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    Home » Italian Food Tradition » Culture

    32 Most Popular Italian Street Food Recipes To Try

    Published: Mar 2, 2023 · Modified: May 6, 2025. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    Italian Street Food By Region pin

    Italian street food is a strong part of Italian culture, reflecting historic and regional traditions. Find out what each Italian city offers tourists to eat on the go, cibo di strada. From street vendors (venditori ambulanti) to local festivals (sagra) you can find delicious food, often Italian finger food sold in paper cones that you can eat with your hands. From gelati and rustici in the South to chicchetti and aperocena in the North, here are the best Italian street food recipes you can cook at home.

    arancino hold with Sicily in the bachground

    Italian street food has a long-standing tradition, starting with the Roman Empire.

    In a nation of travelers, many people consumed their meals standing in semi-open rooms near the road.

    We can still find important remains in Pompeii, from upmarket street food restaurants to downmarket ones, Cauponae (inn), Popina (wine bar, Pub) or Taberna (home kitchens opened to the street).

    Jump to:
    • Regional street food specialties
    • Venice
    • Trieste
    • Liguria
    • Emilia Romagna
    • Marche and Abruzzo
    • Tuscany and Umbria
    • Rome
    • Napoli
    • Apulia
    • Sicily
    • 32 Italian street food recipes
    • Panini
    • Pizza
    • Fried finger food
    • Sagre
    • Pastries
    • More articles you may like
    remains in Pompeii, from upmarket street food restaurants to downmarket ones, Cauponae (inn), Popina (wine bar, Pub) or Taberna (home kitchens opened to the street).

    These structures served not only as a destination for passing travelers but also as a place where the poor could warm their food since they did not always have stoves at home.

    You can read more about it in the article: The Fascinating Ancient Roman Recipes

    Throughout Italian history, the urban working class mostly lived in the streets and would eat on the go on street stalls.

    In more modern days, with more women entering the non-domestic workforce, the consumption of street food increased.

    Campo de'fiori Farmers market fruits
    Campo de'fiori Farmers market Rome

    Regional street food specialties

    If you are traveling to Italy, these are the street food specialties I recommend you try:

    Venice

    Venice is home to some historic wineries, known as bacari, where you can have glasses of wine, called ombre, and an assortment of culinary delights:

    • Sandwiches with ossocollo, cured meat around the pig head
    • Frico cheese cooked in a pan with butter and lard
    • Chicchetti, croutons with various spreads
    • Crab claws, moeche (small crabs),
    • Fried meatballs, head, musetto, nervetti
    • Baccala mantecato served on a crostino or polenta cake, and
    • Sardines in saor

    If you love seafood, street vendors are selling Venetian fish in street stalls, such as:

    • Folpetti, small octopus cut into small pieces and seasoned with olive oil, salt and parsley
    • Masanete, small crabs filled with delicious eggs
    • Mantis shrimp, prawns, and sardines
    Squid and cuttlefish

    Trieste

    Trieste has a tradition of buffets, also known as spacéti, meaning small shops.

    These establishments are a hybrid of a bar, restaurant, and emporium where one can enjoy a meal at any time, similar to how travelers and merchants used to do in the past.

    During the summer, these buffets set up a few seats outside. You can find:

    • Pork dishes like: cotechino, zampone, pancetta, carrè, lingua, luganeghe, frankfurters, trotters, and head.
    • Sandwiches, canapés (similar to Venetian croutons) with creamed cod baccala mantecato
    • Selection of fried fish
    Italian fried calamari served with aioli

    Liguria

    In Liguria street food is an important part of its tradition

    • Ligurian focaccia with holes, filled with EVO oil, containing grains of coarse salt. Soft inside and crunchy on the outside, with a fragrant crust, cut into quadrangular pieces to be enjoyed with cappuccino, caffellatte or with a glass of white wine (u gianchettu alla Genovese).
    • Focaccia di Recco is different from focaccia. It comprises two layers of very thin dough between the stracchino cheese. In some pizzerie they add truffles
    • Farinata: chickpea flour pancakes
    • Panigacci are small flat bread like piadine served with cheese, ham or salami
    • Fritto misto: a selection of fried food served in a paper cone: seafood, zucchini flowers
    • Torte salate: different types of pie like torta pasqualina, polpettone ligure (made with potatoes and green beans), castagnaccio. You can buy a slice and eat it on a bench
    Chickpea pancake plain and with rosmary cut in slices and served in a paper bag as street food

    Emilia Romagna

    Emilia Romagna, famous for its refined cuisine, is home to some exceptional street food:

