Favorite pasta dishes to order in Italy?

I can't eat seafood either - I look for dishes with ingredients I like but some of my favorite plates are:

Ribollita in Florence - its a hearty soup thickened with bread

Chicken Cacciatore - yummy chicken dish

Gnocchi

Braciola or Involtini - rolled grilled or fried meat - stuffed with something then simmered in a sauce

EDIT - keep in mind the bistecca fiorentina will be served rare but it is a really good steak

Among my favorites are any type of ravioli (especially the squash/pumpkin), risotto (seafood my favorite but the wild mushroom is wonderful, too) and as above poster says, cacio e pepe. I know it's not pasta but there is the famous beef dish in Florence, bistecca fiorentina. Anything with pesto in the Cinque Terre. Yum! I wish I was going with you!

In Venice, it's risotto you're after. I think I ate it every meal, followed by gelato. You'll probably mostly find seafood varieties, but I had a vegetable one, too.

CT is known for trofie al pesto, little rolled pasta noodles with bright green pesto sauce.

Sigh.

Bucatini!!

Not pasta but I loved the eggplant parmigiana I ate in several places in Italy and I second the wild mushroom risotto (not partial to seafood). For pasta I love a good fettuccine alfredo, especially with chicken, spinach, and fresh tomatoes.

Who is Alfredo?

Amanda,

If this is your first trip to Italy, you'll find that Italian menus are a bit different with meals arranged in groups, including Antipasti, Primi, Secondi, Contorni and Dolci (and of course beverages). There's no way you'll be able to order the "full meal deal", as it would be too much to eat and would cost a small fortune. I normally order a salad and Primi item and wine (usually pasta) and that's more than enough for a good meal. To give you some idea, here's a typical menu for a restaurant in Rome (scroll through the 9 pages - I don't know how recent it is)......

https://www.zomato.com/roma/trattoria-antica-boheme-monti-roma/menu#tabtop

As others have mentioned, in the Cinque Terre, anything with Pesto is great. I always enjoy Trofie al Pesto (often several times) on each visit, or any kind of pasta with Pesto and THIS is one example using long pasta, and THIS is Trofie al Pesto. You could also try Pesto Lasagna.

dario,

The dish was named after Alfredo Di Lelio, a restaurateur who opened and operated restaurants in Rome.

Cacio e Pepe in Rome, any number of restaurants. It's quintessential Italian hangover food--spaghetti with black pepper & Pecorino Romano cheese only. So simple, incredibly satisfying.

Also in Rome, at Da Giggetto in the Jewish Ghetto, Bucatini all' Amatriciana. Thick spaghetti topped--not drenched--with a mixture of San Marzano tomatoes, (again) Pecorino Romano cheese, olive oil, guanciale (pork cheek, pancetta can be substituted in the US), and crushed red pepper. Those five ingredients & the bucatini made this dish my tops in Italy to date.

In Florence, at Ciro & Sons, Calamari all' Amalfitana. A southern Italian dish but Ciro's does a masterful job with tender squid (and I suspect a little squid ink as well), garlic, olive oil, cherry tomatoes and crushed red pepper over wide fettuccine.

I've tried to make each of these dishes at home and while pretty good, they don't measure up to enjoying it in La Bella Italia.

Hey everyone...thanks so much for the great and thoughtful responses! Can't wait to try them out soon!
Grazie mille!

Amanda,

Jay is spot on with his recommendations. As an Italia food specialist, my family has owned an Italian restaurant sine the turn of the century. Our family is from Campagna region. I am ver critical when it comes to Italian food. Definitely check out sauce with cheek of the pig. A great restaurant in Rome for this dish is La Pentoloccia check out the website.
Lorieann Pellegrino

If you are in the mood for something spicy, order Pasta All'arribiata. The sauce is flavored with red pepper flakes and is delicious!

My absolute fave is trofie with pesto sauce.

I had this every night when I was in the CT, and several other places while in Italia.

