt cake

Torta allo yogurt is the first cake many Italian children bake, because everything is measured using the empty yogurt pot: one pot of yogurt, then pots of sugar, flour and oil. It is a soft, moist everyday cake made in homes across the country for breakfast or the afternoon merenda (snack), plain or with fruit. This recipe gives the amounts in grams for an average 125 g pot. Chef's tip: use whole-milk yogurt at room temperature; it gives a moist cake that stays soft for days.

50 minItalianBaking
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Pastina in brodoTiny pasta in broth

Ask any Italian what their mother made when they were ill as a child, and the answer is pastina in brodo: tiny pasta stars (stelline) or alphabet letters cooked in a light homemade broth and finished with a spoonful of grated Parmigiano and a drizzle of olive oil. It is the first "grown-up" food for many Italian toddlers and the comfort food for everyone on a cold or tired evening. Parmigiano is made with animal rennet; a vegetarian hard cheese works. Chef's tip: cook the pasta directly in the broth, not in water; the starch gives the broth a gentle, silky body.

30 minItalianSoups
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Scarola alla napoletanaSautéed escarole with olives and raisins

Scarola alla napoletana is a Neapolitan Christmas Eve side dish, also cooked all winter: tender escarole sautéed with garlic, black Gaeta olives, capers, pine nuts and raisins, a balance of bitter, salty and sweet that reflects the Arab influence on southern Italian cooking. It is the same filling used in the Christmas pizza di scarola, and families often serve it with fried fish. Contains pine nuts. Chef's tip: dry the washed escarole well before it goes in the pan; wet leaves splash and steam rather than sauté.

25 minItalianSidesVeganGluten free
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PeperonataStewed peppers and onions

Peperonata is the summer side dish of the south, made from Naples to Palermo when red and yellow peppers are at their sweetest: strips of pepper and onion stewed slowly in olive oil with a little tomato until soft, glossy and sweet, sometimes with a splash of vinegar. Families serve it with grilled meat, sausages or a frittata, or pile it on bread, and it tastes even better the next day. Chef's tip: cook it slowly with the lid on for the first 15 minutes; the peppers steam in their own juice and turn silky instead of frying hard.

45 minItalianSidesVeganGluten free
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CrescioneFolded filled flatbread

Along the Romagna coast, in Rimini, Cesena and Riccione, every piadina kiosk also sells crescioni (called cassoni in some towns): a thin disc of piadina dough folded in half over a filling and sealed into a half-moon, then cooked on a hot griddle. The classic fillings are tomato and mozzarella, or wild greens and potato, eaten as a beach lunch or a late snack. Piadina dough is traditionally made with pork lard; this vegetarian version uses olive oil. Mozzarella is usually made with calf rennet; vegetarian versions are easy to find. Chef's tip: seal the edges with a fork and cook on a medium heat, not high; the dough needs time to cook through before it burns.

40 minItalianFast Food
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PittuleFried dough balls

In the Salento, the heel of Puglia, pittule are fried on the night of 7 December, the eve of the Immaculate Conception, to open the Christmas season, and again on St Martin's Day in November when the new wine is tasted. The dough is so wet it can't be shaped; it is dropped from a spoon or a wet hand into hot olive oil, puffing into soft, irregular golden balls. Plain ones are dusted with sugar; savoury ones hide olives, capers or cherry tomatoes. Chef's tip: dip your hand or spoon in water before each scoop so the sticky dough slides off into the oil.

40 minItalianSnacks & StartersVegan
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StrattuSun-dried tomato paste

In late August in western Sicily, around Trapani and Palermo, tomato purée is spread on large wooden boards and left in the hot sun for several days, stirred by hand until it turns into a thick, dark-red paste that smells of sun and sweet tomatoes. Strattu, short for "estratto", is used a spoonful at a time to give depth to sauces and stews. This home version dries the passata slowly in a low oven over a day. Chef's tip: spread the purée thin, no more than 1 cm, and stir it every hour; thick layers dry on top and stay wet underneath.

520 minItalianBasicsVeganGluten free
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Zuppa di farro della GarfagnanaEmmer and bean soup

In the Garfagnana, the wooded mountain valley north of Lucca in Tuscany, farro (emmer wheat) has been grown for 2,000 years and has its own protected status. The classic local dish is a thick, warming soup of farro and borlotti beans, half of them puréed, with onion, carrot, celery, tomato and herbs, served in winter with a thread of new olive oil. Chef's tip: blend half of the cooked beans before adding the farro; it gives the soup a creamy body.

110 minItalianSoupsVegan
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Pancotto puglieseBread and greens soup

Pancotto, "cooked bread", is the purest cucina povera of Puglia, from the farms of the Tavoliere plain around Foggia to the villages of the Gargano: stale bread, potatoes and whatever greens are growing, such as turnip tops, chicory or rocket, simmered together in salted water and dressed generously with raw olive oil and chilli. It was a farmworker's supper and is still the comfort dish families make in winter. Chef's tip: use a dense, day-old country loaf with a thick crust; soft sliced bread turns into a slimy mush.

45 minItalianSoupsVegan
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RicciarelliSoft almond biscuits

Siena has been making ricciarelli since the Renaissance: soft, chewy almond biscuits in the shape of a diamond or a curved eye, with a crackled top covered in icing sugar. Sienese families buy them from the historic pasticcerie near the Campo at Christmas and serve them with a glass of Vin Santo after dinner, but they are eaten all winter with coffee. This recipe is naturally gluten free. Chef's tip: let the shaped biscuits dry at room temperature overnight before baking; a dry crust cracks beautifully in the oven while the inside stays soft.