    • Piadina is a flatbread made with water, flour, salt and lard. Once, it was cooked on the fireplace, today more simply on a pan, stuffed with raw ham, squacquerone cheese, all cured meats, cheeses and vegetables.
    • Tigella or Crescentina a small round bread (looks like a pancake) cut in two and stuffed with pork: the classic is the beaten lard, also called Modenese pesto (lard blended with garlic and rosemary) with a teaspoon of Parmesan, but also ham, ciccioli, culatello, culaccia
    • Gnocco fritto, crescentina, torta o chisulèn is a square of fried bread dough also served with ham, culatello o culaccia.
    • Torte salate: various types of quiche, tarts and pies filled with vegetables, eggs and cheese, artichokes, swiss chard, spinach, shallots, onion, garlic and parmesan
    piadina cut in rectangular slices

    Marche and Abruzzo

    Marche and Abruzzo street foods are known for their pork, stuffed vegetables and seafood.

    • Crescia is a flatbread cooked depending on the area, on the grill, under the embers, or on a frying pan. These tasty flatbreads are filled with sausage, field herbs, ham, loin, and cheese.
    • Fried Ascolana finger food: "fritto all'ascolana", fried stuffed olives, fried custard, zucchini, artichokes, courgette flowers, and cutlets.
    • In San Benedetto del Tronto freshly caught fish is sold raw (coquillage) and fried, but also prepared in a thousand ways: fried squid, prawns, paranza, octopus, seafood, mackerel salads, snails, cod, marinated anchovies, baked cuttlefish, dogfish with tomato sauce.
    • Panini con le spuntature the intestines of the suckling veal, the same ones used in the Lazio pajata.They are roasted on the grill, seasoned with garlic and rosemary and stuck in the middle of a rosette.
    • Torcinelli is a roll of liver and tripe and lamb intestines seasoned with salt, pepper, chilli pepper and parsley cooked on the grill. 
    • Arrosticini mutton or lamb meat is cut into small squares, placed in skewers and cooked on charcoal.Traditionally the shepherds' meal
    fried custard and stuffed olives

    Tuscany and Umbria

    These two regions offer a delicious variety of street food through their agricultural and pastoral tradition.

    • Lampredotto is one of four cow stomachs - cooked with tomato, onion, parsley and celery. It's the most classic Florentine street food. It can be eaten as is or cut into slices in a sandwich called "semelle". The same sandwich can have many other fillings. Unlike the classic Tuscan bread, the semelle is a salted bread.
    • After the second world war, many stalls started selling and cooking tripe, but also centopelle, matrix, nervetto, poppa, snout, tongue and the legendary lamprey.
    • Cecina, Torta or Farinata: pancakes made with chickpea flour
    • Torta al Testo Perugina: similar to the piadina, crescia, borlengo, tigella, it is a flat bread cooked on a flat pan called Testo. It is stuffed with cured meats, sausages, vegetables, porchetta, and cheese.
    • Schiacciata is the Tuscan version of focaccia, thin, chewy, full of flavors and olive oil
    soffritto Napoletano lung and spleen

    Rome

    Street food in Rome is a tradition going back to the Roman Empire. Now updated to the new lifestyle and tourism, it has a lot to offer.

    • Panino con la porchetta: Porchetta is a roasted pork flavored with herbs cooked on a spit cut in slices and served inside a bread roll. The most famous is the Porchetta d'Ariccia around the Roman castles
    • Suppli similar to the Sicilian arancino, the suppli is cooked rice mixed with meat, coated with bread and fried
    • Pizza al taglio are large rectangular pizza cooked in trays and served with different toppings. You can buy a square and eat them on the go.
    • Gratta checca a glass filled with crushed ice and fruits sold in shacks around the streets of Rome, perfect for the hot days
    Porchetta
    Porchetta Romana Farmers market Rome

    Napoli

    For Napoli, street food is an institution.

    • The panini Napoletani are like strudel, a dough with salami, provolone cheese, eggs, pepper, and pig fat.
    • Taralli are round savory biscuits made with lard and almonds.
    • Fresh mozzarella can be bought directly from the producer and eaten in place, Battipaglia is famous for its local producers, caseifici.
    • Pizza al portafoglio is folded pizza served on wax paper.
    • Fried pizza was born after the second world war when most ovens were destroyed, and ladies on the street started frying the pizza dough in caldrons placed outside their front doors. They were served with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, ricotta, pork fat, ham, or salami.