Look for food that is specific to the region you are in, or special dishes of your chosen restaurant. The bistecca alla Fiorentina is big enough for four people.

Carbona , Ragu, e Cacio I Pepe

Pasta with artichoke hearts was my favorite in Rome.

"Did Alfredo sauce make it to Italy? Maybe meatballs with spaghetti is next?"

DonneBee, I think Alfredo sauce made its way from Italy to the US, not the other way around. See this thread: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/alfredo-di-roma

What a coincidence, I just put up a thread the other day under Italy Reviews asking about fettuccini Alfredo at Alfredo alla Scrofa restaurant on Villa Della Scrofa in Rome. Their website says the chef there first made it for his wife and the rest is history. But, unlike the American version it has no cream just butter and parmigiana cheese. A friend ate there on her honeymoon over 30 years ago and still remembers how good it was. It is on my list for my trip in February. Will also check out all your other suggestions.

Donnybee,

As I mentioned above, "The dish was named after Alfredo Di Lelio, a restaurateur who opened and operated restaurants in Rome." Therefore I'm assuming it originated in Italy and eventually migrated to North America, with a slight change in the recipe.

It was a similar with Tagliatelle al Ragu which apparently originated in Bologna, but ended up as Pasta Bolognese when it migrated to other parts of the world, again with a slight change in the recipe. I did some "personal research" on the subject when I was in Bologna in September, which added somewhat to my waist line. There's a good reason Bologna has been called La Grassa as the food there is great!

Donnybee,

The Italians may not like deviation from the "proper" food, but they have adapted to provide the foods that people want. For example, I visited a very old and traditional restaurant in Bologna (opened in 1903 as I recall) which had Tagliatelle alla Bolognese on the menu. This was different than the more traditional Tagliatelle al Ragu, but I wanted to try both versions to compare them.

"as you know you won't find pizza burgers and such"

LOL - Not quite! McDonalds is ubiquitous in Italy, and Domino's has recently started operation in Italy. This will be followed by Starbucks which will be opening it's first Italian store in Milan in the near future. If you want Burgers, Taco Chips & Salsa, Steaks or whatever, you can get those at Roadhouse Grill locations in Termini station (and I believe now at Milano Centrale as well).

Kaeleku, not exactly: there are differences between ancient Latin and Medieval Latin.

Donnybee,

The large restaurant chains like McDonalds have tailored their menus to local tastes to some extent, and the restaurants in Italy (and elsewhere in Europe) are different than their counterparts in North America. European McDonalds often have separate coffee bars serving Espresso or other "delicacies". I suspect Starbucks will do the same to some extent and perhaps offer a choice of some local types of coffee. Again, they will provide a product that customers will buy. I used Starbucks in Switzerland and Austria a few months ago, but can't remember if the taste was the same as the "full city roast" that's common in this area.

Subway is also somewhat prevalent in Europe.

Thanks to Google I've just learned that Alfredo sauce is the pasta with butter and parmigiano cheese! What a story, it seems that the recipe moved from Rome to US thanks to two american actors of the 20s and the sick wife of an Italian restaurateur called Alfredo!
Nobody really "created" it, it would be like claiming that somebody has "created" the chicken broth. It's been around for centuries.

As Pasta with Butter and cheese in Italy is nicknamed "hospital food" or "food for sick kids", I doubt you'll ever find it on a menu under the Italian or the American name*.

Who would ever pay for something that even the worst amateur cook can do in 5 minutes?

'* Except at the worst tourist traps, I'm afraid.

So glad I am American, a culture which doesn't cling to the past.

We call it building on experience to avoid repeating always the same mistakes. It works this way:

1. You put grated cheese on (expensive) clams once,
2. you discover that this way you can't feel the delicate taste of clams anymore, now any single clam tastes like a little piece of rubber covered in cheese
3. mama says: "You see? Mama knows better, next Christmas avoid wasting your father's hard earned money."
4. You think you're a real idiot and mumble: "Take note: Never experiment with something that you eat only once a year".

