Eating Gluten-Free In Italy – A Comprehensive Guide For Gluten-Free Travels In Italy

Last updated on January 10th, 2025

Italy is actually a wonderful country to visit if you are gluten-free and with modern technology, awareness and accommodations, it’s easy to find certified gluten-free establishments in many Italian cities.

Living in Italy since 2012 and working with gluten-free and Coeliac travelers from all over the world has given me experience eating gluten-free in Italy.

Let’s take a look at:

• What the Italian Coeliac Society is
• How to eat gluten-free in Italy at each course
• Foods to avoid in Italy if you’re gluten-free
• Gluten-free cooking in Italy
• Gluten-free grocery shopping in Italy 
• Tips for eating gluten-free in Italy
• Helpful vocabulary for gluten-free travelers 

Note: If you have a serious allergy or Coeliac disease, you must know that in any restaurant that is not 100% gluten-free or AIC accredited, there is always the small chance of cross contamination. If this is a serious issue for you, stick to AIC certified restaurants (see below) or other gluten-free eateries. 

Gluten-Free in Italy: Read up on eating senza glutine in Italy:
Eating Gluten-Free in Italy – Florence – Venice
Gluten-Free Meals in Italy
Gluten-Free Italian Side Dishes
Gluten-Free Italian Desserts
Gluten-Free Cicchetti in Venice
Is Gelato Gluten-Free?

What Is AIC (Italian Coeliac Society)?

If you are diagnosed with Coeliac disease then being sure there is no risk of cross contamination is key to a healthy trip in Italy.

Luckily, the AIC or the Italian Coeliac Society is a group that not only provides certifications to gluten-free restaurants in Italy but can be used as a resource while abroad. 

You can access the society’s information, restaurant guides and helpful tips on their website or with their paid app for mobile devices. 

Restaurants with the AIC certification have gone through strict tests to ensure the facility is 100% gluten-free and that there is no risk of cross contamination. Unfortunately, a lot of gluten-free restaurants don’t go through the hassle to get AIC certified because it’s expensive and involves a lot of complicated Italian bureaucracy. Just because a restaurant isn’t AIC accredited, doesn’t mean it’s not 100% gluten-free! 

Tip: Alternatively, you can reference this website, a database for gluten-free restaurants in Italy. 

How To Eat Gluten-Free In Italy

You might think that because Italy is so carb heavy that there really aren’t options for gluten-free people but this is totally false!

Italy has so many naturally gluten-free foods in each section of the menu, no matter what course you are looking to order. 

The best advice I can give to gluten-free travelers in Italy is to order meat and seafood (under secondi section of the menu) and off the side dishes (contorni) section of the menu.

Side dishes are often gluten-free yet speak to the regional culinary traditions of where you are traveling. Side dishes also change regularly based on what is in season, a key component to eating in Italy. 

Gluten-Free Italian Appetizers (Antipasti)

It’s easier to find gluten-free appetizers in Italy if you are on the coast or Sicily and Sardinia where seafood is plentiful. In regions like Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Umbria, stick to cheese and charcuterie boards. 

Common gluten-free Italian appetizers include:

• Carpaccio – thinly sliced raw meat
• Prosciutto e melone – prosciutto and melon salad
• Caprese salad – tomato and mozzarella salad
• Tartar – raw meat 
• Pinzimonio – raw vegetables with olive oil or salsa verde for dipping
• Cecina/farinata – thin chickpea flatbread
• Insalata di tonno – tuna salad 
• Tagliere di salumi misti – regional cured meat platter
• Tagliere di formaggio – regional Italian cheese platter
• Polpo e patate – octopus and potato salad
• Insalata di mare – seafood salad
• Impepata di cozze – mussels 

Gluten-Free Italian First Courses (Primi)

Italian first courses are where you will have the most trouble if you are gluten-free.

There will often be something for you, usually a risotto, but you won’t have a wide selection like you will under main courses and side dishes.

Avoid pizza and pasta, unless specifically labeled gluten-free. 

Even if it seems to be gluten-free, always confirm with your waiter before ordering any first course: 

• Zuppa di lenticchie – lentil soup (or it may be with other legumes so double check it’s gluten-free)
• Minestrone – hearty vegetable soup
• Polenta – slow cooked corn meal usually bulked up with cheese (northern Italy)
• Risotto – a creamy rice dish made with seasonal produce like radicchio, zucchini, asparagus or artichokes 

Gluten-Free Italian Main Dishes (Secondi)

If you are eating gluten-free in Italy, the main dishes are most likely where you will find acceptable options. Secondi are typically meat or fish based, making them naturally gluten-free. Always confirm with your waiter before ordering as some foods are dredged in flour or breadcrumbs 

Look for these specific dishes and keep your eyes out for specialties showcasing a specific regional recipe: 

