Italian Food Allergy Guide

Dried spaghetti tossed off the heat with a sauce of raw egg yolks, Pecorino Romano, guanciale (cured pork cheek), and black pepper. No cream — the sauce is emulsified egg yolk and cheese, cooked only by the residual heat of the pasta.

A cold, uncooked sauce made from fresh basil, pine nuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino, olive oil, and garlic, traditionally pounded in a mortar. Served with trofie, trenette, or other pasta, often with potatoes and green beans.

A rich, golden risotto flavored with saffron, made by toasting Arborio or Carnaroli rice in butter, building with white wine and bone marrow, and finished with cold butter and Parmigiano (mantecatura).

Spaghetti in a bold, savory sauce of tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic, and anchovies. The anchovies dissolve completely into the sauce, providing depth rather than fishiness.

A chilled dessert of savoiardi (ladyfinger) biscuits soaked in espresso, layered with a mascarpone cream made from mascarpone cheese, raw egg yolks, and sugar, dusted with cocoa powder.

The foundational Neapolitan pizza: a thin wheat crust with hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes, fresh fior di latte mozzarella, and basil, baked in a wood-fired oven at very high heat.

Alternating layers of fresh egg pasta sheets, slow-cooked ragù bolognese (beef and pork in tomato sauce), béchamel sauce (besciamella), and Parmigiano-Reggiano, baked until the top is golden.

A bone-in veal chop pounded thin, dipped in beaten egg, coated in fine breadcrumbs, and fried in clarified butter until golden. Milan's signature secondo. Sometimes mistaken for Wiener Schnitzel (which is pork or veal, boneless).

The authentic Bologna preparation: long, ribbon-shaped fresh egg pasta tossed with slow-cooked ragù bolognese (beef and pork braised in milk, wine, and tomato), finished with Parmigiano.

A Roman pasta dish of only three ingredients: dried pasta (spaghetti or tonnarelli), Pecorino Romano, and black pepper. The cheese is emulsified with pasta water to create a creamy sauce with no fat added.

Cross-cut veal shank braised slowly in white wine, broth, and soffritto (onion, carrot, celery) until the marrow softens in the bone. Served with gremolata (lemon zest, garlic, parsley) and traditionally alongside risotto alla Milanese.

A Sicilian sweet-and-sour eggplant stew with celery, capers, olives, pine nuts, tomato, and a wine vinegar and sugar dressing. Eaten at room temperature as an antipasto or contorno.

A flourless chocolate cake from the island of Capri, made entirely from ground almonds, dark chocolate, butter, eggs, and sugar. Naturally gluten-free.

Thick slices of Italian bread grilled over charcoal, rubbed with raw garlic, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, and topped with fresh tomato, basil, and salt.

A northern Italian dessert of heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla set with gelatin, unmolded and served with a fruit coulis, caramel, or berry sauce. 'Panna cotta' literally means 'cooked cream.'

A thin, crispy Ligurian flatbread made from chickpea flour, water, olive oil, and salt, baked in a very hot wood-fired oven in a large copper pan until the edges are crispy and the center is custardy.

A Piedmontese cold dish of thinly sliced roasted veal covered in a rich, creamy sauce made from canned tuna, anchovies, capers, and mayonnaise (egg yolks and olive oil). Served cold as an antipasto.

Italian artisan ice cream with lower fat and less air than American ice cream, made with milk, cream, sugar, and natural flavorings. Churned slowly at warmer temperatures for a denser, silkier texture.

Dried spaghetti tossed with golden garlic slices, olive oil, dried red chili, and parsley. One of Rome's simplest pasta preparations, made from pantry staples and ready in the time it takes the pasta to cook.

Sicilian fried rice balls made from risotto rice (often saffron-flavored) stuffed with ragù and mozzarella, coated in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, then deep-fried until golden and crispy.