35 minItalianBakingGluten free
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Giardiniera piemontesePickled mixed vegetables

Giardiniera means "from the garden", and in Piedmont and the north of Italy it is the colourful jar of mixed pickled vegetables served with boiled meats (bollito misto), cold cuts or tuna. Unlike the spicy Chicago-style relish, Italian giardiniera is cut into larger pieces and cooked briefly in a sweet-sour mixture of vinegar, sugar, tomato and a little oil. Families make it in late summer when the garden is full. Chef's tip: add the vegetables to the pan in order of hardness, carrots first and cauliflower and peppers later, so each one stays crunchy.

60 minItalianChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
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Torta capreseFlourless chocolate almond cake

Torta caprese was born on the island of Capri in the 1920s, the story goes, when a baker forgot to add flour to a chocolate almond cake and created a classic by accident. It is now the cake of the Amalfi Coast: dense, moist and fudgy in the middle, with a thin crackled crust and a dusting of icing sugar. Restaurants in Capri and Sorrento serve it with a spoonful of cream or lemon sorbet. It is naturally gluten free. Contains nuts. Chef's tip: take it out while the middle is still slightly soft; it firms up as it cools and stays moist for days.

65 minItalianBakingGluten free
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Tagliatelle ai porciniTagliatelle with porcini

In September and October, when porcini push up through the chestnut woods of the Apennines between Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany, every mountain trattoria from Borgotaro to the Casentino puts tagliatelle ai porcini on the menu. The mushrooms are sliced and sautéed fast in olive oil with garlic and parsley, then tossed with ribbons of egg pasta. If you can't find fresh porcini, use chestnut mushrooms with a little soaked dried porcini. Chef's tip: clean porcini with a brush and a damp cloth, never under the tap; they soak up water like a sponge and then steam instead of browning.

30 minItalianPasta & Noodles
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Buccellato sicilianoFig and nut pastry ring

In Palermo and western Sicily, buccellato is the great Christmas ring: a crumbly shortcrust wrapped around a dark, sticky filling of dried figs, raisins, almonds, walnuts, orange peel, chocolate and spices, often decorated with cuts along the top and coloured sprinkles. Families start the filling days ahead and bake several rings to give away. The filling traditionally includes a splash of Marsala; use orange juice for an alcohol-free version. Chef's tip: cut slits along the top of the ring before baking; they let steam out and show off the dark filling.

95 minItalianBaking
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PizzelleAnise waffle biscuits

In Abruzzo, every family has its own pizzelle iron, often a wedding present engraved with the family's initials or a pattern of flowers. The thin, crisp waffles are baked for weddings, Christmas and Easter, and for the feast of San Domenico in Cocullo, flavoured with anise or lemon. Warm, they can be rolled into cones or tubes and filled. You need a pizzelle iron or a thin waffle maker. Chef's tip: lightly oil the iron only for the first pizzella; after that the batter's oil keeps them from sticking.

30 minItalianBaking
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Torta della nonnaLemon custard pine nut tart

Torta della nonna, "grandmother's tart", is on the dessert menu of almost every trattoria in Florence and across Tuscany: a shortcrust case filled with thick lemon-scented custard, covered with a second layer of pastry and scattered with pine nuts and icing sugar. Despite the name it was probably invented by a Florentine restaurant cook in the 1900s, but it tastes of family Sunday lunches. Contains pine nuts. Chef's tip: let the custard cool completely before filling the tart; warm custard melts the butter in the pastry and makes the base soggy.

90 minItalianBaking
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Brutti ma buoniHazelnut meringue biscuits

"Ugly but good": the name says it all. These lumpy, irregular biscuits from Borgomanero in Piedmont and Prato in Tuscany are made by cooking whipped egg whites, sugar and toasted hazelnuts in a pan before baking, which gives them a crisp shell and a chewy centre. They are sold in paper bags at pastry shops, and Italian grandmothers make them to use up egg whites left over from custards. They are naturally gluten free. Contains nuts. Chef's tip: toast the hazelnuts until they smell deeply nutty and the skins crack; that's what gives the biscuits their flavour.

50 minItalianBakingGluten free
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Tartufo di PizzoChocolate hazelnut gelato ball

In 1952, in the seaside town of Pizzo in Calabria, a gelato maker ran out of moulds for a wedding banquet and shaped gelato by hand in his palm, around a centre of molten chocolate, then rolled it in cocoa. The tartufo, named for its resemblance to a truffle, is now protected as a local speciality, and the cafés on Pizzo's main piazza serve it in summer to crowds of visitors. Contains nuts. Chef's tip: work in a cold kitchen with chilled cling film and refreeze between each step; the gelato must stay firm enough to hold its ball shape.

60 minItalianDessertsGluten free
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Delizia al limoneLemon cream sponge domes

Delizia al limone was created in 1978 by a pastry chef in Sorrento and became the signature dessert of the Amalfi Coast: small domes of light sponge, filled and soaked with syrup made from the coast's huge, fragrant sfusato lemons, then covered in a lemon custard lightened with whipped cream. Traditionally the syrup includes limoncello; this version uses a lemon syrup so it is alcohol free. Chef's tip: soak the sponges generously but slowly with a spoon; they should be moist through without falling apart.

