I constantly bust myths about vegan Italian food on the Nomadic Vegan website. I also lead Italian vegan travel groups and have written several articles on vegan cuisine from different parts of Italy. I’ve also written about lesser-known Italian dishes that are traditionally vegan but people may not know about them.
But I’ve never had it all together in one place in a single article—until now! It’s time to clear up the big question once and for all:
“Is Italy really a vegan-friendly country?”
If you’re worried that eating vegan in Italy might be difficult, don’t worry. I’ve traveled to over a hundred countries so far and in my experience, Italy is one of the most vegan-friendly of them all.
Why it’s easy to eat vegan in Italy
Vegan food isn’t hard to find when traveling in Italy—there are plenty of new vegan restaurants that have opened so far, but more importantly, many options within traditional Italian cuisine are already vegan.
Think beyond pizza and pasta—Italian food is much richer and more varied than that, and every region has many plant-based dishes that are vegan without much effort.
Traditional Italian food and cucina povera
The real, traditional food of Italy is often cucina povera, or poor food—it’s the food people grew up cooking at home or in small villages. This food is mostly made from plants, vegetables, bread, and vegetarian ingredients. Wherever poor people live around the world, it’s what’s cheapest and most accessible—plants! So these dishes contain little or no meat, dairy, or eggs. The oil used is mostly olive oil, which reduces the use of butter, ghee, or other animal products.
For example, in southern regions like Gujrat, Basilicata, Puglia, well-known pasta dishes like Orcatte con cim di rapa are often eggless and cheeseless—even vegan, without asking.
- veecoco.com
- recipesandplaces.com
- Italian Breakfast – Sweet and Light
Breakfast in Italy (colazione) is very sweet and very light. People never eat eggs or bacon in the morning, and if someone does, people look at them weird.
For breakfast, most people just drink coffee (espresso, caffè latte or cappuccino) with a sweet pastry (croissant-like), called cornetti in the south, brioche in the north. It is not like the French croissant—lighter, less buttery, but delicious.
Recently I discovered that even in small cities and towns, vegan cornetti can be found, meaning they are pastries without eggs or milk. Latte di soia with soy milk is also easily available.
- Jill on journey
- Common Vegan Staples in Italy
Below are four main dishes that are either naturally vegan or can easily be made vegan:
1. Pizza Marinara and Pizza al Taglio
The original pizza marinara was created in Naples—it’s made with just tomato sauce, olive oil, garlic, oregano, and basil. There’s no cheese—100% vegan.
recipesandplaces.com
Ferryhopper
Pizza al taglio is made in a large pan and sold in slices—often with pizza rossa (tomato) or pizza bianca (oil, garlic, and rosemary).
2. Pasta
Dry pasta (pasta secca) is usually vegan—flour, water, salt, yeast.
Fresh pasta (pasta fresca) is often made with eggs in northern Italy, but recipes vary—southern regions like Puglia may also make fresh pasta without eggs.
recipesandplaces.com
Pasta al pomodoro and basil (tomato basil pasta), pasta e ceci (chickpea and lentil pasta) and spaghetti aglio e olio e peperoncino (pasta with garlic, oil and red pepper) are naturally vegan.
recipesandplaces.com
3. Risotto
Risotto is a staple in the north—parmesan and butter are added at the end, but it can be omitted and made creamy but vegan with ingredients like vegetable stock, mushrooms, asparagus, wild mushrooms, or truffles. A popular example is risotto alla milanese with saffron and vegetables.
Italoblog
4. Polenta
Polenta is a dry paste of cornmeal, water, salt, and oil. It’s delicious when chilled, sliced, and grilled or fried. Ask if a chef adds butter or milk, but it’s usually vegan.
recipesandplaces.com
Italoblog
Regional Specialties—Some Lesser-Known Vegan Dishes
Each region in Italy has its own local culinary tradition, many of which are naturally vegan:
Pasta e ceci: In a traditional kitchen, pasta and chickpeas are cooked together, making a very nutritious and delicious dish.