My dear friend Maria Pasquale’s new book, Mangia: How to Eat Your Way Through Italy, is not a cookbook. It’s more like an encyclopedia filled with stories and tips that highlights the must-know dishes, regional products, food festivals, and culinary experiences in all 20 regions of Italy.
All of the pasta! Anything with porcini is typically my first choice. Depends on the location too. I can’t wait to get back to Puglia in September and have polpo grigliata! It’s the best. And the vitello tonnato in Piemonte is amazing. Each region has something truly special! 💕🇮🇹💕🇮🇹
I'm not sure that this counts as a "dish," but I'm wild about Taralli, which I first tasted in Lecce. My mom made what she called anise cookies, with olive oil, anise and black pepper, but the Pugliese version with fennel and without black pepper are fabulous. They take forever to make, but they are so worth it!
The divine Focaccia alla Genovese is my absolute favorite and the true taste of my childhood. Try it while travelling to Liguria, for the most authentic experience :)
With good mozzarella di bufala and fresh peak-of-season tomatoes, insalata caprese is heaven. And once you've had spaghetti al pomodoro made with fresh tomatoes, there's no going back.
Favorite Italian dish: Calabrian patate mpacchiuse, potatoes that nearly melt (Sila are the best) and often with onions (particularly Tropea).
That’s a new one for me! I’ll have to try it sometime.
My favourite Italian dish was something I discovered during my recent trip to Rome - Amatriciana! So delicious. I think about it often. lol
That's a good one!
Oooh it’s so hard to choose and I have so many more pastas to try, but at the moment my favorite is Amatriciana!
Love it! Have you tried it at La Matriciana dal 1870?
I have! But only once and I didn’t order a classic Roman dish. Should I go back and try a classic?
You have to try their bucatini all’amatriciana! La Matriciana claims to be the place that introduced the dish to Rome
I’ll make sure to go back and order this!
All of the pasta! Anything with porcini is typically my first choice. Depends on the location too. I can’t wait to get back to Puglia in September and have polpo grigliata! It’s the best. And the vitello tonnato in Piemonte is amazing. Each region has something truly special! 💕🇮🇹💕🇮🇹
I eagerly await fresh porcini mushrooms every fall! I love them with pasta, risotto, you name it...
cardoons or carciofi alla giudia (and obviously all of the pasta.)
I've never seen cardoons in Rome! But maybe I haven't been looking hard enough...
maybe around the holidays?
I'm not sure that this counts as a "dish," but I'm wild about Taralli, which I first tasted in Lecce. My mom made what she called anise cookies, with olive oil, anise and black pepper, but the Pugliese version with fennel and without black pepper are fabulous. They take forever to make, but they are so worth it!
Tie between Amatriciana and Carciofi alla Giudia
Both excellent options!
The divine Focaccia alla Genovese is my absolute favorite and the true taste of my childhood. Try it while travelling to Liguria, for the most authentic experience :)
Delicious! I also loved trying the focaccia di Recco.
That's one level up on the indulging scale 🤪😋
Definately, my favorite dishes are Stuffed Artichokes from my Sicilian Mom and Gnocchi from my Abruzzese Dad!
Sounds delicious! I need the recipe for those stuffed artichokes
gnocchetti, little soft pillows of deliciousness
So good! And so many options for the sauce
Manicotti and lasagna with lots of sauce
The lasagna in Bologna is unparalleled!
I’m a really simple girl. My last trip to Italy I lived on Caprese with very fresh ingredients and pasta pomodoro.
Eating cacio e Pepe outside of Rome feels like sacrilege.
With good mozzarella di bufala and fresh peak-of-season tomatoes, insalata caprese is heaven. And once you've had spaghetti al pomodoro made with fresh tomatoes, there's no going back.
My favorite dish is Abbacchio alla romana, with Vignarola as a first course.
I'm eagerly awaiting the first vignarola of the season!
Favorite Italian dish is carbonara!! 🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹
A true Roman classic!
My favourite dish, the one I dream about is Spaghetti alle Vongole.