85 minItalianDesserts
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Gnocchi di zuccaPumpkin gnocchi

When the dense, sweet pumpkins come in from the fields around Mantua and Chioggia in October, families turn them into soft orange gnocchi, served with brown butter, sage and a heap of grated cheese. They are rustic and irregular, often shaped with two spoons rather than rolled on a board. Roasting the pumpkin instead of boiling it keeps it dry and full of flavour. Parmigiano is made with animal rennet; a vegetarian hard cheese works well. Chef's tip: add flour a little at a time and stop when the dough just holds; too much makes gnocchi that taste of flour and bounce like rubber.

90 minItalianPasta & Noodles
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Gelo di melloneWatermelon jelly pudding

Gelo di mellone is the summer dessert of Palermo, eaten above all on 15 July for the feast of Santa Rosalia, the city's patron saint. Fresh watermelon juice is set with starch into a soft, wobbly pink pudding, scented with cinnamon and sometimes jasmine flowers, and topped with chocolate chips and chopped pistachios that look like watermelon seeds. It is served chilled in small bowls or as a tart filling. Contains nuts in the topping. Chef's tip: strain the watermelon juice through a fine sieve; any pulp clouds the jelly and stops it from setting smoothly.

30 minItalianDessertsVeganGluten free
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Baci di damaHazelnut shortbread sandwiches

Baci di dama, "lady's kisses", were born in Tortona in Piedmont in the 1800s: two small domes of buttery hazelnut shortbread pressed together with dark chocolate, like two lips meeting in a kiss. They are sold in every pastry shop in Piedmont and eaten with coffee or as a gift at Christmas. The local Piedmont hazelnuts are some of the best in the world. Contains nuts. Chef's tip: weigh each ball of dough so they're all the same size; matching domes make neat kisses.

45 minItalianBaking
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Torta di riso bologneseRice and almond cake

In Bologna this rice cake is called torta degli addobbi, after the decorations (addobbi) hung on the houses every ten years for each parish's big religious festival, when it was made and given to visitors. It is a dense, moist cake of rice cooked slowly in milk with lemon, mixed with eggs, sugar and almonds and baked until golden, then cut into diamonds. Traditionally it is soaked with almond liqueur; this version leaves it out, so it is alcohol free. It is gluten free. Contains nuts. Chef's tip: let the cake rest a full day before slicing; it firms up and the flavours deepen.

110 minItalianBakingGluten free
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CicerchiataHoney fried dough ring

Cicerchiata takes its name from the cicerchia, a small dried legume, because its tiny balls of fried dough look just like them. In Abruzzo, Umbria and the Marche it is the Carnival sweet: the fried balls are stirred into hot honey with almonds and candied peel, then shaped into a ring or mound and decorated with sprinkles. It is broken apart with fingers at the end of Carnival meals. Not for babies under 1 because of the honey. Chef's tip: work quickly once the balls are in the honey and wet your hands with cold water to shape the ring; the honey sets fast as it cools.

70 minItalianDesserts
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Scarcella puglieseEaster egg biscuit bread

In Bari, Foggia and the Salento, scarcelle are baked in the days before Easter, often by children with their grandmothers: a soft, lemony shortbread-like dough shaped into baskets, doves, hearts or dolls, each holding a whole egg in its shell held down by strips of dough, then iced and covered in sprinkles. They are given as gifts on Easter morning and to children as a sign of new life. Chef's tip: use raw eggs in their shells and wash them first; they cook in the oven while the biscuit bakes. They are decorative, so wash and dry them well.

75 minItalianBaking
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Pignolata messineseGlazed fried dough mound

In Messina, at the north-east tip of Sicily, Carnival means pignolata: a mound of small fried dough pieces, glazed half with a white lemon icing and half with a dark chocolate one, like a little mountain with a snowy side and a dark side. It is said to have been created by Messina's aristocratic families as a grand version of the humble honey pignolata eaten by the poor. It is served in slices with coffee. Chef's tip: let the first glaze set completely before adding the second; if both are soft at once, the colours run into each other.

90 minItalianDesserts
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Pasta e lenticchiePasta and lentil stew

In Naples, pasta with legumes is weekday food, and pasta e lenticchie is the one every family makes in winter: small lentils cooked with garlic, celery and a little tomato until soft, then mixed short pasta (pasta mista, the broken ends of different shapes) is cooked right in the pot until thick and creamy. Lentils also bring luck for the New Year, so many families make it on 1 January. Chef's tip: cook the pasta in the lentils with only just enough water, adding it a ladle at a time; the starch from the pasta makes the stew creamy without any cheese.

50 minItalianPasta & NoodlesVegan
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Gelato alla nocciolaHazelnut gelato

Piedmont's Langhe hills grow the Tonda Gentile hazelnut, prized for its sweet, toasty flavour, and the region's gelaterie turn it into a deep, nutty, caramel-coloured gelato that many Italians consider the king of flavours. Turin is also where hazelnut and chocolate were first combined, in gianduja. In winter the same paste goes into cakes and biscuits. Contains nuts. Chef's tip: toast the hazelnuts until dark golden right through; under-toasted nuts give a flat, green flavour.

