What comes to mind when you think of Italian food? Probably hearty lasagna, cheesy pizza, or creamy gelato. If you’re vegan and planning a trip to Italy, you might worry that your only option is ordering a sad salad everywhere you go, watching wistfully as your friends feast on mouth-watering dishes. But let me dispel that myth for you.
Many people don’t realize that traditional Italian food is incredibly vegan-friendly. Italian cuisine is locally referred to as cucina povera — which translates literally to “poor cuisine” or “peasant food”. Many famous Italian dishes were born out of necessity and rely heavily on vegetables and pulses, which were far more accessible in rural communities than meat and fish. So, if you’re vegan, finding plant-based food in Italy won’t be as hard as you might think. You just need to know what dishes to look for on the menu, and what modifications to ask for. Note: many dishes in Italy incorporate parmesan cheese or ricotta, so just be mindful of this.
Cuisine in Italy is highly regional, so join me on a journey from north to south.
Italian Plant-Based Dishes: By Region
Valle d’Aosta: Polenta
Valle d’Aosta, Italy’s smallest region, may be known for its hearty, cheesy dishes that are perfect for cold alpine winters. However, polenta is also one of their staples and it can easily be made vegan. Polenta is a thick, creamy porridge made by boiling coarsely ground corn. While it is typically topped with meaty sauces and cheese, you can request a plant-based alternative, such as a mushroom sauce.
Piedmont: Truffle pasta
Piedmont is renowned for its black and white truffles, harvested in the hills of Langhe, Roero, and Monferrato. Most restaurants in this region offer delicious truffle pasta. Just make sure to ask whether the pasta contains egg, and if the truffle sauce includes butter.
See more: Le Langhe Travel Guide
Trentino-Alto Adige: Tortei di patate
Most dishes from this northern region feature meat and cheese, but there’s a delicious option that needs no modifications: tortei di patate. These small fritters — crispy on the outside and tender inside — are made from grated raw potatoes and fried in oil. They are considered the most typical dish of the region’s rural tradition. Traditionally eaten as an appetizer, they are often served with cold cuts. However, many restaurants now offer vegetarian versions, accompanying the tortei with beans and cabbage. You can also find polenta in most restaurants in Trentino-Alto Adige.
Lombardia: Risotto alla Milanese, Tortelli di zucca
Milan’s most famous dish, risotto alla milanese, is a creamy saffron risotto with an intense yellow color. Though it is traditionally cooked with butter, it can be easily made into a vegan dish – simply ask the waiter to substitute the butter with olive oil or margarine. Other typical dishes from Lombardia are mostly meat-based, but another dish that could be veganized is tortelli di zucca. This fall specialty is a pasta filled with a mixture of pumpkin, amaretti, and Parmesan. Before you order, ask the restaurant if they can prepare the filling without Parmesan to make it vegan.
Veneto: Risi e bisi, Radicchio risotto
If you like rice, then you’re in for a treat: Venetian cuisine prominently features rice and is easily modified to be vegan. One popular dish is riso e bisi, a thick rice and pea soup. Though it usually includes pancetta (bacon) and cheese, you can ask for these to be left out and ensure that no butter is used. Another specialty of the Veneto region is risotto made with bitter radicchio, a long-leafed variety of red chicory. Again, request that no butter or cheese be added to keep it vegan.
See more: 10 Italian Rice Dishes You Can’t Miss
Friuli Venezia Giulia: Jota
Jota, a hearty soup made with potatoes, beans and cabbage, is a staple dish of Friuli Venezia Giulia. While it sometimes includes pork or other meats for flavor, it can easily be found in a vegan version. This dish is also popular in Slovenia, which borders Friuli Venezia Giulia. You’ll also find radicchio in the region, especially in the Gorizia area, so look for risotto on the menu.
Liguria: Testaroli, Mesciua, and Farinata
Liguria offers many vegan options and here are three of my favorites. Testaroli is a unique pasta from southern Liguria, made from a sponge-like crepe cut into diamond shapes and boiled. It’s often served with pesto, which contains Parmesan, but you can usually find it with mushroom tomato sauce, especially inland.
Another delicious vegan dish from Liguria, particularly from La Spezia, is mesciua, a soup made with pulses and grains like farro, chickpeas and beans. If you’re looking for a delicious vegan street food, farinata is perfect: a thin pancake or crêpe made from just water and chickpea flour. You can grab a slice and eat it on the go.