    More fried street food served in the friggitoria are:

    • Crocche fried breaded potato mash
    • Arancini fried rice balls
    • Zappole fried pasta
    • Fiorilli fried zucchini flowers
    • Scagliozzi fried polenta
    • Cuoppi di pesce (mixed fried fish) served in paper cones.
    • Other street foods from the cucina povera are tripe and octopus broth; the wealthy eat the boiled octopus, and the poor drink the water.
    Octopus salad Octopus in boiling water with a wine cork

    Apulia

    Apulia is famous for its simple cuisine made with fresh local ingredients:

    • Pucce are soft semolina buns enriched with black olives and stuffed with capers, anchovies, tuna, tomato, provolone cheese, oil
    • Sgagliozze, which are slices of fried polenta
    • Popizze are chunks of bread dough cooked in hot oil, similar to the Genoese frisceu or gnocca from Emilia. They can be stuffed with ham and mozzarella.
    • Panzerotto is a disc of pizza dough stuffed with tomato and mozzarella (or ricotta, bacon, or other variants), folded in two, sealed, and fried.
    • Frisa is a toasted bread that is hard as a stone and has a very long shelf life. This dry half loaf is soaked a little in water to soften it and then seasoned with tomatoes, oil, and salt.
    • Focaccia Pugliese is a simple, very thick focaccia mixed with boiled potatoes and has the characteristic of being stuffed with fresh halved cherry tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, and oregano.
    • Seafood: A plate full of freshly caught mussels, oysters, hairy mussels, and clams served with half a lemon at a ridiculous price in a shack on the beach.

    Around Alberobello, over the years, large local butchers have sparsely equipped themselves. In the evening, they set up a very simple grill outside called fornelli, with a few tables and some chairs to cook the poor cuts leftover from the shop.

    • Bombette are rolls of capocollo, salt, pepper, rosemary, parsley and cheese cooked on a spit.
    • Gnummareddi (from the Latin glomus: ball of yarn): they are rolls of liver, lung and kidney tied with lamb or kid casing, refined with parsley and wild fennel.
    Panzerotti cut in half filled with rocotta and ham

    Sicily

    Sicily is home to some of the most notorious Italian fried street food.

    • Panelle are rectangles of fried chickpea fritters eaten alone or in mafalda bread.
    • Arancino Rice Arancini Recipe Gluten Free and Vegetarian (in Palermo, called arancina) is a bowl of saffron risotto with a heart of ragù with peas (or also with cheese, spinach, or aubergines), breaded and fried.
    • Crocchette fried breaded potato mash
    • Crispelle fried dough filled with anchovies.

    Sicily is also famous for its cucina povera street food.

    • Pane cunzato is a sourdough filled with fresh tomato, and anchovies,
    • Pani câ meusa a sweet bread with a yummy filling, spleen and lung.
    • Sfincione is the Sicilian version of the pizza. High, spongy, soft, light, lightly seasoned with tomato, onion, caciocavallo.
    • Frittola is made by boiling and drying leftovers from pig such as bolds, centopelle, and cartilage, which are then revived by frying them in lard. This dish can be enjoyed on its own or as a sandwich wrapped in greaseproof paper.
    Italian Fried Dough Crispelle served with Spritz

    Exploring Italian street food is a crucial component of a journey to uncover the various regions of Italy.

    One can truly "taste the local area" not only by dining in restaurants and traditional trattorias but also with street vendors and stalls.

    For more information about regional cuisine, you can read: Traditional Italian food by region

    Gigantic mozzarella
    Gigantic mozzarella Farmers market Rome

    32 Italian street food recipes

    Here are some recipes for the most common Italian street food: panini, pizza, finger foods, and desserts.

    Panini

    Panini (plural, panino singular) in Italian is a sandwich made with fresh bread rolls like michette, rosette, mafalda, ciriola, puccia or panini al latte, traditionally filled with cheese, salami, and/or some vegetables.

    Usually, they are made with a few fresh ingredients without too many sauces.

    They are simple and not necessarily grilled. When a sandwich is grilled in Italy, we call it "toast".

    Eating bread with a filling in between became widespread in ancient Rome.

    A famous street, now known as via Panisperna, was named after the popular snack of sandwiches made with ham and must, cooked in water from dried figs, a favorite among the locals.

    During Italy's prosperous period in the 1960s, when Sunday trips out of town in the FIAT 500 were a popular ritual, the sandwich became a symbol of a packed lunch.

    We would buy our freshly made Panino in the local food shop or bakeries, Panificio, Pizzicagnolo or Salumerie.

    In the 1970s, with the emergence of sandwich shops like bars and Paninoteche, they became an opportunity for gathering, particularly for the younger generations.

    The type of bread and fillings varies across Italy depending on the region's local produce and traditions.

    Here are some recipes if you want to reproduce them at your home

    1. Piadina romagnola: Italian flatbread, emilia romagna
    2. Toast and tramezzini
    3. Panino con la Porchetta (pork roast)
    4. Bruschetta with mozzarella
    5. Bruschetta with mushrooms
    6. Panini al latte
    7. Pane consato meat lover, different fillings
    8. Semolina bread
    📋Authentic Piadina Recipe Italian Flatbread
    This Piadina recipe is the authentic version of the Italian flatbread originated in the region of Emilia Romagna. It is a flat, thin and crumbly bread born as the poor people bread as it has no yeast. However, La Piadina Romagnola is very tasty as it is made with lard instead of olive oil. It is used to make warm sandwiches, the most traditional in Romagna is filled with Squacquerone cheese, prosciutto, rocket salad and tomatoes.
    Check out this recipe
    piadina romagnola
    📋Provola and Nduja lunch recipes
    Provola and Nduja recipes are an obvious combination delight. Provola Silana and Nduja sausage from Spilinga are 2 typical Calabrese food both originating from the central region. Nduja is a spicy creamy sausage and Provola a stretchy, gooey nutty cheese. When melted together they create a perfect balance of flavor and texture.
    Check out this recipe
    📋 Porchetta Romana Recipe
    Porchetta Romana is a large cut of pork (almost half), wrapped in its rind and flavoured with herbs. It was cooked on a wooden fire, cut in slices and served in a crusty Panino/Rosetta. You can make it at home without having to buy the entire pig like they do in Rome. #yourguardianchef #Italianrecipe #pork
    Check out this recipe
    porchetta romana on a cutting board cut into thin slices
    📋Italian Milk Bread Rolls Recipe (Panini Al Latte)
    This Italian milk bread rolls recipe is a slightly sweet, soft, and small dinner roll called Panini al Latte. The dough of these fluffy buns is made with flour, milk, egg, and butter. They are golden brown and served fresh with gourmet filling at buffets or children's parties. This milk bread recipe is easy; it is a fun activity to do with the children.
    Check out this recipe
    homamade Italian panini bread recipe
    📋 Italian Bruschetta Recipe With Mozzarella
    This Italian bruschetta recipe with mozzarella is the traditional way Italians eat bruschetta. No Italian barbecue is complete without bruschetta, slices of sourdough bread toasted on the barbecue, or simply grilled in the oven. The toasted bread is rubbed with garlic and drizzled with Italian extra virgin olive oil. For the Summer, we like to top it with mozzarella, tomato, basil, and absolutely NO balsamic vinegar.
    Check out this recipe
    Italian Bruschetta Recipe With Mozzarella
    📋Mushroom Bruschetta
    This mushroom bruschetta is made the traditional Italian way, using sourdough bread, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. Instead of cheese, I added some crispy bacon to give the bruschetta a hearty taste, perfect for a winter appetizer. You can use regular mushrooms or wild mushrooms for a gourmet meal.
    Check out this recipe
    Mushroom bruschetta with bacon
    Italian picnic
    An Italian Picnic with Italian cheese and ham and fresh produce from the region.
    Check out this recipe
    Mediterranean Picnic loaf panini
    📋Semolina Bread With Sesame Seeds (Pane Siciliano)
    Semolina bread is a type of Italian bread known for its unique, coarse texture and nutty flavor that has captured the hearts of bread enthusiasts worldwide. This bread is made using semolina flour derived from durum wheat. The flour's golden yellow color contributes to the bread's appealing appearance and imparts its deliciously distinct taste.
    Check out this recipe
    Semolina bread cut in slices

    Pizza

    The most famous street food worldwide is the Napolean pizza.

    Since the late 18th century, this exceptional example of humble cuisine has been steadily rising in popularity from the alleys of Naples to all corners of the world.

    Despite its distant resemblance to Indian nan, Arab pita, and Hispanic tortillas, the pizza has surpassed all its competitors.

    There is only one true pizza, the Neapolitan-style pizza, characterized by its soft dough and cooked quickly at high temperatures in a wood-burning oven.

    This pizza is typically served as a slice with fresh tomato, basil, and mozzarella cheese, and should be enjoyed while piping hot, straight out of the oven

    Around Italy, pizza has changed some of its classic Neapolitan characteristics like thickness and crunchiness but always kept the soul of its simplicity.

    The further it moves away from its place of birth, the more it becomes an approximation of its origin.

    Other variations, such as stuffed focaccia cooked in a pan, are commonly mislabeled as pizzas.

    True pizza must come directly in contact with the oven's base to achieve its distinctive texture and flavor.

    Thin and crunchy, thick or soft, stuffed, enriched or flavored, focaccia is an ancient popular recipe.