35 minItalianDessertsGluten free
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Gelato alla cremaCustard gelato

Crema is the yellow, custard-flavoured gelato that Italian grandparents always order, made with egg yolks like a crème anglaise and perfumed with lemon zest rather than vanilla, as was the old way in Florence and Sicily. It is rich and smooth and is the base for many classic flavours, and many gelaterie still call it "crema della nonna". Chef's tip: cook the custard until it reaches 82 °C and coats the back of a spoon; this makes the yolks safe and gives a silky texture without scrambling.

35 minItalianDessertsGluten free
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Radicchio trevigiano ai ferriGrilled radicchio

Treviso, north of Venice, is famous for its radicchio tardivo, long crimson leaves with white ribs that are harvested in December and forced in cold spring water until they are crisp and only gently bitter. In the Veneto it is often grilled on a griddle over the fire, dressed with olive oil, salt and a few drops of vinegar, and served next to grilled meat or polenta. The heat softens the bitterness and adds a smoky sweetness. Chef's tip: cut the heads lengthways through the root so the leaves stay joined and don't fall through the grill.

17 minItalianSidesVeganGluten free
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Amaretti

Amaretti, "little bitter ones", are named after the bitter almonds that give them their sharp, marzipan flavour. In Saronno, near Milan, they are crisp and light, wrapped in paper; in Mombaruzzo and Sassello in Piedmont and Liguria they are soft and chewy. Both are eaten with coffee, crumbled over ice cream or baked peaches, and used in the filling for Mantua's pumpkin tortelli. This soft version is naturally gluten free. Chef's tip: use a few drops of almond extract rather than bitter almonds, which are toxic raw in quantity; a little goes a long way.

35 minItalianBakingGluten free
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Insalata di arance e finocchiOrange and fennel salad

In Sicily the orange harvest peaks in January, just as wild fennel and the big fennel bulbs come in, and this bright salad is on the table across the island at Christmas and through the winter, often to clean the palate after a rich main dish. Juicy oranges, ideally blood oranges from the slopes of Etna, are sliced with shaved fennel, red onion, black olives and good olive oil. Chef's tip: cut the peel and all the white pith away with a knife, then slice the oranges into rounds; pith is bitter and makes the salad chewy.

15 minItalianSaladsVeganGluten free
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Colomba pasqualeEaster dove bread

The colomba, the "dove" of peace, is Milan's Easter answer to Christmas panettone: a rich, buttery yeasted bread full of candied orange, baked in a dove-shaped paper mould and topped with a crunchy almond and sugar glaze. Italian families buy or bake one for Easter Sunday and eat it for breakfast through Easter Monday. Bakers use a sourdough starter and three days; this home version uses yeast and an overnight rise in the fridge, so it fits a weekend. Chef's tip: let the dough rise until it really reaches the top of the mould before baking; under-risen colomba bakes dense and heavy.

110 minItalianBaking
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Burrata con pomodoriniBurrata with cherry tomatoes

Burrata was born in the dairies around Andria in northern Puglia as a way to use the scraps of mozzarella curd, wrapped in a pouch of stretched curd and filled with cream. In Bari and the towns of the Murge it is eaten the day it is made, often as the first thing on the table at Sunday lunch, torn open over the sweetest summer tomatoes. The outside is soft and springy; the inside, called stracciatella, spills out like thick cream. Mozzarella and burrata are usually made with calf rennet, so look for a vegetarian-rennet burrata if that matters to you. Chef's tip: take the burrata out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving; straight from the cold it tastes of very little.

10 minItalianSnacks & Starters
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CastagnoleCarnival fried dough balls

In February, from Bologna and Rimini down to Rome, pastry shop windows fill with castagnole, small fried balls of sweet dough the size of a chestnut (castagna), rolled in sugar while still warm. Children eat them by the bagful at Carnival parades, often in costume, and some bakeries fill them with custard or ricotta. Families in Romagna add a splash of anise liqueur or rum; this version flavours them with lemon and vanilla instead, so they are alcohol free. Chef's tip: fry them in oil that isn't too hot, about 165 °C; castagnole need time to puff and cook through to the centre.

40 minItalianDesserts
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Penne all'arrabbiataPenne in spicy tomato sauce

Arrabbiata means "angry", and Romans say the name comes from the red face you get after a plateful. It is the late-night pasta of Roman trattorie and student flats: penne in a tomato sauce made fierce with dried peperoncino and plenty of garlic, ready in the time the water takes to boil. There is no cheese in the classic Roman version, just parsley and the heat. Chef's tip: warm the chilli and garlic gently in the oil before the tomatoes go in; the oil carries the heat through the whole sauce, so it tastes hot all the way through rather than in random bites.

25 minItalianPasta & NoodlesVeganSpicy
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Risotto agli asparagiAsparagus risotto

In April and May the town of Bassano del Grappa celebrates its white asparagus, and all over the Veneto green and white spears turn up in risotto. The stalks are cooked into the rice so their flavour runs through every grain, and the tender tips are added at the end so they stay bright and crisp. It is a light spring Sunday lunch, often followed by grilled fish. Parmigiano is made with animal rennet; choose a vegetarian hard cheese if you need to. Alcohol is used here: white wine, which you can replace with broth and a squeeze of lemon. Chef's tip: simmer the woody ends in the broth for 15 minutes before you start; they add a lot of asparagus flavour for free.