Emilia Romagna: Gnocco fritto, Piadina
Emilia Romagna, with its capital Bologna, is famous for its ragù — known to non-Italians as “Bolognese” — but there are also great options for plant-based eaters. The gnocco fritto, or fried gnocco, is a popular appetizer or side dish. It’s typically served with cold cuts and cheeses, but you can ask for some vegetables instead. Piadina is a thin, round flatbread that can be filled with whatever you like, making it a versatile option for vegetarians and vegans. Just be sure to check the batter ingredients, as it sometimes contains lard instead of olive oil.
Tuscany: Ribollita, Pappa al pomodoro, Panzanella
Tuscany’s cuisine is the epitome of cucina povera, and though Florence is famous for its Florentine steak, many of the region’s traditional dishes are meatless. Ribollita, also called zuppa toscana, was originally made with leftover ingredients from the previous day to avoid waste. The main ingredients are beans, savoy cabbage, Tuscan kale, Tuscan bread, tomatoes, and potatoes. Pappa al pomodoro has similar origins and is made with tomatoes, Tuscan bread, and basil. Lastly, panzanella is a kind of bread salad mixed with tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh onions. It’s perfect for summer and makes for a quick lunch.
See more: 11 foods you need to try in Tuscany
Umbria: Zuppa di lenticchie
Umbria is the land of lentils: their lentils from Castelluccio di Norcia are a IGP certified product (Indication of Geographic Protection), and are known for being small, easily digestible, and delicate. If you’re visiting this region, you can’t miss their lentil soup. It’s sometimes served with added ham, so make sure to ask before you order.
Marche: Zuppa di farro e ceci, Frecantò
You might have learned this by now: soups are a great plant-based option in Italy. If you’re visiting Marche, the region nestled between the Apennine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea, look for their chickpea and farro soup. As a side dish, keep an eye out for frecantò, the Marchigian version of French ratatouille. This dish typically includes potatoes, eggplants, bell peppers, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes, all cooked together in a pan according to their cooking times.
Lazio: Arrabbiata, Carciofi, Vignarola
If you’re traveling to Rome and worried you’ll miss as you won’t be able to try the infamous trinity of carbonara, cacio e pepe, and amatriciana, worry not. While Roman cuisine has many hearty meat dishes, there’s also an abundance of plant-based options. If you’re looking for a vegan pasta, then order an arrabbiata: penne with a spicy sauce made from garlic, tomatoes, chili pepper, and parsley. For side dishes, try the carciofi alla giudia (deep-fried artichokes) or carciofi alla Romana (braised artichokes), both typical of Roman Jewish cuisine. You’ll find these mostly in the spring and fall. Vignarola, a mix of artichokes, peas and fava beans, is another delicious dish served briefly at the beginning of spring.
Campania: Pizza marinara, pasta al pomodoro
Campania is the land of pizza, and if you’re plant-based, there’s a perfect option for you. Pizza marinara is a style of pizza seasoned with only tomato sauce, extra virgin olive oil, oregano, and garlic, and you’ll find it on any menu. Similarly, you can easily ask for pasta al pomodoro wherever you are. This isn’t a bland tomato pasta: tomatoes sourced in Campania are grown in volcanic soil, making them some of the juiciest and most flavorful you’ll find in all of Italy. Many pastas use sweet yellow pomodorini, adding color to your plate.
See more: Beyond Pompeii — 5 other ancient sites to visit
Calabria: Pasta ca’ muddica, Pittuilli
Traveling south to Calabria, it can be tough to find vegan options, as most dishes are fish-based or include the famous ‘nduja, a spicy salami. That’s where some modifications come in handy. Pasta ca’ muddica is a pasta with breadcrumbs, anchovies, and pine nuts, which you can ask to make vegan by omitting the anchovies. Also try their pittuilli, small fried fritters made with zucchini and zucchini flowers, and ask to leave out the cheese which is sometimes added.
Basilicata: Pasta con peperone crusco
The peperone crusco, or “crispy pepper,” plays a big role in the cuisine of Basilicata. It is a dried pepper with a delicate flavor that is “scorched” in hot oil to achieve a crunchy texture. Pasta con peperone crusco is a traditional and delicious dish. Be sure to ask for it without cheese.
Puglia: Fave e cicorie, Orecchiette alla cima di rapa
Fave e cicorie is a traditional peasant dish from Puglia, made with just two ingredients: puréed fava beans and wild chicory, a bitter-tasting green. It’s tasty main course or side dish that can be accompanied with some bread. If you’re in the mood for pasta, try the typical orecchiette with broccoli rabe. Orecchiette, a small ear-shaped pasta, is often handmade and pairs perfectly with the slightly bitter greens.
