Gluten Free Meals in Italy - My Course-By-Course List

Last updated on December 31st, 2024

As an expert in Italian food, I am often asked

“Can I come to Italy and actually enjoy myself following a gluten-free diet or is it going to be a nightmare?”

The answer is YES, you can absolutely eat gluten-free in Italy and enjoy yourself!

While it’s true you can’t order traditional pizza and pasta dishes, there is plenty of delicious famous Italian food that will satisfy you and even inspire you to bring all your gluten-free friends to Italy. In fact, plenty of Italian food is naturally gluten-free.

I’ve organized this comprehensive guide to gluten-free dishes in Italy by courses (appetizers, main dishes, desserts, etc).

This guide is based on my first-hand experiences eating around Italy. I’ll share:

recommended gluten-free dishes
when to try each dish
where to try it, should I have a specific region or restaurant I like
my recipe to recreate the dish at home (if I have one)

Important 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

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?

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Gluten Free Italian Dishes To Try In Italy

close up of beef carpaccio garnished with parmesan cheese and rocket or arugula.

Below is a quick rundown of famous Italian foods that happen to also be gluten-free.

Gluten-Free Italian Appetizers (Antipasti)

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

Venice Travelers: May want to read up on Eating Gluten-Free In Venice and Gluten-Free Cicchetti In Venice.

Gluten-Free Italian First Courses (Primi)

Risotto in Venice, Italy on a black ceramic plate. White foam and fish flakes on top. — *The risotto with seasonal vegetables I ordered while in Venice*

As a gluten-free traveler in Italy, you may think that you are missing all the pasta and pizza but that simply isn’t true. Yes, it’s true that at most normal trattorie, it might be harder to find gluten-free first courses but many restaurants will now cater to gluten-free patrons by offering 1 or 2 types of gluten-free pasta or pizza specials. Just ask!

To be sure though, stick to soups, polenta and rice, which should all be gluten-free:

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 flavored with seasonal produce and cheese
Risotto – a creamy rice dish and a staple in northern Italy flavored with seasonal produce, Parmigiano Reggiano and butter

Gluten-Free Italian Main Dishes (Secondi)

Close up of plate of grilled meats, and vegetables at a table in a restaurant in Italy. — *The grilled meats my kids ordered in Tuscany*

This is your course on any menu if you are gluten-free in Italy. Most secondi are meat or fish based, making them naturally gluten-free. Some main dishes may have some form of breadcrumb in it, so be sure to confirm before ordering.

Generally speaking, the following kinds of meat and fish will be gluten-free:

Peposo – red wine beef stew (at 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 Where to Eat Bistecca Fiorentina in Florence – A Local’s Favorite Steakhouses)
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)

Beyond these specific gluten-free Italian dishes, you will come across seasonal or regional seafood and meat specialties that will most likely be made without gluten.

Florence Travelers: Check out A Guide To Eating Gluten-Free In Florence.

Gluten-Free Italian Side Dishes (Contorni)

Rectangular ceramic dish with caponata made of zucchini, red peppers, and eggplant.

These gluten-free Italian side dishes are seasonl, meaning that you will only find them on menus when the produce is in season. For a full rundown and detailed explanation of each of these gluten-free Italian side dishes read Gluten-Free Side Dishes.

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 (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 + Nearest Cicchetti Stops)

Gluten-Free Italian Desserts (Dolci)

Close up of glass dish of semifreddo. It's decorated with a small yellow flower. — *The gluten-free semifreddo dessert I ordered made with gluten-free cookies*

Italy has several gluten-free dessert options readily available across all 20 regions. Look for the following and read Gluten-Free Desserts in Italy for a detailed explanation of each: