Neapolitan cuisine is an exceptional culinary experience that encompasses centuries of history, cultural influences, and a love for fresh ingredients. This culinary tradition has ancient roots, dating back to the Greco-Roman era, but has been shaped by a series of foreign dominations that helped create a rich and varied cuisine.
The popularity of Neapolitan cuisine, especially dishes like pizza, has spread worldwide, helping to showcase this unique gastronomic tradition. Local ingredients, such as buffalo mozzarella, Vesuvian cherry tomatoes, friarielli (Neapolitan broccoli), and pasta, play a fundamental role in making these recipes so delicious.
Neapolitan Pizza: History and Symbol
Neapolitan pizza is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable and beloved Italian dishes. Its history is rooted in antiquity, but the pizza as we know it today gained international fame in 1889 thanks to the chef Raffaele Esposito. Esposito prepared a special pizza for Queen Margherita of Savoy, naming it “Pizza Margherita” in her honor. This classic pizza is topped with tomato, mozzarella, basil, and olive oil. It is a perfect example of Neapolitan cuisine: simple yet incredibly flavorful.
Traditional Neapolitan pizza is characterized by a thin and soft base, made from a leavened dough that is baked in a wood-fired oven. Beyond the Margherita, there are many other variants, including the Marinara pizza (with tomato, garlic, oregano, and oil), the Quattro Formaggi pizza (with four types of cheese), the Quattro Stagioni pizza (with tomato, cooked ham, mushrooms, olives, artichokes, and mozzarella), and many more. Neapolitan pizza is an authentic delicacy that you absolutely must taste when visiting Naples.
Fresella Napoletana: A Tasty Appetizer
Besides pizza, Neapolitan cuisine boasts a wide range of delicious dishes, both starters and main courses. One of the most beloved traditional appetizers is the fresella napoletana. It is a simple yet incredibly tasty dish.
Fresella is a stale bread cut horizontally in half and toasted. It is crispy on the outside but remains slightly soft inside. The secret of fresella lies in its preparation: it is soaked in water to soften it, then topped with fresh tomatoes, basil, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. It is often enhanced with black olives or capers for an extra touch of flavor.
First Courses: Neapolitan Pasta
Neapolitan first courses are a journey through a wide range of flavors, from simple to rich and complex dishes. Neapolitan cuisine offers a variety of sauces, from the classic pasta with tomato and basil—a true hymn to simplicity and freshness—to the famous Neapolitan ragù. The latter requires long cooking to enhance its flavors.
Among the most genuine dishes are pasta e fagioli and pasta e cavolfiore, which celebrate simple ingredients prepared with love. Another delicacy is pasta with clams (pasta con le vongole fujute), one of the best ways to savor the taste of the sea.
For rice lovers, Neapolitan cuisine offers sartù di riso, a delicious rice timbale filled with meat, cheese, peas, and much more.
Main Courses: Fish and Meat
Neapolitan main courses are equally excellent and varied. On the fish side, you will find polpo alla Luciana, cooked in a tasty tomato sauce with capers and olives. Neapolitan-style baccalà, prepared with fresh or dried cod, is a traditional dish for the Christmas holidays.
Among meats, standouts include salsicce e friarielli, where the robust taste of sausages pairs with the lively flavor of friarielli (broccoli rabe), and coniglio all’ischitana, a rich dish prepared with garlic, oil, tomatoes, chili pepper, and white wine.
Neapolitan Sweets: Sugary Delights
Neapolitan pastry is famous for its exquisite sweets. Babà, a soft and spongy rum-soaked cake, and sfogliatella, a delicious pastry filled with ricotta cream and citrus, are among the most loved desserts.
For the holidays, you cannot miss struffoli, small fried dough balls covered with honey and candied fruit, and pastiera, an Easter dessert made with ricotta, boiled wheat, candied fruit, and oranges.
Pizza, Fresella, and Much More: A Taste of Naples
Neapolitan cuisine is a culinary art that celebrates the love of food. From legendary pizzas to flavorful first courses and exquisite sweets, every bite is an extraordinary experience. When you visit Naples, indulge yourself in tasting this rich and authentic cuisine—it will be a culinary journey you will never forget.
