This list includes 48 Italian foods that start with S, from “Saba” to “Supplì”. It gathers regional specialties, street foods, cheeses and desserts useful for cooking, travel, and menu planning.
Italian foods that start with S are named dishes, breads, cheeses, cured meats and sweets rooted in Italy’s regions. Many reflect centuries-old local ingredients, like saba used in Modena or supplì from Rome’s street-food tradition.
Below you’ll find the table with Food, Region, and Main ingredients.
Food: The dish name as commonly known; you use it to find recipes or menu references.
Region: Where the item originates or is best known, helping you trace local traditions and flavors.
Main ingredients: The 3–5 key components so you judge flavor profiles and shopping needs quickly.
Italian foods that start with S
| Name | Type | Region | Main ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spaghetti | pasta | Campania — Naples | durum wheat, water, salt |
| Spaghetti alle vongole | pasta | Campania — Naples | spaghetti, clams, garlic, olive oil, parsley |
| Spaghetti aglio e olio | pasta | Campania — Naples | spaghetti, garlic, olive oil, chili, parsley |
| Spaghetti alla chitarra | pasta | Abruzzo | durum wheat, eggs, salt |
| Spaghetti alla Nerano | pasta | Campania — Nerano | spaghetti, zucchini, provolone del Monaco, olive oil |
| Scialatielli | pasta | Campania — Amalfi coast | durum wheat, water, egg, salt |
| Strozzapreti | pasta | Emilia-Romagna/Tuscany | flour, water, salt |
| Strangozzi | pasta | Umbria — Norcia | durum wheat, water, salt |
| Saltimbocca | dish | Lazio — Rome | veal, prosciutto, sage, wine, butter |
| Sfogliatelle | dessert | Campania — Naples | flour, semolina, ricotta, sugar, citrus |
| Sfincione | bread | Sicily — Palermo | flour, tomatoes, onions, breadcrumbs, cheese |
| Sformato | dish | Italy — Various | eggs, milk, cheese, vegetables |
| Salsiccia | cured-meat | Italy — Various | pork, salt, pepper, fennel |
| Soppressata | cured-meat | Calabria/Puglia | pork, salt, pepper, red pepper |
| Soppressa Vicentina | cured-meat | Veneto — Vicenza | pork, salt, pepper, garlic |
| Speck | cured-meat | Trentino-Alto Adige — South Tyrol | pork, salt, juniper, smoke |
| Salame di Varzi | cured-meat | Lombardy — Varzi | pork, salt, pepper, garlic |
| Salame Milano | cured-meat | Lombardy — Milan | pork, salt, pepper, garlic |
| Scamorza | cheese | Campania — Southern Italy | cow milk, rennet, salt, smoke |
| Stracchino | cheese | Lombardy/Emilia | cow milk, rennet, salt |
| Squacquerone | cheese | Emilia-Romagna — Romagna | cow milk, rennet, salt, cream |
| Sottocenere | cheese | Veneto — Padua | cow/sheep milk, ash, spices, salt |
| Stracciatella | dessert | Lombardy — Bergamo | milk, cream, chocolate shavings |
| Stracciatella alla Romana | soup | Lazio — Rome | eggs, Parmesan, broth |
| Stracciatella di burrata | cheese | Puglia — Murgia | burrata cream, mozzarella, cream |
| Sartu di riso | dish | Campania — Naples | rice, ragù, mozzarella, peas |
| Sarde a beccafico | antipasto | Sicily — Palermo | sardines, breadcrumbs, raisins, pine nuts, herbs |
| Sarde in saor | antipasto | Veneto — Venice | sardines, onions, vinegar, raisins, pine nuts |
| Sanguinaccio | dessert | Campania — Naples | pig’s blood, chocolate, sugar, milk |
| Seada | dessert | Sardinia — Barbagia | pecorino, semolina, lard, lemon, honey |
| Semifreddo | dessert | Italy — Various | eggs, sugar, cream, flavorings |
| Sbrisolona | dessert | Lombardy — Mantua | flour, almonds, butter, sugar |
| Sgabei | street-food | Liguria — Riviera | flour, water, yeast, salt |
| Schiacciata | bread | Tuscany — Florence | flour, olive oil, yeast, salt |
| Schiacciata alla Fiorentina | dessert | Tuscany — Florence | flour, eggs, sugar, orange zest |
| Supplì | street-food | Lazio — Rome | rice, tomato, mozzarella, breadcrumbs |
| Savoiardi | dessert | Piedmont — Turin | eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla |
| Sardella | antipasto | Calabria — Ionian coast | anchovy/sardine roe, olive oil, chili, lemon |
| Salsa verde | sauce | Piedmont — Turin | parsley, capers, anchovy, olive oil |
| Salsa di noci | sauce | Liguria — Genoa | walnuts, bread, milk, garlic, olive oil |
| Saba | condiment | Emilia-Romagna — Modena | cooked grape must, sugar |
| Scaloppine | dish | Italy — Various | veal/pork, flour, butter, lemon |
| Spezzatino | dish | Italy — Various | beef or pork, tomatoes, wine, herbs |
| Salsiccia di Bra | cured-meat | Piedmont — Bra | pork, salt, pepper, garlic |
| Sogliola alla mugnaia | dish | Italy — Coastal regions | sole, flour, butter, lemon, parsley |
| Salame Felino | cured-meat | Emilia-Romagna — Parma area | pork, salt, pepper, garlic |
| Struffoli | dessert | Campania — Naples | flour, eggs, honey, sugar, butter |
| Stoccafisso alla vicentina | dish | Veneto — Vicenza | dried cod, onions, milk, olive oil, anchovies |
Descriptions
Spaghetti
Long thin pasta from Naples, a staple of Italian cuisine served with countless sauces, best cooked al dente.
