Contorni – Our Top 20 Italian Side Dishes

Italian side dishes are the reflection of the nation’s infinite creativity with the abundance of edible plants available year round. Contorni, or side dishes, are always present on the Italian table, served to accompany and complete the main course, but not only that. The Italian gastronomic tradition offers a plethora of classic and other more innovative side dishes thanks to the peninsula’s astounding biodiversity and rich seasonal crop rotation, but here are our absolute favorites that regularly make an appearance on our tables: 

Being Vegetarian and Vegan in Italy 

In Italy, adopting a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle comes naturally, far more so than in cultures like North America and the UK, which have traditionally centered their diet around meat.

Aside from starters and then pasta and rice which constitute the “primo” first course, people who have chosen to not eat meat, poultry or fish can easily swap in one, or more, of the many side dishes always present at mealtimes in Italy. Check out this comprehensive list of popular vegetarian dishes of Italy for inspiration and you’ll find many of these dishes are sides (as well as being super tasty meals in their own right!).

So, while there will always be vegetarian and generally some vegan options under the Antipasti and Primi menu sections, turn to the Contorni section for some of the best.

Among the most common vegetable side dishes present on Italian tables are spuds and legumes: humble ingredients with a peasant past. In Italy, potatoes, which are affordable and versatile, are prepared in a thousand different ways.

Then, besides starring in soups and risottos, protein-rich legumes like lentils, beans, fava beans, peas and chickpeas are equally prominent in the contorni page of the Italian menu. But beyond these two foundation pillars, there is an entire universe of Italian side dishes. Some of which you may be less familiar with.

Raw, fried, grilled, roasted, stewed, stuffed or baked into savory pies – here are our top 20 Italian side dishes.

Cavolfiori Gratinati

While cauliflower is often seen as a second-rate vegetable in the US or UK, in Italy this has been a timeless classic for ages, used in a variety of ways.

Cavolfiori grantinati, a typically homespun Italian side dish, is a winter staple and one of my personal favorite ways to enjoy cauliflower. The delicious cheesy crust that conceals the bubbling, creamy heart of roasted florets, béchamel and Parmigiano Reggiano is truly habit forming. Add spices and herbs to personalize the result, I like adding thyme or a little rosemary for an extra herby hit.

Peperonata

This sweet pepper side dish is a summer classic. Traditionally made with sautéed bell peppers, onions, tomatoes and seasoned with herbs and spices, every family makes their own version.

Perfect piled onto bruschetta, peperonata can also double as a delicious vegetarian sauce for pasta or as the ideal accompaniment to grilled meats on the barbecue.

Cianfotta 

This Italian vegetable side dish is similar to ratatouille and goes by many names (including ciambotta, cianfrotta). It is a stew featuring a medley of summer vegetables like eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and tomatoes. These are cooked in olive oil and flavored with garlic, Mediterranean herbs, and a touch of vinegar – delicious!

Cicoria Ripassata

This classic Roman side dish is very popular, and a go-to part of any meal when the Casa Mia team get together in the Eternal City.

Cicoria are bitter greens, typically chicory, which are sautéed in olive oil with garlic and chili until wilted and tender. It is a simple yet delicious complement to meats that offers a balance of flavors with a slight bitterness and spiciness.

If the greens are a little too bitter for you, try adding a good squeeze of lemon as the bright, tart flavor mellows out the bitterness.

Zucchine a Scapece

The Neapolitan side dish consists of thinly sliced summer zucchini lightly fried until golden. They are then steeped in a vinegar marinade with garlic, olive oil and mint. The resulting pickle is a delightful blend of tangy and fresh flavors, textures and aromas with a distant past.

I’ve had many versions of zucchine a scapece while visiting Naples and the wider Campania region, and they are all super tasty. If you see a pasta version, take the opportunity to try it, the combination is superb!

Broccoletti Strascinati

This side dish is typical of central and southern Italy, and is once again a product of Italy’s peasant culinary past, a great example of simple ingredients used to create something exceptional.

To make it, broccoli rabe or broccolini are sautéed and tossed with garlic, olive oil, and chili flakes until tender. The slightly bitter greens, aromatic garlic, and spicy chili flakes create a flavorful and punchy complement to any main course. It may sound a little odd, but I also really like a big spoonful of broccoletti strascinati alongside a selection of creamy cheeses.

Fagioli all’Uccelletto

This hearty and comforting Tuscan side dish is made of cannellini beans cooked in a light tomato sauce with garlic, fresh sage, and extra virgin olive oil. Baked beans this is not, the sauce is delicate and moreish.

Popular in Tuscan restaurants and all over Florence, the creamy beans are the perfect complement to grilled sausages or the iconic Florentine steak.

Funghi Trifolati

We’ve waxed poetic about sautéing sliced mushrooms in the past. Tossed in a pan with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, parsley, and a splash of white wine until tender, the resulting earthy autumn side dish is versatile and delicious.

As one of Italy’s most loved vegetarian recipes, you’ll find versions of this dish all over Italy through the fall and into the winter. Pasta with funghi is particularly popular and a reliable vegetarian staple (it’s also very easy to make vegan as long as no butter or cheese is added).

Insalata di Farro

Farro salad is a hearty and nutritious Italian side dish, most often served in the spring and summer.

Cooked and chilled spelt grains are mixed with an array of fresh seasonal vegetables like chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers or whatever is on the market stalls. Insalata di farro becomes a complete meal if you add a protein like canned tuna, hard boiled eggs, feta, tofu or cubed meats, like ham, rotisserie chicken or sliced turkey.