    The Italian variants of focaccia with filling on the surface are countless, from the focaccia Barese in the South to the Ligurian in the North.

    Here are some of the pizza and focaccia varieties around Italy

    1. Pizza
    2. Pizza with veggies
    3. Pizzette
    4. Farinata made with chickpea flour
    5. Focaccia
    6. Pizza al taglio 
    7. White pizza
    8. Pissaladiere
    📋Neapolitan Pizza Dough Recipe (no bread machine)
    This is the authentic Neapolitan pizza dough recipe made from scratch. Made with flour, water, salt, and yeast. For best results, you need to let the dough rest overnight. Add a classic Italian topping, and bake it in your kitchen oven on a pizza stone at a very high temperature. It is the closest you can have to authentic Pizza Napoletana.
    Check out this recipe
    Pizza dough under a wet towel
    📋Neapolitan Pizza Recipe
    Original Italian pizza dough recipe you can use with any topping. Cooked in the home oven on a pizza stone it is the same as you have at a pizzeria
    Check out this recipe
    Italian Pizza Dough Recipe And How To Cook It
    📋Vegetarian Pizza Toppings
    I created this list of pizza toppings to celebrate Mediterranean vegetables, using for each pizza a typical regional cheese to enhances each produce and its flavour.
    Check out this recipe
    10 Vegetarian Pizza Toppings
    📋 Pizzette Recipe Mini Pizza Bites
    These pizzette, mini pizza bites, are a classic Italian street food you find at Cafes and bakeries to buy and eat on the go. They are also very popular to serve at children's parties and informal buffets.
    Check out this recipe
    Pizzette Italian pizza bites
    Best White Pizza Bianca Romana To Make At Home
    This white pizza recipe, Pizza Bianca Romana, is a standout in the world of traditional pizza. Unlike regular pizza, this white pizza doesn't have any toppings at all, letting the homemade pizza dough take center stage with its crispy crust and classy feel. The lean dough, also known as pizza al taglio, is spread out in a square baking tray, ideal for making at home. Whether enjoyed on its own or as a base for a sandwich this pizza bianca recipe brings a slice of Roman bakeries into your kitchen.
    Check out this recipe
    pizza bianca Romana
    📋Italian Chickpea Pancake (Farinata, Cecina, Panella, Socca)
    Chickpea flour pancakes are called Farinata in Liguria, Socca in the South of France, Cecina in Tuscany, and Pannella in Sicily. This vegan, gluten-free, eggless chickpea crepe is simply made with chickpeas flour, water, and olive oil cooked over a wood fire. It is an ancient recipe that goes back to the Roman Empire and is now street food in many Mediterranean countries.
    Check out this recipe
    Chickpea pancake plain and with rosmary cut in slices and served in a paper bag as street food
    📋 Fluffy Focaccia Pizza
    This fluffy Focaccia Pizza is a soft thick Pizza with tomatoes, mozzarella, the basil and ham are encapsulated inside the dough. A great mix of flavour in every bite.
    Check out this recipe
    slice of fluffy focaccia pizza
    📋Pissaladiere Nicoise
    Pissaladiere is a traditional recipe from the South of France, sold in many bakeries as a starter or snack. It is a pizza base topped by Mediterranean caramelized onions, anchovies and olives. It can be served warm or at room temperature. #yourguardianchef #frenchfood #pizza
    Check out this recipe
    Pissaladiere Nicoise

    Fried finger food

    Each region has a variety of fried finger food you can eat on the go.

    On a Saturday night, they are often served with a cocktail as an aperitif and other finger food.

    Apericena, as it was first called in Northern Italy, is an informal happy hour to meet up after work and savor various finger foods with a special cocktail.

