As the birthplace of pizza, Naples is a non-negotiable stop on any food lover’s culinary tour of Italy. Named by Time Out in 2024 as the world’s best city for food, it’s not just the pizza Margherita that makes the city so compelling. Situated on the western coast in the southern Campania region, Naples is known for elevating simple ingredients into incredibly flavorful dishes accessible to all. Spaghetti and seafood abound, as evidenced in the popular spaghetti con vongole and spaghetti alla puttanesca; humble eggplant takes on a whole new identity with breadcrumbs and cheese in Parmigiana di melanzane. Until your next trip to Italy, these are the recipes you need to re-create some of the city’s signature dishes at home.
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Puttanesca Sauce
Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
A Naples original, this robust tomato sauce features salty anchovies and kalamata olives, tangy capers, plenty of punchy garlic, and red pepper flakes for a hint of heat. Make it a traditional Neapolitan dish by pairing it with spaghetti.
Spaghetti alla Nerano (Creamy Spaghetti with Zucchini)
Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hausser
A quick stint under the broiler gives zucchini coins a golden brown exterior for this classic summer pasta dish from Nerano, a small village about an hour south of Naples on the Amalfi Coast. A portion of the zucchini is cooked down with cheese and butter for a creamy sauce, and the rest becomes a crispy garnish.
Margherita Pizza
Bella Graves
This classic Neapolitan-style pie is easy to pull off at home with a little planning and quality ingredients. Matched with creamy mozzarella, the freshly snipped basil and uncooked sauce deliver big flavor.
Sfogliatelle
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Shell Royster
At once flaky and creamy, these iconic Neapolitan treats showcase layers of shatteringly crisp pastry wrapped around a rich ricotta-semolina filling classically flavored with orange zest and cinnamon, plus cardamom and orange blossom water for an extra-special touch.
Gnocchi alla Sorrentina
Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
Refrigerated gnocchi are coated in a garlicky tomato sauce studded with fresh mozzarella for this comforting baked skillet dish that’s easy to put together on a weeknight.
Steak Pizzaiola
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Skirt steak is served “pizza-style” with a garlicky burst-tomato sauce for this dinner from Marianne Williams. Crispy garlic and capers elevate every bite.
Pasta Aglio e Olio
Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Breanna Ghazali
This simple, garlicky pasta from chef Roy Choi uses pantry ingredients — its beauty comes from building out the flavor profile in the olive oil. Even better, the whole thing comes together in the time it takes for the water to boil, making it the perfect back-pocket pasta to add to your weeknight rotation.
Sheet-Pan Eggplant Parmesan
Victor Protasio
For this truly effortless eggplant Parmesan, eggplant rounds are simply arranged on a sheet pan with mozzarella and tomatoes, then sprinkled with Parmesan and crisp, seasoned sourdough crumbs before hitting the oven. A touch of fresh basil ties together the flavors.
Pasta e Ceci (Pasta with Chickpeas)
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
This classic Italian vegetarian dish from F&W recipe developer Craig Ruff comes together in just 30 minutes (in one pot, to boot) with pantry staples like canned chickpeas, ditalini pasta, tomato paste, and vegetable broth.
Caprese Salad
Matt Taylor-Gross
Caprese salad is supremely simple, but its flavor hinges on the quality of its ingredients, including ripe, juicy peak-season tomatoes and verdant basil. Paired with fresh mozzarella and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, the combination is even more delicious when nestled in a bed of peppery arugula.
Zeppole di San Giuseppe (Cream Puffs with Lemon Pastry Cream)
Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Priscilla Montiel
Zeppole di San Giuseppe are a light and airy Italian filled dessert made from eggy choux pastry that can be baked or fried, with a bright lemon pastry cream filling. We use an oven for simplicity while maintaining the mandatory Amarena cherry and powdered sugar on top.
Perfect Neapolitan Pizza Dough
© John Kernick
Boasting a thin, soft crust with slightly charred edges, the perfect Neapolitan pizza starts with a super-simple dough. “Flour, salt, water, and yeast — that’s it,” says chef Thomas McNaughton.
Spaghetti with Clams and Garlic
© Simon Watson
This exquisite, super-simple version of spaghetti con vongole is from the chef-owners of Brooklyn’s Frankies 457 Spuntino, Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli. It’s packed with garlic and a judicious amount of crushed red pepper. If you prefer, shell the clams before tossing them with their juices in the pasta.
Pasta e Fagioli
Abby Hocking
Called pasta e fasul in Naples, this riff from Justin Chapple comes together in under an hour, largely from pantry staples: canned tomatoes and white beans, ditalini, chicken stock, garlic, onion, and dried oregano.
Spaghetti Frittata
© Kate Winslow
Repurpose leftover sauced pasta for this almost-instant frittata — pasta carbonara, pesto, or a simple marinara all make for a delicious result.
Dining and Cooking