This list includes 15 Italian foods that start with Z, from “Zabaglione” to “Zuppa pavese”. They include desserts, breads, sauces, cheeses and regional dishes you can cook or order while traveling.
Italian foods that start with Z are a small but flavorful subset of Italy’s culinary traditions. Many come from specific regions, like zabaglione from Piedmont, showing local ingredients and history.
Below you’ll find the table with Name, Region, and Main ingredients.
Name: The dish name as commonly used in Italy; you can use it to search recipes, menus, or ingredient lists.
Region: Identifies the Italian region or town where the dish originates, helping you find authentic variations and local recipes.
Main ingredients: Lists the key components (three to five items) so you know flavor profile and what to buy or substitute.
Italian foods that start with Z
| Name | Type | Region | Main ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zabaglione | dessert | Piedmont (Turin) | egg yolks, sugar, Marsala wine |
| Zeppole | pastry | Campania (Naples) | flour, eggs, sugar, oil |
| Ziti | pasta | Campania (Naples) | durum wheat semolina, water, salt |
| Ziti al forno | pasta (baked dish) | Campania (Naples) | ziti, tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil |
| Zampone | cured meat | Emilia-Romagna (Modena) | pork, pig trotter casing, spices, salt |
| Zampina | sausage | Puglia (Sammichele di Bari) | pork, breadcrumbs, fennel, chili |
| Zuccotto | dessert | Tuscany (Florence) | sponge cake, ricotta or cream, cocoa, liqueur |
| Zuppa inglese | dessert | Emilia-Romagna (Ferrara) | sponge cake, custard, Alchermes liqueur, chocolate |
| Zuppa pavese | soup | Lombardy (Pavia) | stale bread, eggs, beef broth, Parmesan |
| Zucchine alla scapece | vegetable | Campania (Naples) | zucchini, vinegar, garlic, mint |
| Zuppa di pesce | soup/seafood stew | Campania (Naples) | mixed seafood, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil |
| Zuppa di cozze | seafood | Puglia (Bari) | mussels, tomatoes, garlic, parsley |
| Zuppa di vongole | soup | Campania (Naples) | clams, white wine, garlic, parsley |
| Zaleti | pastry/cookie | Veneto (Treviso) | cornmeal, flour, raisins, sugar, butter |
| Zampone e lenticchie | dish | Emilia-Romagna (Modena) | zampone, lentils, broth, bay leaf |
Descriptions
Zabaglione
Light, foamy custard made by whisking egg yolks with sugar and sweet wine, served warm or chilled as a simple, classic Italian dessert.
Zeppole
Fried or baked doughnuts often filled with custard or ricotta and dusted with sugar, famously eaten for Saint Joseph’s Day in Naples.
Ziti
Long, tubular pasta traditionally broken by hand for festive dishes; used widely in Southern Italian recipes and baked casseroles.
Ziti al forno
Comforting baked pasta layered with tomato sauce and melted cheese, a hearty Neapolitan-style casserole often served at family gatherings.
Zampone
A traditional Modenese specialty: boned pork mixture stuffed into a pig’s trotter skin, boiled and sliced, often served at New Year.
Zampina
Small coiled pork sausage from Puglia, seasoned with fennel and spices and typically grilled or fried as street food.
Zuccotto
Dome-shaped chilled dessert of sponge soaked in liqueur and filled with creamy ricotta or whipped filling, often chocolate-speckled.
Zuppa inglese
An Italian trifle: layers of sponge soaked in Alchermes and alternating custards, sometimes with chocolate, popular in central Italy.
Zuppa pavese
Simple peasant soup from Pavia of slices of bread topped with a poached egg and hot beef broth, finished with grated Parmesan.
Zucchine alla scapece
Pan-fried zucchini marinated in vinegar, garlic and mint, a refreshing Neapolitan antipasto served at room temperature.
Zuppa di pesce
Hearty coastal stew of varied seafood simmered in tomato, garlic and wine; recipes vary by region and local catch.
Zuppa di cozze
A rustic bowl of mussels cooked with tomatoes, garlic and herbs, often served with crusty bread to soak up the broth.
Zuppa di vongole
Light clam soup or pasta topping where fresh vongole are tossed with garlic, wine and parsley for a briny, aromatic dish.
Zaleti
Crunchy Venetian cookies made with cornmeal and studded with raisins, traditionally enjoyed with coffee or dessert wine.
Zampone e lenticchie
Classic New Year’s plate pairing sliced zampone with stewed lentils for luck and comfort, a Modenese festive tradition.