    Here are some recipes you can make for your own apericena

    1. Arancini Supplì (rice balls)
    2. Fried eggplant balls
    3. Crispelle
    4. Calzone o Panzerotti
    5. Gnocco fritto
    6. Fried pizza fresh mozzarella and tomato sauce (campania region)
    7. Mozzarella in carrozza: fried mozzarella sandwich
    8. Fried mozzarella
    9. Pasta a frittata
    10. Stuffed olives
    11. Fried custard
    12. Fried seafood
    13. Fried zucchini flowers
    14. Fried chicken nuggets
    📋Rice Arancini Recipe Gluten Free and Vegetarian
    Arancini are a tradition in the South of Italy. They are risotto balls filled with cheese and/or meat, coated with breadcrumbs and fried.
    Check out this recipe
    Arancini on a tray
    📋Deep Fried Italian Eggplant Meatballs
    Deep fried eggplant balls is a classic recipe from the South of Italy, even the fussiest children will devour those delightful vegetable bites.
    Check out this recipe
    Deep Fried Eggplant Balls
    📋Italian Fried Dough Crispelle
    These savoury Italian fried dough balls called Crispelle is a classic appetizer we offer with the aperitif especially at Christmas and New year. Inside the fried dough there is a small piece of anchovy, crunchy outside and soft inside ending with the salty bite of the anchovy or sundried tomato, perfect to serve with a sweet Spritz or Mimosa.
    Check out this recipe
    Italian fried dough Crispelle zeppole di pasta cresciuta
    📋Fried Calzone Panzerotto
    Fried Calzone, called Panzerotti (or Panzarotti), is a turnover pizza dough folded with the filling inside. While the Calzone is baked, the Panzerotto is deep-fried. You can add any filling you like: the classics are tomato, mozzarella, and basil, or ham, ricotta, and Parmesan, and sometimes also mushrooms and bacon. Panzerotto (singular) is smaller than regular calzone and can be eaten by hand, perfect for a street food party.
    Check out this recipe
    Fried Pizza, fried calzone Panzerotti
    📋 Gnocco Fritto Dough Recipe - Fried Italian Street Food
    Gnocco fritto, a delicious appetizer from Emilia Romagna, is a classic Italian dish. A light and airy fried dough that has gained popularity across the country. This versatile and delicious Gnocco fritto dough is prepared using simple ingredients like flour, water, lard, and a leavening agent. Soft and puffy, it is often served alongside a variety of cold cuts and cheeses, making it an ideal and delightful starter.
    Check out this recipe
    Gnocco Fritto Dough Recipe
    📋 Pizza Fritta Montanara Fried Pizza Dough
    Pizza fritta Montanara is small pizza dough deep-fried and topped like a pizza. This classic Neapolitan street food is a savory dough with a crispy outside and a warm, gooey center, served topped with mozzarella, tomato sauce, basil, and freshly grated Parmesan. They are very popular as appetizers as they are simple to make and easy to serve at parties, as these fried pizzas are small and can be eaten by hand.
    Check out this recipe
    Fried pizza Montanara with tomato sauce and mozzarella
    📋 Fried mozzarella sticks and balls
    Fried mozzarella sticks and balls are served in Italy as a starter, often before a pizza. Crunchy on the outside and gooey and stringy on the inside they are children as well as parents' favorite. Served with a selection of fried finger food, they are the perfect Fritto Misto for an Aperocena with friends.
    Check out this recipe
    fried mozzarella
    📋Pasta a Frittata: Italian Fried Pasta
    Fried pasta is not even a recipe; it is what we, Italians, do when we have pasta leftover and don't want to cook anything. Perfect for a lazy day or a picnic, find out how to make it crispy.
    Check out this recipe
    Pasta a frittata Italian fried pasta
    📋 Fried Stuffed Olives Recipe (Authentic Olive Ascolane)
    Fried stuffed olives (Olive Ascolane) is a classic appetizer from Italy made using large green olives stuffed with meat, coated with breadcrumbs, and deep fried. With a delicious crispy coating, a rich salty bite of olives and meat mixed with many spices are hidden inside. They are the "posh" version of the ordinary bowl of olives, the perfect appetizer for game day.
    Check out this recipe
    Fried stuffed olives
    📋 Italian deep fried custard (crema fritta)
    Fried custard (crema fritta o cremini) is a classic Italian street food recipe from Marche region. A sweet creamy custard with a crispy coat served as an aperitif with other fried nibbles "fritto misto". Typically fried custard is served with the traditional savory fried stuffed olives: olive Ascolane.
    Check out this recipe
    Italian deep fried custard
    📋Calamari Fritti Crispy Italian Fried Calamari Recipe
    Calamari fritti is a classic Italian fried calamari recipe, very easy to make. Squid rings are coated with a simple batter and fried, they remain crispy outside and soft inside. A classic Italian street food you can serve them as seafood appetizers with homemade Aioli, mayonnaise mixed with garlic, and a drop of fresh lemon juice.
    Check out this recipe
    Italian fried calamari recipe
    📋Fried Zucchini Flowers Recipe
    Fried Zucchini Flowers are squash blossoms covered in a batter and deep fried. It is a typical Mediterranean dish, in Italy called Fiori di Zucca Fritti and in France called Beignets de Fleurs de Courgette. There are many versions of this recipe: mild or elaborate batter, with or without fillings. I use a simple batter flavored with saffron to make a crispy crust and fill the zucchini flowers with mozzarella and ham for a gooey stringy center.
    Check out this recipe
    Fried zucchini flowers layed on a serving dish
    📋 Italian Chicken Nuggets Parmesan
    This homemade chicken nuggets Parmesan is made using Italian breadcrumbs mixed with garlic, basil, and Parmesan. They are deep-fried chicken nuggets, with a crispy crust full of flavor. Easy to freeze and ready to make.
    Check out this recipe
    Italian Chicken Nuggets Parmesan

    Sagre

    Sarge are village fairs and celebrations of local fresh produce, and it is an excellent opportunity to taste some great food.