45 minItalianRice & GrainsGluten free
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Mozzarella in carrozzaFried mozzarella sandwich

"Mozzarella in a carriage" is how Neapolitan families used up mozzarella that was a day or two old: slices of cheese sandwiched in white bread, dipped in flour, egg and milk, and fried until the bread is golden and the cheese stretches in long strings. It is sold in Naples friggitorie and eaten at home as a quick lunch or a snack after school. Mozzarella is usually made with calf rennet; vegetarian versions are easy to find. Chef's tip: press the sandwich edges firmly together after dipping in flour; a good seal keeps the melted cheese inside the carriage.

25 minItalianSnacks & Starters
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Pomodori secchi sott'olioSun-dried tomatoes in oil

In August, in Puglia and Sicily, halved tomatoes are laid salted on wooden boards and dried in the sun on rooftops for days, then softened in vinegar and packed in oil with garlic, oregano and capers. They are eaten through the winter on bread, in pasta or in salads. This recipe starts from shop-bought dried tomatoes. Chef's tip: dip the tomatoes in hot vinegar and water before packing; it softens them, adds a tang and makes them safer to keep in oil.

25 minItalianChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
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Tortelloni di ricotta burro e salviaRicotta tortelloni in sage butter

In Bologna, tortelloni are the big brothers of tortellini: wide parcels of egg pasta folded around ricotta, parsley and Parmigiano, often made on Christmas Eve, when meat is avoided, and on Fridays. The sfogline (pasta makers) of the Quadrilatero market roll the dough by hand so thin you can read through it. They are served simply with butter and sage so the filling shines. Parmigiano is made with animal rennet; choose a vegetarian hard cheese if you need to. Chef's tip: press every bit of air out around the filling before you seal; trapped air makes the tortelloni burst in the pot.

100 minItalianPasta & Noodles
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Canestrelli liguriFlower shortbread biscuits

Canestrelli are the most delicate biscuits in Liguria: daisy-shaped shortbread with a hole in the middle, so fragile they melt in the mouth. The secret is hard-boiled egg yolks pushed through a sieve into the dough, with potato starch, which makes them crumbly and sandy. They are sold in Genoa and the hill town of Torriglia, piled in paper and covered with snowy icing sugar. Chef's tip: work the dough as little as possible and keep it cold; warm dough becomes too soft to cut into neat flowers.

45 minItalianBaking
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Cicoria ripassataSautéed bitter chicory

In Rome and across Puglia, cicoria is the bitter green that arrives at every market from autumn to spring, often gathered wild in the fields. It is boiled first to soften its bitterness, then "ripassata", passed through the pan again with garlic, chilli and olive oil. Roman trattorie serve it next to roast lamb or saltimbocca, and in Puglia it is the classic partner for fava bean purée. Chef's tip: boil the chicory in plenty of well-salted water and then squeeze it hard; most of the harsh bitterness goes down the drain with the water.

30 minItalianSidesVeganGluten free
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Polenta pasticciataBaked polenta with mushroom sauce

Across the Veneto and Lombardy, yesterday's polenta becomes today's polenta pasticciata: slices of set polenta layered like lasagne with a sauce of tomato and mushrooms, mozzarella and grated cheese, then baked until bubbling. It is the dish families make for Sunday in winter, often prepared on Saturday. Parmigiano is made with animal rennet, and mozzarella usually uses calf rennet; vegetarian versions work well. Chef's tip: set the polenta in a thin layer the day before; firm, cold polenta slices cleanly and holds its layers in the oven.

105 minItalianRice & GrainsGluten free
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Pomodori col risoRice-stuffed tomatoes

Every Roman bakery and rosticceria has a tray of pomodori col riso in summer: big round tomatoes, hollowed out and filled with raw rice soaked in their own pulp with garlic, basil and olive oil, then baked with wedges of potato that soak up the juices. Romans eat them warm or at room temperature for lunch on hot days, often on Ferragosto (15 August). Chef's tip: let the rice soak in the tomato pulp for at least an hour before filling; it softens and then cooks evenly inside the tomatoes.

90 minItalianVegetarianVeganGluten free
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Pizza di Pasqua al formaggioEaster cheese bread

On Easter morning in Perugia, Ancona and the villages of Umbria and the Marche, families sit down to a breakfast that comes after Lent: a tall, golden cheese bread, rich with eggs, pecorino and Parmigiano, sliced and eaten with hard-boiled eggs and salami that has been blessed in church. The bread rises high like a panettone and has a soft yellow crumb dotted with cubes of cheese. Pecorino and Parmigiano are usually made with animal rennet; vegetarian hard cheeses work. Chef's tip: bake it in a tall, straight-sided tin or a clean coffee can lined with paper; the high sides help it rise up rather than spread.

110 minItalianBreads & Parathas
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Schiacciata alla fiorentinaOrange Carnival sponge cake

During Carnival every bakery in Florence sells schiacciata alla fiorentina: a low, soft, orange-scented sponge, baked in a rectangular tin and covered with icing sugar with the Florentine lily (the giglio) stencilled in cocoa on top. Florentines eat it for breakfast with a cappuccino or as an afternoon snack, plain or split and filled with cream. The original was a rich yeasted bread with lard; today almost everyone makes this simple, quick version. Chef's tip: keep the cake low, about 3 cm; it is meant to be a thin, moist sponge, not a tall cake.

