20 Regional Italian Recipes Inspired by my Travels
By Lee Jackson ↣ Published on: October 2, 2026
I’m sharing the dishes I’ve discovered over the years of being in delicious Italy. Hearty stews, silky pastas, quick, easy and reliable favourites. Italy has an abundance of amazing regional food and so many hidden treasures that I find myself returning again and again in the search for something new.
Being in Italy is a food-lover’s delight – every corner of that beautiful country has a culinary treasure waiting to be discovered and devoured. I’ve travelled and lived in Italy and enjoyed flavour like nowhere else on the planet. There’s nothing I like more than unearthing local favourites and specialities, then recreating my own version (hopefully as authentically as I can) and sharing it here at Cook Eat World.
Italy’s regional food traditions are incredibly diverse, from the rich, hearty cooking of the north to the bold flavours of Sicily and the simple, ingredient-led dishes of the south. And as the seasons change, so does the food, with dishes appearing fleetingly throughout the year. Italy never stops giving, and I find myself returning again and again in an eternal hunt for the next delicious flavour.
From hearty and healthy to luxurious and humble, there are plenty of recipes to savour and treasure. I’ve been cooking some of these dishes for over 20 years. Every time I cook one of them, I want to hop right on an aeroplane and try the original again… and again. Here are 20 of my favourite regional Italian recipes, along with where I first ate them and how they became part of my regular repertoire. Buon appetito!
tuscany
peposo alla fornacina
out of season discoveries
I recommend travelling in Italy in winter. You’ll be treated to a whole new menu of regional specialities. This slow-cooked beef in wine is a treasure amongst locals. Ingredients are few, but the flavour is something else! It’s perfect over creamy polenta, which is how I serve it at home.
LAZIO
Supplì
A tasty wander in Rome
A weekend exploring Italy’s capital led me to a wonderful discovery: Supplì. I remember the restaurant well, but little else I ate except these crunchy fried treats filled with gooey cheese. There are countless variations across the city. They’re simple, delicious, and perfect for using leftover risotto, which is why I still make them.
ABRUZZO
Arrosticini
EATING in the sticks
After a winding drive into the beautiful Majella national park in Abruzzo, I found myself at a middle-of-nowhere, open-air restaurant grilling my own impossibly simple and juicy mini lamb skewers. They’re an Abruzzese speciality and are my most favourite little Italian bites of all time – I can eat 100, easy.
Liguria
Trenette Al Pesto
The-Best-pesto
Basil pesto will never taste as good as the pesto in Genoa, but you can have a good crack at getting close with this divine recipe of pasta with pesto, beans and potatoes. It’s one of the best dishes I’ve eaten in all of Italy, and one I’ve been perfecting ever since.
MOLISE
Pampanella
ALWAYS GET IN the queue
Whenever I see a long line outside a shop I know I must investigate. In Molise, I discovered a treat that even many Italians don’t know about. This unusual roast pork cooked with copious amounts of paprika is so flavourful. My sandwich (and me) were stuffed! I make it when I have a houseful. It feeds the masses magnificently!
Piedmont
Bagna Cauda
A life of regret…
Why did I not know about this umami explosion of a dish sooner?! My first sample of this warm garlic and anchovy sauce was one of the most profound culinary discoveries of my life. I still can’t quite believe how this magical sauce transforms everything it touches. It’s a regular on my menu at home and I’m still obsessed.
SICILY
PASTA ALLA NORMA
I thought i knew!
Before visiting Sicily I was under the illusion that I had an inkling of how to make this beloved eggplant pasta recipe. I knew nothing! Since then I’ve perfected my recipe to taste just like the wondrous versions I sampled on the Italian island. It’s so tangy and luxurious. One of the best!
CAMPANIA
PASTA WITH POTATO
A TASTY ESCAPE FROM THE RAIN
On a cold and wet afternoon in Naples we retreated to a wonderful trattoria hidden down a back street. It’s there we were treated to one of two options on the menu. All these years later I’m still raving about this humble offering. It’s hearty and healing and one of my favourites to cook when the rain starts!
PUGLIA
Taralli Pugliese
put a ring on it
These little rings of crunchy baked bread in endless flavour combinations are all over Puglia and served with drinks. They’re completely addictive. I love the fennel-infused variety, so that’s the recipe I perfected at home. The excellent news that they’re simple to make! Cheers to that!
Trentino-Alto Adige
Hugo Spritz
Aperol is over, baby!
Before my discovery of the Hugo I was a firm fan of the Aperol spritz. I am now a full convert to this elderflower liqueur and mint version from the Alpine regions of Italy. It’s so fragrant and easy-to-drink – too easy to drink as I have regretfully discovered on many occasions.
LAZIO
Pollo Alla Romana
A forgotten favourite
While scrolling through my photos I saw a pic of a dish I’d completely forgotten about enjoying. A few years earlier in Rome, we’d settled on an amazing trattoria where I devoured this juicy Roman chicken and pepper stew. The memories came flooding back and it’s now a regular Rome at home speciality!
Abruzzo
Pallotte
How do they do it?
In Abruzzo I was recommended to try these unassuming bread, egg and cheese balls in tomato sauce. I say this without any exaggeration, they’re one of my favourite Italian discoveries ever. It took a while to perfect the recipe at home, but I now have it down! It’s a must-try recipe – for real!!!
Piedmont
VITELLO TONNATO
“…Sounds weird!”
I wasn’t initially sold on the prospect of sliced veal with a TUNA sauce, but I needn’t have worried. It is of course a flavour revelation. I’ve been making my own at home for over 30 years now! It’s one of Italy’s greatest exports in my opinion, and one I make on repeat.
molise
Cavatelli with Pork Ragù
a mid-journey marvel
Few dishes are as satisfying as this slow cooked festival of pork with homemade cavatelli pasta. A hearty stew is just what I needed when in freezing cold Molise while on the road to the warmer south. It was almost worth ending my journey right there!
Sicily
Spring Onion & Pancetta
A Palermo Market day Feed
The markets of Palermo are one of life’s great joys for foodies. They’re also one of the few places in Italy that you can enjoy true street food. This simple spring onion wrapped in salty pancetta is unfathomably delicious, and super easy to make at home…
LAZIO
PINSA ROMANA
Move over Pizza!
Pinsa has surpassed pizza at home. Found all across Rome, with a myriad of delicious toppings, these twice cooked topped flatbreads are a great snack at any time of the day. The dough is a labour of love, but honestly, worth the effort as it’s lighter and crispy. I’m a huge fan of Pinsa!
LAZIO & Umbria
Porchetta
“I may have over-ordered”
Ordering my first porchetta sandwich with ‘extra meat’ in an Umbrian supermarket may have been optimistic. It weighed a tonne, but I stuffed down every last juicy scrap! Back home, I make it at all-year-round and have perfected the crispy skin and fragrant herbaceous filling. Porchetta is one of Italy’s greatest inventions.
Piedmont
Tajarin Al Ragu
Where’s the cheese?
In Turin, I loved this regional Piemonte tomato-less meat ragu served with a special thinly ribboned pasta and, instead of grated cheese on top, has a fondue sauce underneath! I make it this way at home for guests which always garners a ripple of applause when discovered!
More Italian Recipes
Discover everything Italian at cookeatworld – the recipes that I cook again and again, because they’re tasty, tried and tested and as good as the real thing!
This recipe uses affiliations and may receive a commission based on your activity (link clicks). Learn more.
Leave A Comment