These chocolate-glazed cookies are a Christmas staple in Naples and throughout Campania, but similar varieties can be found in other parts of southern Italy. Mustacciuoli are usually prepared with a combination of honey, sugar, flour, citrus zest, and spices such as cinnamon, cloves, coriander, star anise, and nutmeg.
The dough is traditionally cut into diamond-shaped pieces that are later coated with dark chocolate. Modern variations may opt for a white chocolate glaze or icing sugar, as well as the addition of candied fruit, while some regional variations add a splash of Strega liqueur.
MOST ICONIC Mustacciuoli
Minestra maritata is a traditional soup originating from Naples. In America, it is known as Italian wedding soup, which is quite wrong as the translation of minestra maritata means married soup and refers to the marriage of vegetables and meat, the key ingredients in this soup.
In the past, the soup was made with a combination of leftovers cured and fresh meat (typically pork) and leafy greens. Nowadays, it's made with any combination of escarole, torzella (curly kale), chicory, puntarelle, borage, Savoy cabbage, guanciale, ham hocks, lard, pork ribs, beef, pork, and sausages.
MOST ICONIC Minestra maritata
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Although it seemingly deviates from the standard Italian pizza by using an ingredient unconventional for authentic Italian cuisine – the Vienna sausage – pizza viennese is, on the contrary, a very traditional Italian pizza variety. The pizza base is usually smeared with tomato sauce and then topped with mozzarella and Vienna sausages cut into slices.
Hailing from the actual birthplace of pizza – the town of Naples - pizza viennese is especially beloved by children, who are, as most Italians would agree, its primary consumers. There is also a version of this pizza that calls for the addition of fries.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Pizza
Roccoco are traditional Christmas cookies originating from Naples. They're made with a combination of flour, almonds, sugar, candied fruit, and pisto – a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and coriander. These cookies have been known for their dry and hard texture since 1320, when the nuns of the Real Convento della Maddalena first started preparing them.
It's recommended to serve roccoco biscotti with a glass of limoncello, marsala, or spumonte.
MOST ICONIC Roccoco
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Scialatielli all'amalfitana is a seafood pasta dish prepared with scialatielli, a special pasta variety from the Amalfi region, nowadays popular throughout the coastal area of Campania. Compared to other Italian pasta shapes, scialatelli is a rather recent innovation, created in 1978 by the chef Enrico Cosentino, who has been developing his own pasta variety since the 1960s.
He substituted a part of the eggs in the dough with milk, enriched his creation with basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, and Parmigiano, then shaped the dough in thick, short, linguine-like pasta with a rectangular cross-section. The invention was an instant success and it was even recognized at a local culinary contest.
Struffoli is a Neapolitan dessert consisting of small, deep-fried balls of dough that are soaked in honey. Traditionally, struffoli is prepared at Christmastime, so they are sometimes served piled on a plate in the shape of a wreath or a Christmas tree, often covered in colorful candy sprinkles or candied fruit.
The name of the dish is believed to be derived from the Greek word strongulos, meaning round in shape. Some believe that struffoli bring good luck, and that the tiny rounds symbolize abundance and prosperity. These sweet treats were prepared in convents for centuries before they began being distributed by nuns to noble families at Christmastime as a sign of gratitude for their donations and charity.
MOST ICONIC Struffoli
Pizzaiola is a classic of Neapolitan cuisine. The dish is made with cuts of (often inexpensive) meat that are cooked in a combination of tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and sometimes a bit of white wine if the dish is cooked in the oven. The tomato sauce is usually flavored with oregano and basil, and it braises the meat with a slow-cooking process that breaks down the proteins in the meat and makes the cuts tender.
There are many variations on this dish as everyone has their own version, and although steak pizzaiola is the most common, you can also find dishes such as pizzaiola chicken. There's also the term carne alla pizzaiola, which means that any meat can be used, displaying the true versatility of this classic dish.
Gattò di patate is a traditional dish originating from Naples. This savory potato cake is made with mashed potatoes that are enriched with butter, eggs, and grated cheese such as parmesan or smoked scamorza. Cured meat such as salami, cooked ham, and prosciutto cubes can also be added to the filling, as there are many variations on the dish.
The mixture is spread in a flat dish, gratinated with breadcrumbs and baked until golden brown and crisp on top. Once done, it’s served warm, and it’s usually sliced just like a cake.
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Zucchini alla scapece is a traditional dish originating from Naples. It's made with a combination of large slices of zucchini, olive oil, mint, garlic, salt, pepper, and wine vinegar. The zucchini slices are fried in olive oil until golden and layered in a serving dish.
The mint leaves, garlic, and seasonings are placed between each layer, and the dish is then drizzled with wine vinegar that was cooked with a bit of olive oil. Before serving, the dish is chilled, and it is then served as an accompaniment to meat or fish dishes.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Impepata di cozze is a traditional dish originating from Naples. These Neapolitan-style mussels are usually made with a combination of mussels, garlic, hot peppers, parsley, olive oil, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. The garlic and chili peppers are sautéed in olive oil, and the mussels are then cooked in the same pan until they open up.
Once done, the dish is sprinkled with parsley and black pepper, then served with lemon wedges and toasted bread slices that should be used to mop up the tasty juices. Impepata di cozze is often served as an appetizer for Sunday lunch in seaside restaurants of Campania.
MOST ICONIC Impepata di cozze
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “15 Worst Rated Campanian Foods” list until February 16, 2025, 8,679 ratings were recorded, of which 6,734 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.