6 Unique Pasta Dishes in Italy. Buon Appetito!

From an immeasurable variety of pastas to fizzy proseccos, a visit to Italy simply isn’t complete without a taste of its epicurean delights. Each of the 20 regions here take immense pride in the little twists and additions that make a dish unique to that place — let us help you craft your very own Italian food adventure, sampling some of the most unique pasta dishes that each region has to offer!

Your stomach is sure to thank us (your jeans may not).

Gnudi

You’ve had gnocchi and you’ve had ravioli… but have you had gnudi? These pillowy balls of ricotta and spinach are named after the Italian term “nudi” (naked) — the idea being that these traditional Tuscan noodles are essentially like “nude ravioli”. Less dense than gnocchi and much lighter than ravioli, this dish is a MUST try if you’re a lover of lightweight, melt-in-your-mouth pasta!

Lasagne ai Semi di Papavero

Drawing on influences from Slavic, Hungarian, and Austrian regions, Friuli Venezia Giulia has a distinctively unique food scene. One such fusion is a pasta dish called lasagne ai semi di papavero — or, pasta with poppy seeds and sugar. Sounds strange, no? Well it’s good. Trust us.

Gnocchi di Susine

True or false: pasta is only a main dish?… FALSE! Combining Germanic and Hungarian influences with Italian tradition, the Trentino-Alto Adige region has some interesting local dishes. One of the best known of these is the fruit-stuffed gnocchi that the region offers — a delicious take on a traditional Italian fare. You’ll usually find that the gnocchis are fried in breadcrumbs and browned butter. So just in case, you didn’t get enough of your pasta-fix for your meal, you can have it for dessert too — yum!

Spaghetti alla Chitarra

Spaghetti alla chitarra — which translates to “guitar pasta” is a little-known Italian secret of the Abruzzo region. This particular area sees both tranquil coastlines and crashing mountains and is best known for its legendary handmade noodles, the most famous of which is this pasta which received its namesake from the guitar-like tool it’s made by a machine called a chitarra (which literally translates to guitar).

Calabrian Lasagna

Located on the toe of Italy’s boot the region of Calabria features a lot of Arab and Albanian influences in their unique dishes. Perhaps the most famous of its offerings is the Calabrian lasagna — a take on a traditional meal that adds sliced ham and eggs to the deliciousness.

Strangozzi ai Tartufo Neri

Strangozzi ai Tartufo Neri (pasta in black truffle sauce) is a must-have dish of the Umbrian region. Best known for its mouthwatering, decadent black truffles the region of Umbria, is known to pair its famous black truffles with strangozzi — the area’s most famous pasta named for its resemblance to a shoestring.