10 Classic Italian Pasta Dishes to Try in Italy

Estimated reading time: 13 minutes

Look for carbonara in Rome, tagliatelle al ragù in Bologna, and pasta alla Norma in Catania. Our selection of ten classic Italian pasta dishes explains their key ingredients, where to try them, and which wines to order alongside.

Few foods are as closely tied to Italian identity as pasta. With so many sizes, varieties, and sauces, selecting only 10 is a monumental task.

Pasta dish	Region or city	Key ingredients	Suggested wine pairing
Pasta alla Norma	Catania, Sicily	Eggplant, tomato, ricotta salata, basil	Cerasuolo di Vittoria
Bucatini all’Amatriciana	Amatrice and Rome, Lazio	Guanciale, tomato, pecorino	Cesanese del Piglio
Tagliatelle al Ragù alla Bolognese	Bologna, Emilia-Romagna	Egg pasta, beef, pancetta, soffritto, tomato	Dry Lambrusco
Spaghetti or Rigatoni alla Carbonara	Rome, Lazio	Guanciale, eggs, Pecorino Romano, black pepper	Dry Frascati
Ziti al Ragù Napoletano	Naples, Campania	Tomato and larger cuts of beef and pork	Campanian Aglianico
Orecchiette con le Cime di Rapa	Puglia, particularly Bari	Turnip greens, garlic, anchovies, olive oil	Dry Verdeca
Trofie al Pesto alla Genovese	Genoa and Liguria	Basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Sardo	Ligurian Vermentino
Vermicelli alla Puttanesca	Campania; also Lazio	Tomato, olives, capers, garlic; sometimes anchovies	Falanghina del Sannio
Ravioli di Ricotta e Spinaci al Burro e Salvia	Central and northern Italy	Ricotta, spinach, butter, sage	Soave Classico
Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino	Closely associated with Naples; eaten throughout Italy	Garlic, olive oil, chili	Trebbiano d’Abruzzo

Classic Italian Pasta Dishes by Region

1. Pasta alla Norma

Where to try it: Catania, Sicily

Pasta alla Norma is a typical dish from the Sicilian city of Catania, incorporating traditional Mediterranean produce, namely eggplant (aubergine). According to a popular story, Sicilian poet and writer Nino Martoglio compared it to Bellini’s masterpiece “Norma” after tasting the dish for the first time.

As with most great Italian pasta dishes, there are very few ingredients; however, what makes every Italian pasta dish so tasty is the quality of the ingredients and their marriage with the right pasta, creating depth, texture, and balance. This dish includes eggplant, ripe, flavorful tomatoes, salted ricotta, garlic, basil, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Fry the eggplant, then combine it with the tomato sauce and finish with grated ricotta salata.

Simple, inexpensive, and deeply satisfying, this dish is a crowd-pleaser every time. It is a good place to begin exploring Sicilian cuisine.

Wine pairing: Cerasuolo di Vittoria — A Sicilian red with cherry-scented fruit and a supple texture, well suited to the fried eggplant and tomato sauce.

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2. Bucatini all’Amatriciana

Where to try it: Amatrice and Rome, Lazio

This most famous Roman dish originated in the town of Amatrice in the Lazio region. It is closely related to gricia, the tomato-free preparation made with guanciale, pecorino, and black pepper. As we know it today, the recipe became very popular in Rome during the 19th century as economic ties between Rome and Amatrice strengthened.

Ingredients in the classic version vary slightly as recipes developed based on the availability of local produce. Guanciale (cured pork jowl) and tomatoes are the foundation. Although onions have always been included in the Amatriciana I’ve eaten, they don’t seem to be favored in the region around Amatrice. The traditional specification excludes both onion and garlic. Black pepper or chili pepper, plus grated Pecorino di Amatrice or Pecorino Romano, complete the dish.

The pasta choice is usually spaghetti or bucatini, the latter a thicker, hollow pasta with a hole running through the center.

This peppery pasta will warm you through after an exhausting day of sightseeing in the capital, and to my mind, it is the perfect introduction to Roman cuisine.

Wine pairing: Cesanese del Piglio — A fresh, fruity example brings red-berry flavors to the tomato sauce and enough body for the guanciale and pecorino.

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3. Tagliatelle al Ragù alla Bolognese

Where to try it: Bologna, Emilia-Romagna

Spaghetti Bolognese is probably the most popular pasta dish outside Italy. However, in Bologna, Ragù alla Bolognese is traditionally served with egg tagliatelle, which holds the heavy meat sauce better. It should taste more of meat than tomato sauce.

