Food In Campania – Simple But Awesome Neapolitan Food

I know food is one of the main reasons we all love Italy. However, the food in Campania concentrates all the passion of the Neapolitans in its flavors.

Campania is the region in Italy just south of Rome, by the Tyrrhenian Sea. It’s a region of volcanoes with fertile land and a mild climate throughout the year. 

The Romans called it “Campania Felix”, meaning The Happy Countryside. The area provided fish, fruit, oil, and wine for Ancient Rome.

Campania is now one of the poorer regions in Italy, which also affected the food in the area. For the better, I’d say. The food in Campania is a “cucina povera” – a poor man’s kitchen, where they only use simple local ingredients and make the best of them.

1. Caprese Salad

This salad came from Capri Island. It’s a simple dish made with just 4 ingredients: mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, and a drizzle of olive oil.

The quality and freshness of the ingredients are everything in this uncooked dish. Mozzarella di bufala campana obtained a Protected Designation of Origin mark because the specific environmental conditions in Campania make possible its unique taste.

2. Mozzarella grilled on fresh lemon leaves

Talking about mozzarella, another must-try in this area is the mozzarella grilled on lemon leaves. There are a lot of lemon groves in this area. A bit of the acidity and essential oils of the lemon leave pass to the mozzarella and season it perfectly. You will find this one along the Amalfi Coast and also on the Sorrentine Peninsula.

3. Pizza

Everybody loves a good pizza. They invented pizza in Naples, using whatever they had on their hands as a topping. The best pizza I ever ate was in this area, in Ercolano, to be specific.

4. Fried Pizza

This is a Neapolitan dish that you can find all around the city. Lots of teenagers are crazy about it. Fried pizza tastes great, but it is a deep-fried dough filled with a few other ingredients. You shouldn’t eat a lot of fried pizza if you’re watching your weight.

5. Fried Anchovies (Alici fritte)

These are fresh anchovies from the nearby Tyrrhenian Sea, deep-fried for a few minutes, therefore absolutely delicious.

6. Gnocchi alla Sorrentina (Sorrento style gnocchi)

Typically served as a first in the Campania region, this dish is filling enough for a whole meal. It goes really well with a fresh green salad alongside.

Gnocchi is a type of pasta containing more potatoes than flour. The Sorrento style comes with tomatoes and basil sauce, mozzarella, and also grated parmesan cheese. It all goes into the oven for a golden deliciousness, actually made with just these few simple ingredients.

7. Aqua Pazza (Crazy Water)

Another simple dish with just fish and a few ingredients for flavoring. Legend says fishermen around Naples used to make this dish with just fresh-caught fish and seawater, throwing in whatever they had with them: a few olives, a handful of cherry tomatoes, an onion, some herbs. The established recipe uses olive oil, garlic, fennel, cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, and a bit of white wine, but it varies according to the chef’s inspiration. Anyway, you can’t go wrong with this one, as long as the fish is fresh.

8. Risotto alla Pescatora

This type of risotto might not be typical to Campania, as they make it all along the coastline in Italy. Still, it’s a must-try in this area too.

9. Pasta alle vongole

This is another classic of the area, made with just a few ingredients. You need pasta, small fresh clams, garlic, a little white wine, and parsley. Also, some think cherry tomatoes are part of the deal, some don’t. Choose your side of this argument, but definitely try it.

10. Spaghetti alla puttanesca

This one literally means “Spaghetti in the style prostitutes make them”, probably due to the quickness in which this meal can be put together. The sauce has olive oil, garlic, capers, olives, tomatoes, and sometimes anchovies. Click to learn how to make the authentic puttanesca sauce. These basic ingredients of Campanian cuisine make for a very distinct flavor.

This is just my top 10 in terms of regional food from Campania. There are many other things to try here. I didn’t even get to sweets or drinks. I should at least mention the famous Limoncello. Limoncello is a liqueur made from Sorrentine lemon peels and a great way to finish a meal.

You know I’ll always recommend a food tour. It’s the best way to get a taste of a place (literally but also figuratively)!

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Have you been to this region of Italy? What was your favorite food in Campania? Let me know in the comments below.