    Sometimes connected with some Religious congregations (like the feasts for the Saint protector) is also an opportunity for people to showcase the local street food specialties.

    Here are some of the most celebrated ingredients

    1. Polenta
    2. Porcini or wild mushrooms
    3. Truffle
    4. Wild boar
    5. Potatoes
    6. Chocolate
    7. Chestnuts
    📋 Italian Crispy Pan Fried Polenta
    Fried polenta is a traditional side dish popular in Northern Italy made with leftover polenta. Crispy outside and creamy inside, it is an easy gluten-free replacement for the pasta to serve with rich meat or vegetable stew or ragu. Traditionally, it is often served with abundant cheese and mushrooms.
    Check out this recipe
    Fried polenta sprinkled with Parmesan
    📋Dried porcini mushrooms
    Dried Porcini mushrooms are a great alternative if fresh Porcini are out of season or if you want to strengthen the flavor of your mushroom recipes. When dried, the Porcini mushrooms become a concentration of umami flavor and can be stored safely for months
    Check out this recipe
    Dried porcini mushrooms
    📋Easy Fresh Black Truffle Pasta Tagliatelle Recipe
    This simple black truffle pasta recipe will make you fully appreciate the earthy taste of the famous black truffle - effectively a wild mushroom. Homemade tagliatelle, butter, freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and fresh truffles are all you need to make the most of its oaky, nutty, and world-celebrated flavor. This is an easy fresh pasta dish for special occasions or date nights.
    Check out this recipe
    Pasta with truffle served on a plate truffle on the side and serving dish in the background
    📋Wild Boar Meat Stew With Rich Spicy Chocolate Sauce
    Wild boar meat is similar to pork but with a strong wild and nutty flavor, an old Italian recipe book from the 19th century recommends cooking it in a stew with a spicy chocolate sauce. A real delight!
    Check out this recipe
    Wild Boar Meat Stew With Rich Spicy Chocolate Sauce
    📋 Baked Potato Microwave And Oven
    If you need to make some roasted or fried potatoes for a side and you need to make it quickly, microwave and oven-baked potatoes are your solutions. They are done in 30 minutes, crunchy outside and soft inside and they go with everything.
    Check out this recipe
    baked microwave potatoes on a paper wrap
    📋Homemade Chocolate Liqueur recipe
    This homemade chocolate liqueur is so creamy, rich and intense that regular hot chocolate will no longer have a place in your life.  This recipe doesn't have heavy cream nor milk,  therefore this alcoholic chocolate drink is non-perishable and has a long shelf life.
    Check out this recipe
    Homemade Chocolate Liqueur
    📋Roasted Chestnuts On an Open Fire or Kitchen Oven
    Roasted Chestnuts signal the start of the holiday season. This easy recipe is a family favorite, perfect for Christmas time. Roasted Italian chestnuts, called Caldarroste, have a crispy exterior and tender interior, a festive treat you won't want to miss. Look for them at your local grocery stores or farmers' markets from early October to late December to make these oven-roasted chestnuts for the whole family to enjoy.
    Check out this recipe
    Chestnuts

    Pastries

    We cannot forget the sweet street food that is an essential part of Italian cuisine and tradition.

    During hot summer afternoons, people often enjoy the classic gelato as they take a leisurely walk.

    In the mornings, pastries are paired with an espresso, cappuccino, or creamy Italian hot chocolate for breakfast on the go at the local caffe.

