For many of us, Italy is the ultimate vacation destination.
A major part of the country's allure? It's delicious cuisine.
We're all used to the lineup of dishes that grace our local Italian restaurant's menu-like lasagna, spaghetti with meatballs and fettuccine alfredo. But some of these are adaptations of classic Italian recipes and don't even appear on many menus in the old country.
It can seem daunting to order something you've never tried before off a menu written in a foreign language, but it can be supremely rewarding, too.
So here are six Italian dishes that you may never have heard of before, but shouldn't leave Italy without trying:
Cacciucco
Cacciucco is a tomato-based fish stew-similar to a French bouillabaisse-that is popular throughout Liguria and Tuscany. It should feature no fewer than five different types of fish and seafood in its ingredients (one for each letter c in the dish's name), so expect anything from red mullet, sole or monkfish to sea bass, octopus, squid or scallops.
A healthy glug of red wine will usually have been added to the stew's base for depth, and you should be served some good bread on the side to mop up the juices.
Bagna Cauda
Bagna cauda is popular in the Piedmont region of Northern Italy and is a creamy anchovy- and garlic-based dip.
Much like fondue, bagna cauda is served warm with an assortment of raw veggies and slices of bread for dunking. It's the perfect informal dish for a group or gathering.
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Pappardelle alla Lepre
Lepre is the word for hare; something which is every Italian hunter's prize catch. There is no specific region in which this dish predominates, so you'll find it cooked in many different ways across the country.
This version is one of the most popular. It features a hare ragu (meaty tomato-based sauce, often with the addition of red wine) tossed with fresh pappardelle egg pasta.
Tortelli di Zucca
This decadent, buttery pasta dish can be found in most towns and cities throughout Emilia-Romagna. It features fresh egg pasta shaped into small tortellini-or sometimes ravioli-that are stuffed with pumpkin and crushed amaretti biscuits.
The pasta is then served with either a butter and sage sauce or simply a good pour of olive oil and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.
Melanzane Ripieni
This satisfying eggplant dish is prevalent across the whole country and, although each family or restaurant may have their own method of cooking it, the outline of the dish remains the same. The flesh of the eggplant is scooped out and chopped up with a variety of other savory goodies such as olives, capers, tomatoes and breadcrumbs.
This mixture is then spooned back into the eggplant skins and baked. (Think of it as an eggplant version of a twice-baked potato). Some versions may contain anchovies or even pancetta, so if you are vegetarian, it's best to check with whoever's cooking it before ordering.
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Sbriciolata alle Pesche
Throughout summer, peaches are one of the most abundant fruit crops in the Emilia-Romagna, Veneto and Campania regions. This dessert is served as the crowning glory of most meals.
Sbriciolata alle pesche is essentially a sweetened peach and ricotta pie with a pastry case and crumble topping. When peaches are no longer in season, you can sometimes find this pie sold with a ricotta and Nutella filling instead.
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