Do you get Chianina beef burgers in McDonalds? :)

pasta carbonara ! YUM!

It is possible that "Alfredo" sauce, so popular in America, may be based on a recipe (maybe even calcio e Pepe) that some American tasted in a restaurant in Rome called Alfredo and then, once in the US, changed with the addition of cream.
But the point is that if you ask locals in Italy, including Rome, where you can find "Alfredo" sauce nobody will understand what you are talking about. The creamy recipe and the name will not ring a bell, you will not find it in restaurants or supermarkets under that name. There are of course recipes that are similar, like "panna e prosciutto", but it's not called Alfredo sauce.

Oh my, Kaeleku, so sorry my spellcheck mangled your name!

In Tuscany, I like cinghale sauce on pasta - wild boar. I love the stuff. Not "gamey" as you would expect. I was pleasantly surprised. If you want to try something new, but are a bit timid to stray far from what you usually like - cinghale is a good option. In Assisi - black celery gives a lovely, earthy flavor to food - in the same way mushrooms do. Porchetta sandwiches are a good choice for lunch. Italy has great food choices. Even something simple like cantaloupe tastes great.

Cantaloupe gelato!

Don,

Buontornato!

The cantaloupe flavor is melone. My favorite is pistacchio.

Hopefully your love of Italian food extends beyond what you've listed. If you haven't done any research or tasting on your own,
you might want to listen to Rick Steves audio guide. He has at least 4 audio segments on Italian cuisine.
Additionally, things do taste different in Italy. For example, if you aren't alergic to seafood, you might want to try something there, for example you might hate sardines or anchovies but they are completely different than the canned stuff you might get here. Even pizza is different. As for desserts, or treats try gelato flavors other than chocolate or vanilla.
Lastly, if there is more than one of you travelling, don't order the same things. You can always share and try each others.

So glad I'm not the only lover of Cacio e Pepe! We've had very good Bucatini all' Amatriciana as well but for the life of me can't remember where. That most of our pasta hasn't come just drowning in sauce - usually just enough to nicely coat the noodles - is something I like about Italy.

Pasta is also almost never overcooked; something we've run into all too often here in the U.S.

Jay, I had an earthy, perfectly wonderful funghi risotto at Ciro and Sons. Great place.

I like the Cime di Rapa pasta which is very famous in Puglia.
I also like the polpette di Pesce spada or tonno in Sicily.
Florence: porchetta, bisteccha and Tuscan prosciutto.

Thank you all again for your great insights and suggestions! Really excited to try some new things during our trip, they all sound incredible!

Not sure if this was mentioned yet, but Cinque Terre is famous for pesto. Any pasta with it is great!

Also, Limoncello to drink and Tiramisu as a dessert.

Each area has its favorite after-dinner liqueur, don't limit yourself to limoncello. Try an amaro (bitter) after dinner..

Amanda,

In the Cinque Terre you might also try the sweet dessert wine, Sciacchetra, which is a specialty in that area. You may enjoy watching this short video about the wine......

https://vimeo.com/15933568

Zoe, we tried an Amaro in Salerno, a brownish, not-that-strong liqueur. They call it a 'digestif', and I can only say that it must be an acquired taste. Did not care for it at all--I'd rank it below homemade grappa in Sicily, which tasted like rocket fuel. But when it's gratis from the house, you grin & bear it!

Jay, you are right, some of them are an acquired taste, but I've had some that are very good. But then, I like Campari, so...

Trofie al pesto in almost any bistro near Cinque Terre is the stuff dreams are made of. Pesto that fresh is such a treat.

And I had the most amazing tomatoes in Sorrento. It made me feel like I'd never eaten a real tomato before.

And burrata on Isola de Rosa - creamy, slightly salty, bursting with flavor

Time to book another trip!

Pesto is famous in all Liguria, Genova, La Spezza, Imperia and of course CT.
Genova is a very beautiful city and not many of you seem to show interest.