• Peposo – red wine beef stew (at one of my spots in Where Locals Eat In Florence)
• Stuffed tomatoes with rice
• Vitello Tonnato – thin slices of beef with a tuna caper sauce (Piedmont)
• Roman chicken cacciatore – made with anchovies and vinegar (Rome)
• Chicken cacciatore – tomato based stewed chicken
• Coniglio – rabbit
• Faraona – guinea hen 
• Grigliata mista – grilled mix meat
• Pollo al mattone – brick pressed chicken 
• Bistecca Fiorentina – Florentine steak (at on of the places of my list of Where to Eat Bistecca Fiorentina in Florence)
• Salsiccie – sausages (Umbria)
• Pesce spade – swordfish
• Salmone – salmon
• Scampi – shrimp (such as shrimp fra diavola)
• Totano/calamari – squid (avoid stuffed options)
• Polpo alla piastra – grilled octopus (Sicily) 

Gluten-Free Italian Side Dishes (Contorni)

The biggest piece of advice I give to clients or friends in Italy who are gluten-free is to order a bunch of sides and make a meal out of it. Most Italians are picky and like to order their food in a specific order of operations but if you are gluten-free, all food rules can fly out the window. Just notify your waiter that you want them to come with the other main dishes of your party who aren’t gluten-free.

Below is a short list of traditional gluten-free side dishes that you will find in Italy (availability will depend on the region and time of year): 

• Fagiolini all’pomodoro – cooked green beans in tomato sauce
• Fagioli all’olio – cannellini beans with olive oil (Tuscany)
• Piselli Fiorentini – peas with bacon (Florence)
• Fagioli all’uccelletto – white beans with tomato sauce (15 Restaurants to Try on Your First Trip to Florence)
• Insalata Siciliana – fennel and orange salad  (Sicily)
• Caponata – sweet and sour stewed eggplant (Sicily)
• Patate arroste – roasted potatoes 
• Patate fritte – french fries (make sure they are not fried in oil with gluten)
• Puree di patate – mashed potatoes 
• Verdure saltate / ripassate – sauteed seasonal greens in olive oil and garlic 
• Puntarelle – chicory in an anchovy and olive oil dressing (Rome)
• Peperonata – stewed bell peppers (Calabria)
• Cianfotta – stewed summer vegetables (Southern Italy)
• Crauti alla tirolese – sauerkraut (Trentino)
• Insalata di rinforzo – pickled vegetables and olives with anchovies (Naples)
• Friggitelli – panfried small green peppers
• Vignarola– stewed spring vegetables (Lazio)
• Verdure lesse – steamed mixed vegetables
• Verdure alla griglia – grilled mixed vegetables
• Polenta – polenta (grilled or creamy)
• Carciofi alla Giudia – fried Roman artichokes (Rome)
• Bietole al pomodoro – swiss chard cooked in tomato sauce
• Radicchio rosso alla Trevisana all griglia – grilled radicchio (Best Restaurants in Venice, Italy + Nearest Cicchetti Stops)

Gluten-Free Italian Desserts (Dolci)

If you have a sweet tooth then you are in luck. For a comprehensive guide to gluten-free Italian desserts read (CANDICE INSERT LINK). The following list are the most popular gluten-free desserts in Italy to try: 

• Affogato – gelato with espresso (Vivoli in Florence)
• Budino – pudding 
• Crema Pasticcera – pastry cream (often served with fresh fruit)
• Riccarelli – almond cookies (Siena)
• Poached Pears
• Macedonia – fresh fruit salad 
• Panna cotta – cream pudding with chocolate or berries
• Semifreddo – a frozen dessert
• Torta Caprese  – flourless chocolate cake
• Zabaglione – egg custard
• Granita – shaved ice (Sicily)
• Gelato – ice cream 
• Bonet – chocolate pudding (Piedmont)
• Castagnaccio – chestnut cake (Tuscany)
• Amaretti Cookies – almond cookies (Lombardy)
• Panforte – dried fruit and nut cake (Siena)
• Torrone – nougat with nuts (Sardinia)

Note that if you are traveling to Italy during Christmas then you might be interested in trying pandoro or panettone. Luckily, there are  gluten-free options available at supermarkets. 

