Vegetarian food in Italy is awful!

[Teakettletrio]

We are five days into our trip. The place is beautiful, the scenery is stunning, the sights are fascinating. BUT the food is awful. We’ve had various combinations of cheese and tomatoes for 5 days straight. I’m starting to lose it. The supermarkets are full of gorgeous looking vegetables but all we get offered is spaghetti pomoforo, gnocchi pomodoro or margarita pizza. We got all excited yesterday as we thought we had found a restaurant with a veggie burger, but it turned out to be a potato croquet in a bun. Is it just us? Have we been unlucky?

It’s very limited in Italy as in France. Middle Eastern food is so much easier for veggies, with falafel, grains and incredible salads.

As someone has mentioned, a lot of Italian cheese isn't vegetarian so you might have broken your vegetarianism already. I would try to eat a vegan diet just to be safe, unfortunately.

Nonsense, I live in Italy and the choice of vegetarian food is great, unless you are in the back of beyond. The trick is to say you don’t eat meat or fish, not that you’re vegetarian, or the less clued up restauranteurs panic.

much of the Italian diet is actually vegetarian, but in some pockets (around Naples, Calabria) they do tend to be fans of sneaking bits of bacon or random parts of pig everywhere. Just tell them no carne, no pesce and challenge them to come up with something. Or tell them what you want to eat, they will make it. At the very worst a restaurant will run you up an omelette or grilled cheese with grilled veg, or you could ask for pasta e fagioli, or other dishes with pulses, or a maxi salad with added protein. Do not ever ask for a veggie burger, they’re usually prepackaged from the nearest supermarket and not great quality.

Yes, it’s a nightmare!

That has changed. You can also get falafel platters from kebab shops. It’s really not that repetitive, Italy is a vast country with differing regional cuisines, but yes I vary my diet by cooking from different cuisines as well.

OP, next time go to Puglia, better choice of naturally meat free dishes.

I’m surprised because I’ve had amazing vegetarian food in Italy. Are you all vegetarian? If so there’s vegetarian restaurants in most towns

I can't find Bacoli on Google maps. What region is it in?

There are lots and lots of vegetarian specialities in Italy. I think you're going to have to be brave and use Google Lens on menus, and have a prepared phrase on your phone to show waiters. "Sono vegetariana" = "I am vegetarian".

Have you even been to a proper pizzeria? Because they usually have at least forty different topping combos, some of which will definitely be vegetarian! There's usually one specifically called "vegetariana", and if there's one you fancy that has a bit of meat on, you can.ask them to leave it off. "Senza" means "without".

Things on pizza menus to avoid: prosciutto, speck (both ham), salsiccia (sausage), acciughe (anchovies). Peperoni is fine though- it's Italian for peppers!

What!? Where the hell are you eating?? Italy has amazing Italian food!

Nonsense, I live in Italy and the choice of vegetarian food is great, unless you are in the back of beyond. The trick is to say you don’t eat meat or fish, not that you’re vegetarian

But this would leave you open to being served dishes made with meat based stock, cheeses made with rennet, potatoes/veg roasted in animal fat etc. Depends how strict the OP’s vegetarianism is.

A lot of Italian cheeses are made with rennet, and are therefore not vegetarian.

DD is veggie and doesn't eat fish either

If DD is veggie then she wouldn't be eating fish at all, not either.

It sounds like you have been unlucky

Well no, no vegetarians eat fish at all, if people don’t eat meat but do eat fish they’re pescatarian, not vegetarian.

ive Bern to Italy twice and never had an issue. I eat fish but I mainly had pizza/ pasta as it is Italy after all!

Really? I put half a stone on whenever I go to Milan. I could eat there 5 times a day for the rest of my life and die very happy (and round). I love pasta, pizza and burrata, possibly that helps.

They sound lovely . Where in Italy was this ?

Yes, as a vegetarian of 35 years, Italy is one of my favourite countries, as so many mainstream dishes are vegetarian

Parmesan is not vegetarian, risotto is often made with chicken stock. Maybe it's you being rude and ignorant?

I find you rude and ignorant.

There is a big difference between a vegetarian meal and a meal made of vegetables. Risotto is unlikely to be vegetarian due to the stock, same with many Italian cheese.

Sorry X posted with @DilkushaKitchen

I'm fed up with posters that enjoy belittling others.

So far we have not found a single restaurant offering risotto without fish, no baked aubergine, no pasta pesto, no frittata, no big salads. We have only found pasta pomodoro in various guises and insalata mischta (which is basically lettuce). Tonight we found a restaurant that offered ravioli primavera. How exciting we thought. Until it was served - ravioli with ricotta cheese filling and tomato sauce. No other vegetables.

@Teakettletrio - someone linked to a specific restaurant earlier on that was from Happy Cow, their site has been recommended at work for vegetarian restaurant suggestions

www.happycow.net/

Oh lovely. We had a flat in Como, so North Italy. Great markets, but the restaurants and supermarkets (Esselunga, Carrefour and Bennett) were traditional. I just accepted in the end that I needed to eat what I could. My language skills were mid to basic so managed. But good to hear!

@Friendlyfart that will be because you eat fish.

@Melassa notvseen any Middle Eastern food on offer. Couldn’t even get hummus in the supermarket.