See more: A road trip through Puglia
Sardinia: Fregola
Fregola is a dry pasta made from semolina that is rolled into small balls and toasted in the oven, similar in shape to couscous. While it’s often served with fish or meat broth, there are also plant-based versions with vegetables or tomato sauce, so keep an eye out for those on the menu.
See more: A complete guide to Sardinia cuisine
Sicily: Busiate al pesto, Caponata
Busiate al pesto is a traditional dish from Trapani: a fresh pasta made from durum wheat semolina and water, accompanied by a crunchy, vegan pesto! The key ingredients for this Sicilian pesto are cherry tomatoes, basil, and toasted almonds—no cheese, unlike the Ligurian version. For a perfect side dish, try caponata, a sweet and sour mix of eggplant, cherry tomatoes, onions, olives, capers, pine nuts, and tomato sauce.
See more: An insider’s guide to Taormina
Vegan Desserts In Italy
We all deserve a sweet treat! If you’ve ever found yourself at a restaurant, scanning the dessert menu for vegan options only to come up empty-handed–I know the feeling. However, there are plenty of vegan-friendly desserts in Italy. You just need to know where to look.
First off, gelato: If you think you’ll have to miss out on traditional Italian gelato, think again! In most authentic artisanal gelaterie, fruit flavors (or “sorbetti”) are usually made with fresh fruit and water instead of milk. Many restaurants include lemon sorbet in their dessert selection. Dark chocolate gelato is often water-based too, and some places even offer other vegan flavors. Another refreshing option is granita, a semi-frozen dessert hailing from Sicily. Made from water, sugar, and fruits or various flavorings like almond and coffee, it’s a perfect way to cool down on a hot day.
For something a bit more rustic, try castagnaccio. This traditional cake from Tuscany and Liguria is made from chestnut flour, olive oil, pine nuts, raisins, and rosemary. In Tuscany you can also enjoy schiacciata all’uva, a sweet focaccia made with bread dough, sugar, olive oil, and grapes.
And let’s not forget about breakfast! A cornetto is the pastry of choice for most Italians when enjoying a morning cappuccino. While the traditional version contains butter, many bars now offer vegan cornetti, so be sure to ask.
Vegan Restaurants In Italy
Scouring a menu for plant-based options, asking for modifications and explaining to the waiter that no, you really can’t eat eggs can feel a bit overwhelming. The ease of ordering from a 100% vegan menu is simply unbeatable. Fortunately, there are plenty of online resources to help you find vegan restaurants in Italy.
One of my favorite resources is HappyCow, a database that lists vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants all over the world. It also includes farmers’ markets, health food stores, and various businesses with a vegan focus. Another option is to check TripAdvisor and filter for “Vegan Options.”
For more recommendations, check out our Rome Wellness Guide, Florence Wellness Guide, and Milan Wellness Guide. You’ll find a curated list of healthy restaurants and cafés, many of which are vegan or vegan-friendly.
Vegan Grocery Stores In Italy
Want to cook your own meals instead of eating out every day? No problem! You can easily find vegan groceries at any supermarket in Italy.
First off, the fresh produce section at Italian supermarkets is larger than in any other country I’ve visited. You’ll find a wide variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables, perfect for cooking any plant-based dish you like. Another great option for fresh produce is Italy’s local markets. These are available in every city and feature local producers, often selling organic goods.
Supermarkets, especially larger chains like Coop, Esselunga, and Conad, typically have a dedicated vegan and organic aisle. Here, you’ll find plant-based snacks, meat alternatives, nut creams, and plant-based drinks. When it comes to refrigerated products like vegan yogurts, they can be a bit trickier to find since they are often stocked alongside non-vegan products. Some brands to look out for include Alpro, Sojasun, Valsoia, and Soja Natural.
If you want a wider selection of vegan foods, there are specialty grocery stores that cater to this market. The most popular one is NaturaSì. Here you’ll find a large selection of vegan cheeses, meat substitutes, desserts, and even vegan toiletries and wines. NaturaSì has around 300 stores across Italy, including in both major cities and smaller towns, so you’re likely to find one near you. However, keep in mind that prices here are generally higher than at local supermarkets.
If you’re in Rome, other health food stores worth checking out are PiùBio, La Capra Rampante and Zeno Market.