45 minItalianBaking
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Graffe napoletanePotato doughnuts

Graffe are the Neapolitan doughnut, sold warm at bars and pastry shops all year round but especially at Carnival: soft, fluffy rings made with mashed potato in the dough, which keeps them light and moist, fried and rolled in sugar. Neapolitans eat them for breakfast with an espresso, or as a children's snack after school. The name probably comes from the Austrian krapfen, brought to the city in the 1700s. Chef's tip: let the shaped rings rise on small squares of baking paper; you can lower them into the oil on the paper without knocking out the air, then pull the paper away.

60 minItalianDesserts
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Zabaione

Zabaione (or zabaglione) is said to have been created in Turin in the 1500s and dedicated to San Pasquale, the patron saint of pastry cooks. It is a warm, airy foam of egg yolks and sugar whisked over a gentle heat with Marsala wine, served in glasses with savoiardi biscuits, or poured over fresh berries. In Piedmontese homes it was also given as a pick-me-up. This dessert contains alcohol and is for adults only. For an alcohol-free version, use the same amount of strong coffee or milk with a spoonful of vanilla. Chef's tip: whisk over barely simmering water and keep the bowl moving; too much heat cooks the yolks into scrambled egg.

15 minItalianDessertsGluten free
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Cannoncini alla cremaCustard puff pastry horns

Every pastry shop in Turin and Piedmont has a tray of cannoncini: puff pastry wrapped around metal cones, baked until golden and flaky, then piped full of vanilla custard and dusted with icing sugar. Little ones are part of the "pasticcini mignon" bought on Sunday morning after church to take to lunch at the grandparents' house. You need cannoncino or cream-horn moulds. Chef's tip: fill them just before serving; custard softens the pastry within a few hours.

60 minItalianBaking
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Carciofi alla giudiaCrisp fried artichokes

Carciofi alla giudia come from Rome's old Jewish Ghetto, where for centuries the restaurants along Via del Portico d'Ottavia have fried them from February to April, when the round Roman romanesco artichokes are in season. The artichokes are trimmed, fried once slowly until tender, then opened like flowers and fried again in hotter oil until the leaves are bronze and crunchy like crisps, while the heart stays soft. Chef's tip: before the second fry, flick a few drops of cold water into the oil from your fingers, standing well back; Roman cooks say the spatter is what makes the leaves extra crisp. Do this carefully.

55 minItalianSidesVeganGluten free
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Savoiardi

Savoiardi were created in the 1300s at the court of the House of Savoy in Piedmont, for a visit by the King of France. They are long, light finger biscuits of whipped eggs, sugar and flour, with a crisp sugary crust and a dry, spongy inside, made to be soaked: in coffee for tiramisù, in liqueur for zuppa inglese, or in milk for children's breakfast. Chef's tip: dust the piped fingers twice with icing sugar, 5 minutes apart; this forms the pearly crust that keeps them crisp outside.

37 minItalianBaking
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Granita di mandorlaAlmond granita

On summer mornings in Catania, Messina and the towns around Mount Etna, Sicilians have granita for breakfast: a glass of soft, flaky ice made from almond milk and sugar, eaten with a warm brioche col tuppo (with a little bun on top) for dunking. The almond granita is the most traditional flavour, white, sweet and fragrant. It is made without a machine, just scraped with a fork as it freezes. Contains nuts. Chef's tip: stir the granita every 30 minutes without fail; that's what gives it the soft, creamy flakes instead of a solid block.

20 minItalianDessertsVeganGluten free
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Zeppole di San GiuseppeCustard-filled choux rings

On 19 March, the feast of San Giuseppe and Father's Day in Italy, every bar and pastry shop in Naples sells zeppole: rings of choux pastry piped in a spiral, fried or baked, filled with thick custard and topped with a dark, syrupy amarena cherry. The fried version is the traditional one; baked zeppole are lighter and easier at home. Families buy them by the tray to share after lunch. Chef's tip: pipe the rings onto squares of baking paper so you can lower them into the oil without misshaping them; the paper comes away on its own.

75 minItalianDesserts
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Granita al caffè con pannaCoffee granita with cream

In Sicily, and in Rome at the famous Tazza d'Oro café near the Pantheon, coffee granita is served in a glass layered with unsweetened whipped cream: cream at the bottom, coffee ice in the middle and more cream on top. It is a summer breakfast or afternoon pick-me-up, eaten with a long spoon or a brioche. It contains caffeine, so it isn't for children. Chef's tip: make the coffee strong and sweet; flavours fade when frozen, so it should taste almost too sweet before it goes in the freezer.

15 minItalianDessertsGluten free
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CartellateFried honey pastry rosettes

In Bari and the towns of Puglia, cartellate are the Christmas sweet that families make together: thin ribbons of dough, pinched every few centimetres and rolled up into a rosette with lots of small pockets, fried, then dipped in warm vincotto, a dark, syrupy reduced grape must, or honey. The pockets fill with syrup, and they are sprinkled with cinnamon and coloured sprinkles. The dough traditionally includes a little white wine; this version gives a water and lemon option for an alcohol-free bake. Chef's tip: pinch the ribbon firmly every 3 cm before rolling; well-sealed pockets hold the syrup instead of flattening in the oil.