Foods To Avoid If You Are Gluten-Free In Italy

• Pasta – most pasta, including gnocchi, is made with flour. Some restaurants will make gluten-free pasta, in which case it’s fine 
• Pizza – unless specifically gluten-free including pinsa or calzone 
• Cotoletta – breaded veal cutlet
• Fried foods – any kind of fritto will be made with flour or breadcrumbs
• Arancini – fried rice balls coated with breadcrumbs
• Polpette – meatballs often made with breadcrumbs 
• Involtini – rolled meat sometimes coated in flour or breadcrumbs
• Osso buco or spezzatino – stews
• Some soups – such as pasta e fagioli, acquacotta, ribollita and pappa al pomodoro, all made with bread or pasta
• Panzanella — bread salad
• Scaloppina – cooked meat usually made with flour 
• Pandoro and panettone – unless specifically labeled gluten-free (which you can find in grocery stores)
• Tiramisù – made with cookies
• Bread – all kinds 
• Pastries 
• Some flavors of gelato – be sure to order it in a cup and with flavors made without cookie and cake. 

Gluten-Free Cooking In Italy

Cooking gluten-free is even easier than eating out in Italy. This is because most grocery stores in Italy are well stocked with naturally gluten-free options such as meat, cheese, fish and plenty of seasonal fruits and vegetables. 

You may want to consider buying a cheap cutting board to avoid cross contamination with past guests who have cooked at your rental before and re-wash any pans.

Alternatively, you could opt to eat ‘no-cook’ items (similar to what you would pack to make a picnic) in your apartment rental such as:

• cured meats like prosciutto and cured sausages
• regional Italian cheeses
• canned goods such as tuna, olives and pickled vegetables
• raw vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, salads, radishes
• hard boiled eggs

Gluten-Free Grocery Shopping In Italy

Italy has significantly improved its selection for gluten-free travelers at grocery stores.  In larger supermarkets, you’ll find entire sections dedicated to gluten-free products. Smaller markets like Carrefour Express and Conad often have gluten-free items mixed in with their regular products (gluten-free bread in the bread aisle, gluten-free pasta in the pasta section). Look for the label “Senza Glutine” to identify gluten-free options.

Popular brands include Schar, known for its tasty snacks and bread. For pasta, Rummo and De Cecco offer good gluten-free alternatives, including legume-based varieties.

If you struggle to find gluten-free snacks, stick to naturally gluten-free foods such as nuts, seeds, yogurt, deli meats, and cheese.

Tips For Eating Gluten-Free In Italy

• When dining out at non-gluten-free restaurants, always inform your server that you cannot eat gluten (see helpful vocab below). It’s safest to order grilled meats, seafood and vegetables, as these have a lower risk of cross-contamination. 
• Risotto and polenta are typically gluten-free dishes, though there is a minor risk of cross-contamination.
• Gluten-free beer in Italy is not entirely free of gluten; it just contains lower levels. It’s safer to opt for wine, cocktails, or a Spritz.
• Carry gluten-free snacks from grocery stores to have on hand while traveling in case of emergencies 
• It’s advisable to pre-book tables at recommended gluten-free restaurants, which can often be done online.
• Most bakeries do not offer gluten-free items.
• Gelato in Italy is generally gluten-free if ordered in a cup. Avoid flavors that contain cookies or cake. 

Venice Travelers: If you’re traveling to Venice, you can read all about my gluten-free dining recommendations in Eating Gluten-Free In Venice and Gluten-Free Cicchetti In Venice.

Florence Travelers: Don’t miss my Guide To Eating Gluten-Free In Florence.

Helpful Vocabulary For Eating Gluten-Free In Italy

Italian	Pronunciation	English Translation
Sono celiaco	sohn-noh cheh-lee-ah-coh	I have celiac disease
Senza glutine	sehn-zah gloo-tee-neh	gluten-free
Può contenere tracce di glutine	pwoh-cohn-teh-nehr-eh trahch-cheh dee gloo-teen-neh	May contain traces of gluten
Non posso mangiare glutine.	nohn poh-soh mahn-jahr-eh gloo-tee-neh	I can’t eat gluten
Hai qualcosa senza glutine?	ayy kwahl-koh-zah sehn-zah gloo-tee-neh?	Do you have something gluten-free?
Non posso mangiare…	Nohn poh-soh mahn-jahr-eh	I cannot eat…
Vorrei…	vohr-reh…	I would like..
farina	fah-ree-nah	flour
grano	grah-noh	wheat
avena	ah-veh-nah	oats
pangrattato	pahn-grah-tah-toh	breadcrumbs
semolina	seh-moh-lee-nah	semolino
segale	seh-gah-leh	rye
farro	fahr-roh	spelt
pane	pah-neh	bread
impanato	eem-pah-nah-toh	breaded
carne	cahr-neh	meat
pesce	peh-sheh	fish
formaggio	fohr-mahj-joh	cheese
le uova	leh woh-vah	eggs

Allergies & Dietary Restrictions in Italy: If you’re traveling in Italy and have special dietary needs, be sure to check out:
How to Eat Vegetarian In Italy
How to Eat Vegan in Italy
Eating Gluten-Free in Italy
Eating in Italy While Pregnant
Eating Dairy-Free in Italy