This beloved dish has so many variations that, in 1982, the Bolognese delegation of Accademia Italiana della Cucina deemed it necessary to issue the “correct” classic Ragù recipe. The Academy updated its reference recipe in 2023 to reflect how the dish is cooked today.

Coarsely ground beef, pancetta, celery, carrot, onion, wine, and tomato form the basis, with milk optional in the updated recipe. The key to a good Ragù is to simmer it for quite a long time; the Academy’s method allows around two to three hours to bring the flavors together.

Ragù alla Bolognese is also the basis for Lasagna, another well-known and well-loved dish worldwide. In Bologna, cooks usually make it with green lasagne sheets, a pasta that incorporates cooked spinach.

The beauty of Lasagna is its versatility. As mentioned above, it is delicious with a Ragù but equally tasty with roasted vegetables, wild mushrooms, or cheese sauce for vegetarian diners. I once had the good fortune to taste an artichoke version cooked by my Neapolitan friend’s mother, which, I have to say, has been my favorite so far. I dream of that Lasagna! If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend it.

For more of the region’s handmade pasta and other specialties, explore our Emilia-Romagna food guide.

Wine pairing: Dry Lambrusco — Its fresh acidity and lively bubbles contrast nicely with the rich meat sauce. Choose a bottle labeled secco.

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4. Spaghetti or Rigatoni alla Carbonara

Where to try it: Rome, Lazio

Many hypotheses explain the origins of this well-loved dish. One connects it with the charcoal makers, or “carbonari”; another with the eggs and bacon available to American troops in Italy during the Second World War. Even culinary experts cannot agree on the origins, so we will probably never know.

This isn’t the only debate attached to this delicious dish! Should you use the whole egg or just the yolks? What cheese do you put on top?

Today, a classic Roman carbonara uses guanciale, eggs, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper. Cream, onions, and garlic are not part of this preparation. Spaghetti and rigatoni are both popular choices.

Most chefs agree you must not overcook the eggs, as the consistency should be creamy rather than scrambled. Combine the eggs and cheese with the hot pasta off the heat to create a silky coating. At the last moment, grind a generous helping of black pepper on top and sprinkle with an abundance of cheese. Simply delicious!

Wine pairing: Dry Frascati — A fresh, dry white offers a welcome counterpoint to the rich eggs and guanciale, with enough acidity to cut through the salty pecorino.

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5. Ziti al Ragù Napoletano

Where to try it: Naples, Campania

Most Italian pasta sauces are simple and ingenious; however, Ragù Napoletano doesn’t fit that description. This rich, meaty sauce takes hours to cook. Recipes vary from family to family, but larger cuts of beef and pork, including pork ribs, cook slowly with tomato, onion, and wine until the sauce is deeply flavored and the meat is tender.

It is essential to brown the meat well and cook it very slowly to achieve a rich burgundy-red sauce. Serve it with ziti, traditionally broken by hand before cooking, or paccheri, the large pasta tubes associated with Campania.

The main differences between this Ragù and the Bolognese version lie in the type of meat used, the size of the chunks, and the type of pasta. Moreover, the Neapolitan recipe does not include milk and uses more tomatoes than its northern cousin. Finally, cooks often serve the pieces of stewed meat from the Neapolitan Ragù as a main course after the pasta starter. Two dishes for the price of one (with a lot more work than two dishes involved!).

It takes a lot of sweat and dedication, but the result is well worth it! Better still, go to Naples and have one of the experts make it for you!

Wine pairing: Campanian Aglianico — Choose a bottle with some age so its tannins soften. Its dark fruit, acidity, and savory depth stand up well to the slow-cooked meat and tomato.

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6. Orecchiette con le Cime di Rapa

Where to try it: Puglia, particularly Bari

Orecchiette (little ears) is a homemade pasta commonly found in Puglia, Southern Italy. The name describes the pasta’s shape: small, domed disks with a rough surface that holds the sauce. Like many southern Italian fresh pastas, it usually does not include eggs in its preparation.

Walk through Bari Vecchia, and you’ll often see women sitting outside at tables, diligently shaping each piece of dough into an orecchietta and gossiping about the latest neighborhood happenings.

Nowadays, chefs typically make the sauce to accompany these delicious “little ears” with “cime di rapa,” a bitter leafy green known as rapini or broccoli rabe in English. Garlic, anchovies, olive oil, and chili give the greens a savory dressing; toasted breadcrumbs may add a little crunch.

If you do not eat fish, ask whether anchovies are included. For more dishes to look out for during a visit, see our Puglia food guide.

Wine pairing: Dry Verdeca — A fresh, unoaked Puglian example suits the salty anchovies and olive oil, with enough delicacy for the slightly bitter greens.