90 minItalianDesserts
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Mostarda di CremonaCandied fruit in mustard syrup

Mostarda di Cremona is a jar of jewel-like whole fruits, pears, cherries, figs, clementines and apricots, candied slowly in sugar syrup and then spiked with mustard oil so that each sweet mouthful ends with a sharp, nose-tingling heat. In Cremona and across Lombardy it is served at Christmas with bollito misto (boiled meats) and with cheese, and it fills the tortelli of Cremona and Mantua. Pure mustard essence is hard to buy, so this home version uses strong mustard powder. Chef's tip: candy the fruit over three days, bringing the syrup to the boil each day; slow candying keeps the fruit whole and glossy.

90 minItalianChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
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Granita di gelsi neriBlack mulberry granita

In late June and July the black mulberry trees of Sicily, especially around Messina and Acireale, drop their dark, juicy fruit, and the bars turn them into a granita the colour of ink, sweet and tangy, served in a glass with a warm brioche. Mulberries stain everything, so locals eat it carefully. If you can't find black mulberries, blackberries make a very similar granita. Chef's tip: add a squeeze of lemon; it brightens the berry flavour and keeps the colour vivid.

25 minItalianDessertsVeganGluten free
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Polenta taragnaBuckwheat polenta with cheese

High in the Valtellina valley near Sondrio, where wheat struggles but buckwheat grows well, polenta is made grey-brown and nutty with a mix of buckwheat and cornmeal. Taragna gets its name from the tarell, the long wooden stick used to stir it in a copper pot over the fire. At the end, butter and cubes of the local Valtellina Casera or Bitto cheese are stirred in until they melt into strings. It is winter food for cold mountain evenings, eaten with mushrooms or sausages on the side. Local cheeses are usually made with animal rennet; a vegetarian melting cheese works. Chef's tip: stir the flour into the boiling water in a slow rain with a whisk; once it is all in, switch to a wooden spoon and keep stirring.

60 minItalianRice & Grains
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Coccoli con stracchinoFried dough with creamy cheese

In Florence, coccoli are little balls of bread dough fried until puffy and golden, piled into a basket and served hot with stracchino, a soft, fresh, slightly tangy cow's-milk cheese, and usually with prosciutto too. They are the start of a meal in Florentine trattorie and a snack at street stalls in the evening. This is the vegetarian way, with cheese only; stracchino is often made with animal rennet, so look for a vegetarian soft cheese if needed. Chef's tip: salt the coccoli the moment they come out of the oil, while they are still glistening, so the salt sticks.

40 minItalianSnacks & Starters
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Fagiolini in umidoBraised green beans in tomato

In Tuscany, vegetables are often cooked "in umido", slowly in a little tomato until they are soft and full of flavour, rather than crisp. Florentine families make fagiolini in umido in summer with flat runner beans or green beans, garlic, a spoonful of tomato and plenty of olive oil, and serve them warm or cold next to roast chicken or boiled meat. They are even better reheated the next day. Chef's tip: don't rush them; the beans should be fully soft and soaked in sauce, not bright green and crunchy.

45 minItalianSidesVeganGluten free
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Pizza di scarolaEscarole pie

Pizza di scarola is a Neapolitan Christmas Eve tradition, when families avoid meat: a covered pie of bread dough filled with sautéed escarole (a bitter salad green), black Gaeta olives, capers, pine nuts and raisins. Many families add anchovies, but this version keeps it vegan and gets its salty depth from the capers and olives instead. It is eaten warm or cold, cut into wedges, on the night before Christmas and in the days after. Chef's tip: squeeze the cooked escarole well before filling; wet greens make the bottom crust soggy.

80 minItalianPizzaVegan
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Riso al saltoCrisp fried saffron risotto cake

In Milan, nobody throws away risotto alla milanese. The next day it is pressed into a hot buttered pan and fried until it forms a thin, crackling golden disc, flipped "al salto" (with a jump) like a pancake. Old Milanese trattorie near the Brera district served it late at night after the theatre, and it is still a favourite way to use up saffron risotto. The cheese in the leftover risotto is usually made with animal rennet. Chef's tip: use cold risotto straight from the fridge and press it thin; warm or thick risotto won't crisp and falls apart when you flip it.

20 minItalianRice & GrainsGluten free
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Migliaccio napoletanoSemolina and ricotta cake

Migliaccio is the cake Neapolitan grandmothers bake on Fat Tuesday, the last day of Carnival before Lent. Its name comes from miglio, millet, which was used before semolina: today semolina is cooked in milk with butter, then mixed with ricotta, eggs, sugar and plenty of orange and lemon zest, and baked into a soft, dense, custardy cake. It is a close cousin of the Easter pastiera, without the pastry. Chef's tip: let the cooked semolina cool before beating in the eggs and ricotta; hot semolina scrambles the eggs and the cake turns grainy.

85 minItalianBaking
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Risotto alla zuccaPumpkin risotto

Mantua is pumpkin country: the dense, sweet zucca mantovana fills tortelli, gnocchi and this golden autumn risotto, eaten across the Lombard plain from October to the first frosts. Half the pumpkin is roasted and mashed into the rice so it turns creamy and orange; the rest is folded in as soft cubes. Children love its sweetness. Parmigiano is made with animal rennet; choose a vegetarian hard cheese if you need to. Chef's tip: roast rather than boil the pumpkin; roasting concentrates its sugar, while boiled pumpkin waters down the risotto.