Spaghetti alle vongole
Classic Neapolitan seafood pasta with clams, garlic and olive oil, light and briny—common in coastal trattorie.
Spaghetti aglio e olio
Simple, speedy pasta of garlic, oil and chili—beloved comfort food and late-night staple across Italy.
Spaghetti alla chitarra
Square-cut egg pasta made with a “chitarra” string frame, typical of Abruzzo, often served with ragù or seafood.
Spaghetti alla Nerano
Coastal Campanian dish of spaghetti with sautéed zucchini and creamy provolone del Monaco, delicately rich and local.
Scialatielli
Short, thick ribbon pasta invented on the Amalfi coast, ideal with fresh seafood or light tomato sauces.
Strozzapreti
Hand-rolled twisted pasta from central Italy; rustic texture that soaks up meaty or vegetable-based sauces.
Strangozzi
Thick, cord-like pasta from Umbria, traditionally paired with truffles, game ragu or hearty mushroom sauces.
Saltimbocca
Thin veal topped with prosciutto and sage, pan-cooked in wine and butter—a quintessential Roman main course.
Sfogliatelle
Crisp, layered shell pastry filled with sweet ricotta and citrus, an iconic Neapolitan pastry.
Sfincione
Thick, focaccia-like Sicilian pizza from Palermo, topped with tomato, onions and local cheeses, a popular street food.
Sformato
Savory baked custard or flan that can feature vegetables or cheese, served as antipasto or side throughout Italy.
Salsiccia
Fresh Italian sausage in many regional styles—grilled, stewed or used in ragù and rustic dishes.
Soppressata
Rustic dry salami from southern Italy; Calabrian versions are often spicy and aromatic.
Soppressa Vicentina
Pressed salami from the Vicenza area, traditionally made from various pork cuts and aged for a firm texture.
Speck
Lightly smoked, air-cured ham from South Tyrol with Alpine herb notes, served thinly sliced.
Salame di Varzi
PDO salami from Varzi with a delicate aroma and long aging, prized for sandwiches and antipasti.
Salame Milano
Fine-textured Milanese salami, mild and versatile—common on antipasto platters and sandwiches.
Scamorza
Stretched-curd cheese, often lightly smoked; firmer than mozzarella and great for grilling or melting.
Stracchino
Soft, creamy cheese with a mild tang, eaten fresh on bread or in focacce.
Squacquerone
Ultra-creamy, spreadable cheese from Romagna, classic in piadina and with fruit.
Sottocenere
Aged cheese finished with ash and spices, originally from Venice area—mild interior with aromatic rind.
Stracciatella
Gelato flavor with fine chocolate shreds in creamy base; also the creamy filling of burrata bears the same name.
Stracciatella alla Romana
Roman egg-and-cheese drop soup, simple and comforting—often a starter in traditional meals.
Stracciatella di burrata
The shredded curd and cream filling of burrata, luxuriously soft and used as an indulgent topping.
Sartu di riso
Baked Neapolitan rice timbale layered with ragù, cheese and peas—impressive festive dish.
Sarde a beccafico
Sicilian stuffed sardines combining savory breadcrumbs and sweet raisins—a classic coastal specialty.
Sarde in saor
Venetian sweet-and-sour marinated sardines, a popular cicchetto with historic roots.
Sanguinaccio
Traditional Neapolitan sweet blood pudding flavored with chocolate, historically eaten at festivals.
Seada
Fried Sardinian pastry filled with pecorino and lemon, finished with honey—rustic island dessert.
Semifreddo
Light semi-frozen mousse-like dessert, served chilled and popular nationwide.
Sbrisolona
Crunchy, crumbly almond cake typical of Mantua—meant to be broken and shared.
Sgabei
Fried pockets of dough from the Ligurian coast, eaten warm with cheese or salumi as a snack.
Schiacciata
Tuscan flatbread with crisp edges and soft interior, served plain or filled.
Schiacciata alla Fiorentina
Soft, orange-scented cake from Florence, served during Carnival and festive occasions.
Supplì
Roman fried rice ball with molten mozzarella center, a beloved street snack and antipasto.
Savoiardi
Light, crisp sponge biscuits (ladyfingers) used in tiramisù and desserts across Italy.
Sardella
Spicy fish-roe spread from Calabria, served on bread or crackers as a bold appetizer.
Salsa verde
Bright green condiment served with bollito misto and boiled meats, herb-forward and tangy.
Salsa di noci
Creamy walnut sauce from Liguria, traditionally paired with pansoti pasta.
Saba
Sweet, syrupy reduction of grape must used to flavor desserts and finish savory dishes.
Scaloppine
Thin sliced meat quickly pan-cooked and finished with wine or lemon, an everyday Italian classic.
Spezzatino
Slow-braised meat stew served with polenta or potatoes, a comforting family dish across regions.
Salsiccia di Bra
Traditional fresh sausage from Bra, Piedmont, often grilled or used in rustic recipes.
Sogliola alla mugnaia
Simple seaside preparation of sole floured and pan-fried in butter, finished with lemon and parsley.
Salame Felino
Renowned PDO salami from Parma area with tender texture and balanced seasoning.
Struffoli
Tiny fried dough balls coated in honey and sprinkles, traditional Neapolitan Christmas sweet.
Stoccafisso alla vicentina
Slow-cooked dried cod dish of Vicenza, rich and creamy, served with polenta.