• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Food and Journeys

International Recipes from Around the World

  • RECIPE CATEGORIES
  • WORLD CUISINES
  • HOW-TOS
  • ABOUT
    • About Me
    • Notes on Copyright
    • Privacy Policy
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cuisines
  • How-Tos
  • Guides
  • Subscribe!
  • About Me
  • Policy
  • Copyright
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Cuisines
    • How-Tos
    • Guides
    • Subscribe!
    • About Me
    • Policy
    • Copyright
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Cuisines

    Best Italian Street Food Recipes

    Published: Feb 23, 2021 · Modified: Sep 14, 2021 by Neriz

    Missing those snacks that you had on your last trip to Italy? Or perhaps, you just want to relive the experience?  Then you are in luck — check out this list of Best Italian Street Food recipes and start preparing your ingredients!

    A collage of images of various Italian Street food, from different regions of Italy.

    What is Italian street food?

    Every region in Italy has its specialty when it comes to street food — and as typical with Italian cuisine, it is always linked to the region’s local ingredients.

    One thing is true across all regions, though; street food refers to authentic, rustic Italian dishes that can be bought from kiosks or food trucks and can be enjoyed on the go.

    Now you can prepare all these in the comfort of your home. 

    Take your pick from the list of recipes below, give them a try and let me know what’s your favorite!

    CHECK OUT MY COMPLETE ITALIAN CUISINE SERIES!

    • Authentic Italian Cookie Recipes
    • 20+ Easy Italian Desserts & Pastries Recipes
    • Classic Italian Appetizers
    • Traditional Italian Recipes: Regional Italian Dishes
    • Authentic Italian Bread Recipes
    Jump to:
    • North Italy
    • Central Italy
    • South Italy

    North Italy

    Venice, Veneto

    Mini Meatballs (Polpettine di Carne)

    Polpettine di Carne on skewers, with marinara sauce on the side, and a chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano.
    Read Recipe Here

    Yep, these are smaller meatballs — in a skewer.

    Admittedly, compared to the rest of the traditional dishes on the list, it is the easiest to eat while walking. Oh!  And absolutely delicious, even without a glass of Amarone or Bardolino. 😉

    Central Italy

    Rimini, Emilia-Romagna

    Piadina (Italian Flatbread)

    A sandwich made of Italian flatbread, mortadella and some rucola, served with a glass of white wine, ready to be savoured.
    Read Recipe Here

    This no-yeast flatbread is commonly available in the entire Emilia-Romagna region but ubiquitous in Rimini — hard to miss all those kiosks near the beach that sells piadina to locals and tourists.

    Typically served as sandwiches, with cheese, some vegetables, prosciutto or mortadella, or even Nutella! 

    South Italy

    Napoli, Campania

    Polpette di Melanzane (Neapolitan Eggplant Meatballs)

    An overhead shot of a bowl of eggplant meatballs served as an appetizer.
    Read Recipe Here

    You can call these vegetarian meatballs.  The ingredients for this popular Italian snack are the same as the mini meatballs above, except replace the ground meat with drained roasted eggplant.

    It’s excellent with or without any sauce, just sprinkle some salt, and you’re good to go.  

    Be careful, though; it’s extremely hot when fresh out of the pan.

    Lecce, Apulia

    Rustico Leccese (Tomato and Mozzarella Pastry)

    Three pieces of Rustico pastries served with two cups of espresso.
    Read Recipe Here

    While some might argue that you should enjoy this pastry while sitting down, it is an excellent snack-on-the-go.

    It’s generally available between breakfast and lunch — and made of puff pastry, filled with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and bechamel sauce.  The filling will be oozing out if you are not quick enough to take another bite. 🙂

    To complete your Lecce experience, you can end your snack with a glass of Caffe Leccese!

    Palermo, Sicilia

    Panelle (Sicilian Chickpea Fritters)

    An image showing Panelle in a paper cone, served with slices of lemon.
    Read Recipe Here

    Made of chickpea flour, this authentic Italian snack requires some patience to prepare.  It’s because you need to wait for the chickpea dough to cool before you cut them for frying — generally at least an hour.

    But trust me, the wait is certainly worth it. 

    Almost every city in Sicily cuts this in different shapes — Palermo usually serves them in a rectangular shape. In contrast, these triangular chickpea fritters are my favorite from the eastern part of the island.

    Do you want some bread with it?  No problem, you can even prepare a panelle sandwich!

    Catania, Sicilia

    Arancini Siciliani

    Arancini Siciliani (Sicilian Arancini)
    Read Recipe Here

    You better double the recipe next time you are cooking risotto to try this authentic recipe.

    Yep, arancini are made from cold, leftover risotto — with ragu in the center, and then fried to perfection.  Just heavenly. 🙂

    Did not find your favorite on the list? Don’t worry about it; I am regularly updating this post so you can all try them at home.  

    I mean, I haven’t even included popular snacks from Rome yet?! Stay tuned!  

    Text for Roundup Sections
    • Traditional Italian Recipes: Regional Italian Dishes
    • Authentic Italian Bread Recipes

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Neriz

    Hej there!

    A smorgasbord of traditional and delicious international recipes awaits you, so feel free to look around and pick your favorites. No need to leave your kitchen to experience the real deal!

    Learn more about me →

    Image for listing as-featured-on

    For Your Sweet Tooth!

    Cover image for Traditional German Desserts and Recipes, showing a collage of German sweets and treats.
    A collage of images showing a variety of traditional Swedish desserts.
    A collage of images showing authentic Italian cookies.
    Feature image for post for Fika meaning and recipes, showing a collage of Swedish treats.

    Readers’ Favorite Cuisines

    Latest cover (May22) of Easy Spanish Recipes, showing a collage of traditional Spanish dishes.
    Cover image for Easy Thai Recipes, showing a collage of classic Thai dishes.
    Latest cover for Authentic Swedish Recipes Post showing a collage of classic Swedish dishes.
    Latest cover for Authentic German Recipes Post (Oct 2021), showing a collage of classic German dishes.
    Cover for Traditional Italian Regional Recipes, showing a collage of savory regional dishes.
    Jun2021, latest collage of images showing different traditional Portuguese dishes.

    Popular Posts

    Freshly baked Swedish almond cakes, on a cooling rack.

    Swedish Almond Cake (Mumma)

    Swedish Almond Tart

    Swedish Almond Tart

    A shot of a pan of Arroz de Tomate, fresh out of the stove, highlighting the sauce and the bits of tomatoes and parsley leaves.

    Portuguese Tomato Rice (Arroz de Tomate)

    An overhead shot of a basket of Biscotti Regina, served with coffee.

    Sicilian Sesame Seed Cookies (Biscotti Regina)

    An overhead shot of a freshly baked Italian Apple Cake, with powdered sugar and fresh apples on the side.

    Torta di Mele (Tuscan Apple Cake)

    An overhead shot of a bunch of freshly baked taralli, served with a shot of espresso, with scaterred fennel seeds on the background.

    Taralli (Italian Crackers)

    An image showing two bowls of Finnish Salmon Soup served with some bread.

    Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)

    An overhead shot of three pieces of Italian breakfast pastries, served with espresso.

    Italian Cream Filled Pastry (Pasticciotto)

    Favorite Soups!

    Feature image for Roasted Eggplant Soup, showing it in a bowl, with some bread on the side.

    Turkish-Style Roasted Eggplant Soup

    A serving of Greek Chickpea Soup, with some kalamata olives on the side.

    Greek Chickpea Soup

    Two bowls of Portuguese Green Soup, with some raw kale on the countertop.

    Portuguese Green Soup (Caldo Verde)

    An overhead shot of a bowl of Lebanese Sour Lentil Soup, with slices of lemon on the side, and a bunch of fresh coriander.

    Lebanese Sour Lentil Soup (Adas Bhamod)

    An overhead shot of Creamy Celeriac Soup, garnished with dill, ready for serving.

    Turkish Celeriac Soup

    An overhead shot of a bowl of yellow pepper soup, garnished with croutons and fresh parsley.

    Yellow Pepper Soup

    An overhead shot of a pot of Minestrone alla Milanese, ready for serving, with carrots, basil and cheese on the side.

    Minestrone alla Milanese (Summer Minestrone)

    Two servings of German Potato Soup (Kartoffelsuppe). Both creamy potato soup servings are garnished with spring onions.

    German Potato Soup (Kartoffelsuppe)

    Two bowls of German Goulash Soup, ready for serving, with a slice of bread on the side.

    German Goulash Soup (Gulaschsuppe)

    An image showing two bowls of Finnish Salmon Soup served with some bread.

    Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)

    Hearty Stews

    Feature image of Spanish Chorizo and Chickpea Stew, showing a serving of the dish, with slices of bread.

    Spanish Chorizo and Chickpea Stew

    Feature image for Lebanese Chicken Stew with Vegetables, showing a serving of the dish, with fresh lemon next to it.

    Lebanese Chicken Stew with Vegetables

    Feature image for Spanish Beef Stew, showing a serving of the dish, with bread on the side.

    Spanish Beef Stew (Easy Stovetop Recipe!)

    An overhead shot of a bowl of Swedish stew, with some boiled potatoes and pickled beets on the side.

    Swedish Beef Stew (Kalops)

    Overhead shot of a serving of Tuscan beef stew, served with toasted bread.

    Tuscan Beef Stew with Red Wine (Peposo)

    An image showing a serving of Ethiopian Spicy Pumpkin Stew, with the skillet on the back.

    Ethiopian Spicy Pumpkin Stew (Duba Wat)

    An overhead shot of a serving of authentic chicken cacciatore.; served with some bread.

    Easy Chicken Cacciatore

    Ossobuco

    Ossobuco

    Traditional Pasta Dishes

    Feature image for Gorgonzola Pasta with Peas, highlighting the creaminess of the sauce.

    Pasta with Gorgonzola Sauce & Peas

    Feature image for pasta alla sorrentina, highlighting the melted cheese on top.

    Pasta alla Sorrentina

    Feature image for Pasta alla Gricia, showing a serving of the dish, topped with grated pecorino and ground black pepper.

    Pasta alla Gricia (Guanciale Pasta)

    Feature image for bucatini all'Amatriciana, showing it served on a plate, with freshly grated pecorino Romano on top.

    Bucatini all’Amatriciana (Pasta with Guanciale and Tomatoes)

    Feature image for spaghetti alle vongole, showing the dish on a plate, for serving.

    Spaghetti alle Vongole (Pasta with Clams)

    Feature image for traditional pasta alla norma, showing the dish garnished with freshly grated ricotta salata.

    Traditional Pasta alla Norma (Sicilian Eggplant Pasta)

    Feature image for Pasta with Bell Peppers, showing the dish on a plate, garnished with parsley.

    Pasta with Bell Peppers

    Overhead shot of a bowl of Risoni Pasta Salad, garnished with more fresh basil.

    Risoni Salad

    Footer

    Policy

    • Privacy Policy

    Contact

    • About Me

    Copyright

    • Notes on Copyright

    A participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Copyright © 2022 · FOOD AND JOURNEYS