60 minItalianRice & GrainsGluten free
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PinzimonioRaw vegetables with olive oil

In Tuscany pinzimonio comes out in November, when the frantoi (olive mills) press the new oil and families want something that shows off its peppery green bite. A jug of raw, cold vegetables is set in the middle of the table and everyone dips into their own little bowl of oil seasoned with salt and pepper, usually before a plate of pasta or alongside bruschetta at the mill. Crunch matters more than anything: fennel, celery hearts, radishes, carrots, young artichokes and red peppers, all very fresh. Chef's tip: keep the cut vegetables in a bowl of iced water for 15 minutes before serving; they turn crisper and look glossy without any dressing.

15 minItalianSaladsVeganGluten free
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Peperoni sott'acetoPickled sweet peppers

In Campania, Basilicata and Calabria, late summer means jars of red and yellow peppers in vinegar lined up in the larder. In winter they are fried with potatoes, chopped into Christmas insalata di rinforzo, or served with sausages. The thick, fleshy peppers stay crisp and turn tangy and sweet. Chef's tip: use thick-walled peppers and cut them into wide strips; thin peppers go soft in the vinegar.

25 minItalianChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
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Pizza ai quattro formaggiFour-cheese pizza

Four-cheese pizza is a pizzeria classic from Milan to Palermo, a pizza bianca (no tomato) where each cheese does a different job: mozzarella for stretch, gorgonzola for a blue tang, fontina from the Aosta Valley for creaminess and Parmigiano for a salty crust. It is the order for winter evenings, often with a drizzle of honey or a few walnuts on top. Most of these cheeses are made with animal rennet; choose vegetarian versions of each if you need to. Chef's tip: cut the cheeses into small cubes rather than slices and scatter them unevenly; they melt at different speeds and give pockets of flavour.

30 minItalianPizza
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Fiori di zucca ripieni frittiFried stuffed courgette flowers

Every Roman pizzeria a taglio and friggitoria has a tray of fiori di zucca in summer: courgette flowers stuffed with a stick of mozzarella, dipped in a thin cold batter and fried until they shatter. Romans usually tuck in an anchovy fillet, but this vegetarian version swaps it for a little lemon zest and a caper, which gives the same salty spark. They are eaten as an antipasto before pizza or as a snack standing at the counter. Mozzarella is usually made with calf rennet; vegetarian versions are easy to find. Chef's tip: make the batter with ice-cold sparkling water and leave a few lumps; a smooth, warm batter fries heavy and soft.

40 minItalianSnacks & Starters
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Melanzane a funghettoFried aubergine with tomatoes

Neapolitans call this aubergine "a funghetto" because the small fried cubes look and taste a little like sautéed mushrooms. It is a summer side dish from Naples and the Amalfi Coast, made when aubergines are cheap and glossy: cubes fried until golden, then tossed with a quick sauce of cherry tomatoes, garlic and basil. It is served warm or cold next to grilled meat or fish, or piled on bread. Chef's tip: salt the aubergine cubes and leave them in a colander for 30 minutes, then pat dry; they soak up less oil and fry crisp.

35 minItalianSidesVeganGluten free
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Fave e pecorinoRaw broad beans with pecorino

On 1 May, Romans head out to the parks and the Castelli Romani hills with a sack of fresh broad beans still in their pods and a hunk of young Pecorino Romano, and spend the afternoon shelling, nibbling and talking. The pairing is simple and very Roman: sweet, grassy raw beans against salty, sharp cheese, often with a glass of something cold and a hunk of bread. Only the youngest, smallest beans work raw, so this is a dish for a few weeks of spring. Traditional pecorino uses animal rennet; choose a vegetarian sheep's cheese if you need to. Chef's tip: taste a bean before you buy; if it is starchy or bitter rather than sweet, braise those beans instead.

10 minItalianSnacks & StartersGluten free
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Polpette di melanzaneAubergine fritters with pecorino

In Calabria, from Reggio up to Cosenza, polpette di melanzane are what grandmothers fry in August when the garden is full of aubergines and nobody wants meat. Boiled aubergine is squeezed dry and mixed with stale bread, egg, pecorino, garlic and mint, then shaped into small balls and fried; they are eaten warm as an antipasto or cold the next day in a sandwich. They should be soft and almost creamy inside with a thin golden crust. Pecorino is usually made with animal rennet; a vegetarian hard cheese works. Chef's tip: squeeze the boiled aubergine in a clean tea towel until no more water drips; wet aubergine makes polpette that fall apart in the oil.

50 minItalianSnacks & Starters
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Pizza a portafoglioFolded street pizza

In the narrow streets of Naples's historic centre, pizzerie sell a small margherita folded in four like a wallet, wrapped in paper and eaten while walking, for a couple of euros. It is the city's original fast food and still a lunch for students and workers around Via dei Tribunali and the Spanish Quarter. The pizza is small and soft so it folds without cracking. Mozzarella is usually made with calf rennet; vegetarian versions are easy to find. Chef's tip: take the pizza out while the crust is still soft and a little pale; a crisp pizza snaps when you fold it.

28 minItalianFast Food
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RoccocòHard almond spice rings

Roccocò are the hardest biscuits on the Neapolitan Christmas tray, ring-shaped and studded with whole almonds, scented with orange and pisto spice. The name is said to come from the curly French "rocaille" shape. They are baked in early December, and Neapolitans dunk them in sweet wine or milk, or break them carefully, because they are famously hard on teeth. Chef's tip: bake them twice as long as you think and leave them to dry overnight; roccocò are meant to be crunchy, and they soften pleasantly after a week in the tin.

50 minItalianBaking
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