    1. Gelato: ice cream
    2. Granita
    3. Crema di caffe
    4. Crostata/crostatine
    5. Cannoli
    6. Torrone
    7. Easter cookies

    Carnival is the feast of fried sweet food on the go like:

    1. Zeppole di Carnevale
    2. Frappe

    More sweet street foods are:

    • Sicilian fruits made with almond paste
    • Fruits
    • Midnight cornetto (a late night snack after the nightclubs before the sunrise)
    📋 Italian Gelato Recipe Vanilla Chocolate and Pistachio
    This Italian Gelato recipe is made from scratch using all-natural ingredients, whole milk, heavy cream, egg yolk, vanilla and sugar. You can make vanilla as a base and add ingredients to make different gelato flavors. I make pistachio and chocolate here, but I also include the instructions to make coffee, tea, almond, hazelnut, walnut, or chestnut gelato. Create the flavors you like, keep them in the home freezer, and serve them with a biscuit during the hot summer days.
    Check out this recipe
    Italian gelato recipe vanilla, chocolate and pistachio balls in a serving bowl
    Easy Italian Coffee Granita With Leftover Espresso
    Iced coffee granita is a refreshing summer alternative to hot cappuccino, widely enjoyed in Sicily and Calabria. This icy coffee treat features layers of whipped cream at the bottom and top of the glass, which blend wonderfully with the crunchy granita. It's typically served with a cornetto or brioche, making it a popular choice for a cool, invigorating breakfast or snack during the hot summer days.
    Check out this recipe
    Easy Italian Coffee Granita With Leftover Espresso
    Iced Italian Coffee Cream Crema Di Caffè
    Italian Coffee Cream, or crema al caffè, is a delightful summer alternative to the traditional cappuccino, offering a silky smooth sip that revitalizes any coffee lover's palate. It is an ingenious way to repurpose leftover espresso, transforming it into a chilled and creamy treat.
    Check out this recipe
    Iced Italian Coffee Cream Crema Di Caffè
    📋 Crostata Di Marmellata Recipe (Italian Jam Tart)
    Crostata di Marmellata, a traditional Italian jam tart, is a delightful addition to your dessert repertoire. This rustic treat boasts a delicate, buttery shortcrust pastry dough known as pasta frolla, which serves as a staple in Italian baking and pairs well with the sweet and tangy flavors of various jams and preserves. Home to a crisscross lattice design, the Crostata is an artful and inviting dessert that impresses as much with its appearance as with its taste.
    Check out this recipe
    Italian Crostata Recipe
    📋 Mini Cannoli Shells With Ricotta Filling
    These mini Cannoli filled with ricotta are the cannoli we would make at home in Sicily. These mini crunchy shells filled with sweet ricotta cream are much easier to make and serve. The shell is thicker and more resistant. They can be eaten mess-free in only two bites. Filling them at the last minute, the shells don't get soggy. Natural, simple, and fresh, to let the taste of the good ricotta prevails.
    Check out this recipe
    Mini Cannoli shells with ricotta filling
    Nougat Recipe - Italian Torrone
    This Torrone or Nougat recipe is simple and straightforward, so you can easily try it at home, using only natural ingredients, no corn syrup. Torrone or nougat is a caramelized mix of marshmallow and honey filled with toasted almonds and pistachios. There are different variations of flavors, hard and soft versions, this is the soft one.
    Check out this recipe
    Torrone nougat recipe
    📋Italian Easter Cookies
    These Italian Easter cookies are a tradition in the southern regions of Italy, they are easy to make and have different fun shapes. The perfect baking project to do with the children.
    Check out this recipe
    Italian Easter cookies cuzzupe
    📋Italian Donuts Graffe - Zeppole Di Carnevale
    These fried Italian donuts Graffe are one of the many traditional fried desserts we eat at Carnival, also called Zeppole di Carnevale. Their dough is made with potatoes, flour, milk, butter, eggs, a small amount of sugar, and yeast. They are flavored with lemon zest, deep-fried in oil, and served with a coat of granulater sugar. Crispy on the outside and soft inside, Graffe are a special Carnival treat from Naples.
    Check out this recipe
    Italian donuts Graffe, Zeppole di Carnevale covered with sugar
    📋Chiacchiere Italian fried cookies
    This Chiacchiere recipe is a traditional dessert usually sold during holidays in Italy and in France at Christmas as well as Carnival. They are strips of fried dough covered with icing sugar, crunchy and thin. Once you eat one you cannot stop.
    Check out this recipe
    Chiacchiare Italian fried cookies

    More articles you may like

    To find out more how Italian food tradition changed throughout history you can read the article: Italian food history and cultural influence.

    For more information about Italian cuisine history, tradition, and culture, you can read: 77 traditional Italian ingredients and best brands, 36 Essential Herbs And Spices Used In Italian Cooking, history of traditional Italian food by region, 22 Italian breakfast recipes, Italian Sunday dinner a 6 meal courses, Italian table setting and etiquette

    If you are making any of these Italian street food recipes, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, or sign up to my newsletter.

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    Laura Giunta Tobin

    Hi, I’m Laura. Welcome to my blog! While many talk about Italian food, I’ve lived it firsthand. Here, I share real Italian home cooking, just as it’s made in Italy. Won’t you join me?

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