The dressing can be simple olive oil and lemon juice, or a more structured vinaigrette. I like a red-wine vinegar based dressing to balance the grains and to finish with plenty of fresh herbs, but you can customize your salad however you prefer – this is not an Italian recipe with strict rules! 

Insalata Pantesca

This refreshing Sicilian summer side dish from the island of Pantelleria is made with steamed potatoes, chopped tomatoes, sliced onions, local capers, and fresh basil. The salad is dressed with only a thread of extra virgin olive oil. Vibrant and flavorful Insalata Pantesca captures the essence of the island and is the perfect light side dish when you don’t want anything too heavy.

Lenticchie in Umido

Stewed lentils cooked with a flavorful mirepoix (sautéed onions, carrots, celery) is a winter essential in Italy. Garlic, tomatoes, water and bay leaves also go in the bubbling pot until the small brown lentils are tender. The result is a hearty and nourishing side dish that’s often served with meat.

At New Year it is common to find these lentils served with cotechino, a type of sausage – the round slices and round lentils both represent good fortune for the year ahead.

Puntarelle

Punchy is an understatement, and puntarelle are not for the faint of heart. Yet, this Roman side dish, made from a specific type of chicory called cicoria catalogna is tremendously popular. Only crisp, curly and bitter puntarelle stalks are used, first trimmed with a special cutter and then dressed with a tangy, garlicky anchovy vinaigrette.

This results in a perfect complement to the rich and fatty main courses of Roman cuisine but if you’re not sure about the flavor combination, try just a little to start.

Vignarola

Vignarola is a Roman side dish that celebrates the flavors of spring. It’s a medley of fresh vegetables like artichokes, fava beans, peas and romaine lettuce. Romans gently cook the greens in extra virgin olive oil with garlic, onions and pancetta until tender and fragrant. 

You will see lots of versions of vignarola in early spring, some are more stew-like and others drier, some are baked and some are tossed with pasta. I love them all but don’t hang around, this is a very seasonal dish so it doesn’t stay on menus for long.

Insalata di Finocchio e Arance

This is a Sicilian side dish that combines crisp and refreshing fennel with the tang of local oranges. The salad is drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and topped with some purple olives and thinly sliced red onions. The result is a delightful salad that is the perfect way to cool off in the heat of the Sicilian sun.

For the ultimate aniseed flavor, add some of the green fronds of the fennel on top.

Scarola Con Uvetta e Pinoli

Escarole or scarola is one of the main ingredients of southern Italian cuisine. Another of Italy’s bitter greens, it’s often found in soup recipes along with beans and potatoes or as a filling for savory pies.

Scarola con uvetta e pinoli is a traditional Neapolitan dish. The escarole is dragged around in a pan with olive oil and garlic before plump raisins and pine nuts are added for the last few minutes of cooking. The bittersweet escarole is beautifully balanced with the raisins and the nutty crunch of the pine nuts.

Patate in Tecia

The tecia is the earthenware pot this recipe was typically cooked in. Nowadays the Italian side dish from Trieste in northern Italy (near Venice) is made in a frying pan.

The recipe consists of thinly sliced potatoes fried in lard or extra virgin olive oil layered with onions and pancetta and baked until tender and golden. Seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, resulting in a simple yet flavorful potato casserole enjoyed alongside grilled meats or just by itself. The perfect winter warmer!

Crauti alla Tirolese

This Italian dish from Alto Adige showcases the region’s Austrian influence for something most people wouldn’t identify as Italian.

Sauerkraut (crauti) is cooked with juniper berries, caraway seeds, smoked pancetta, and sometimes apples for a tasty side dish that keeps for a long time. This dish represents the cultural blend of the northern Italian region; it’s a flavorful and tangy side dish that pairs well with hearty franks, canederli (similar to matzo balls) and other local mains that appear equally un-Italian!

Patate Riganate

This traditional southern Italian dish is part of the peasant tradition of Basilicata. Affordable and filling potatoes were orginally baked by farmers in a pan called “ruota” which was wrapped in kitchen towels to keep the dish warm until mealtime in the fields.

Sliced potatoes are layered with onions, tomatoes, grated pecorino cheese, oregano and pieces of stale bread on the top. This gives us a crisp crust from which the dish takes its name: raganate is a dialectal shift of the word “gratinate” (au gratin). However the term is widespread in other southern Italian regions (“raganate” or “arraganate”) also used to indicate foods flavored with oregano, which I do add in large amounts when I make this dish.

Insalata di Rinforzo

The name of this traditional Neapolitan dish means “reinforcement salad,” but this refers to the punchy flavors rather than being a heavy dish.

Typically served on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, you will also find it year-round. The dish is a mix of vegetables like steamed cauliflower, pickled papaccella peppers, giardiniera (pickled carrots, gherkins, pearl onions, sweet peppers and celery). The vegetables are tossed with olives, anchovies and vinegar which creates a tangy and briny mouthful that adds a burst of vibrant color and texture to any meal.

Friggitelli

These small Italian green peppers (similar to shishitos) are pan fried until blistered and tender. They are simply seasoned with flaky salt and enjoyed as a flavorful side with grilled sausages or other meats.

Additionally, friggitelli pair well with fresh mozzarella and even swordfish or tuna steaks, adding a pop of color and a hint of sweetness, making them the perfect summer barbecue side for me.

These dishes are our favorites but we always try new ones as we explore Italy. Make sure to let us know what your favorite Italian side dish is so we can try it in the future!