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7. Trofie al Pesto alla Genovese

Where to try it: Genoa and Liguria

Italy has many types of pesto, depending on the region you visit and the produce available locally. However, we all know and love the pesto alla Genovese (from Genoa). The main ingredient in this pesto is basil, which seems to grow very well in the Ligurian climate. The name originates from the verb pestare, which means to pound or crush, as in pestle and mortar.

As with most pasta sauces in Italy, family-to-family variations differ. The classic recipe uses basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, salt, and two cheeses: Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Sardo.

Two types of pasta are associated with Pesto alla Genovese: fresh trofie, small twists of pasta traditionally made with flour and water, and trenette, a long, narrow ribbon pasta. Potatoes and French beans are a traditional addition, especially when using trenette, which I find particularly delicious!

Wine pairing: Ligurian Vermentino — A fresh, dry example complements the basil and brings a little acidity to the olive oil, nuts, and cheese.

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8. Vermicelli alla Puttanesca

Where to try it: Campania, with another well-known version in Lazio

Due to the name Puttanesca, many believe this sauce has some connection to prostitutes, as “puttana” means just that in Italian. One story places the dish’s naming on the island of Ischia in the Gulf of Naples during the 1950s, although its origins remain disputed.

According ot folklore, Architect Sandro Petti was entertaining a group of friends when they asked him to rustle up something to eat as they were starving. One of his friends exclaimed, “Don’t worry, Sandro, just make us a ‘puttanata qualsiasi,’” which roughly translates as a slightly more vulgar version of “any old thing.”

Sandro duly threw together a sauce from the few ingredients in his larder: a few tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic, olive oil, and some oregano. According to the story, the dish was such a success that it went onto the menu as Puttanesca.

Olives, capers, garlic, and tomato remain at the heart of the sauce. Anchovies are particularly associated with the Lazio version; chili and parsley also appear in many preparations. The tomato should color the sauce, not dominate it, letting all the different flavors come through. As with Italian cuisine in general, less is more.

Wine pairing: Falanghina del Sannio — A dry, unoaked example has the freshness for tomato and the briny olives and capers, with enough fruit to keep the pairing lively.

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9. Ravioli di Ricotta e Spinaci al Burro e Salvia

Where to try it: Central and northern Italy

There are countless ravioli fillings — cheese, mushroom, meat, pumpkin — not to mention close cousins such as tortelloni and tortellini. One of my absolute favorites is Ravioli di ricotta e spinaci al burro e salvia. The key to this dish, in my opinion, is the consistency of the fresh pasta, neither too firm nor too sloppy, and a generous amount of Parmigiano Reggiano heaped on top just before serving.

The ravioli are stuffed with ricotta, spinach, some Parmigiano Reggiano, an egg, salt, and pepper. Butter and sage make a simple dressing that lets the filling speak for itself. The best result is sage that crisps slightly, adding texture to the overall dish.

Delicate, subtle, and mouth-wateringly pleasing!

Wine pairing: Soave Classico — A fresh, gently rounded example complements the butter and ricotta, while its subtle herbal and almond notes sit comfortably with the sage.

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10. Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino

Where to try it: Naples and throughout Italy

Closely associated with Naples, this simple, inexpensive dish is now popular in the length and breadth of the boot. Because it uses only a few ingredients (garlic, olive oil, chili, parsley, and spaghetti), it is often one of the first dishes young Italians learn to make. Also, if you end up back at an Italian friend’s house after a late evening out, “facciamo due spaghetti” is the dish they will most often offer you!

Cook the garlic gently in olive oil to avoid burning, with dry or fresh chili for a good kick. You can add chopped flat-leaf parsley and toasted breadcrumbs; cheese is an optional variation.

Wine pairing: Trebbiano d’Abruzzo — A fresh, unoaked example brings welcome acidity to the olive oil and garlic. Choose a bottle with moderate alcohol if you like plenty of chili.

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Fresh Pasta vs Dry Pasta in Italy

What’s the difference between dry pasta (pasta secca) and fresh pasta (pasta fresca)? Most familiar dried pasta is made with durum wheat semolina and water, shaped through dies, then dried under controlled conditions. It retains a small amount of moisture; drying times and temperatures vary by producer and shape.

Fresh egg pasta, more common in the northern and central regions, can be made with different flours, including soft-wheat “00” flour. The “00” classification describes its refinement, not its gluten content. Pasta all’uovo means egg pasta, which can be sold fresh or dried. Fresh pasta does not always contain eggs: Puglia’s orecchiette and Liguria’s trofie are familiar examples.

One is not better than the other, although locals loyal to their regional variety might disagree; it depends on the sauces you will use or the textures you want to experience.