Vegan Italian Food

Fresh ingredients, and amazing techniques for making pizza or pasta In addition to pizza and pasta, Italian cuisine is also known for risotto, polenta, gnocchi, pesto, lasagna, and desserts like tiramisu and gelato. 

Italian foods are so popular because they are the perfect mix of comforting carbohydrates and fresh, flavorful produce. They always deliver a true enjoyment both texture and flavor-wise. Real Italian cooking relies on fresh, healthy, and local produce that also adds a delicious twist to each of Italy’s regions' foods. 

What makes Italian food especially great is the fact that most recipes are already vegetarian. Vegetarian Italian food is always easy to change to vegan Italian food!

Top Tips For Cooking Vegan Italian Food

Italian food is famous for its beautiful flavors, fresh produce, and passion. In order to cook the tastiest vegan Italian food, we recommend keeping it seasonal. The fresher and riper the ingredients are, the better the outcome of the meal will be. 

When it comes to vegan Italian food, high-quality produce is the key. For each and every plant-based Italian recipe, whether you’re using olive oil, balsamico, or garlic, make sure that the quality is good. 

We all know that pasta is a massive part of Italian cuisine. Especially when cooking vegan Italian food without meat, you have to focus on getting the pasta right and not overdo it. Al dente pasta is the key to all the best vegan pasta dishes; make sure to check the cooking time for the pasta - and set a timer! 

A lot of the food in Italy is originally vegetarian. This is great because changing a recipe from vegetarian Italian food to vegan Italian food can be simple. All you have to do is find the best alternatives and get creative! Italian food is often cooked from scratch, which is the perfect way to try new things and explore vegan Italian cuisine. 

Top Brands to try for Vegan Italian Food at PlantX

Dell’Amore - Premium Marinara Sauces

Want to take your Italian vegan cooking to another level with an authentic Italian recipe that dates as far back as the first World War? These Premium Marinara Sauces from Dell’Amore follow a traditional and original family recipe from 1895. These tomato sauces are made with the highest quality ingredients; no sugar, GMOs, or gluten is added. Take a look at all the beautiful sauce flavors for pastas, pizzas, and other delicious vegan Italian foods. 

Kite Hill - Almond Milk Ricotta Tortellini

Kite Hill delivers delicious vegan tortellini that is made with an almond milk ricotta alternative. Ready in just a few minutes, these rich and creamy pasta parcels are amazing to enjoy plain or added into a tomato sauce, for example. This delicious vegan pasta is made from 100% natural ingredients that make you feel good. Wholesome Italian vegan food at its best!

Delallo - Italian Garlic Mushrooms 

This is for lovers of garlic, mushrooms, and Italian vegan food! Delallo mixes button mushrooms and tangy pickled garlic with sweet red peppers and spices like oregano and marjoram. So delicious, so easy and so healthy. Have them as a vegan Italian appetizer, as a side, or add them to pizzas or pastas. 

Amy’s - Hearty Minestrone Veggie Soup

Minestrone soup is an Italian classic. This vegan minestrone version is delicious, comforting, and full of flavor and goodness. It is packed with veggies, tomato broth, and tender pasta. This easy-to-make soup only requires to be heated up for you to enjoy an easy and healthy authentic vegan Italian meal. Make sure to have it with some crusty garlic bread or bruschetta!

Kelly’s Croutons - Cheezy Parm 

To top up our vegan Italian food list and to top up your pasta with something absolutely delicious, this Cheezy Parm from Kelly’s Croutons has to be it. Free from gluten, dairy, and soy, this parmesan alternative makes a flavorsome addition to vegan pastas, pizzas, salads, and much more. Made with raw cashews, nutritional yeast, and spices, true goodness and deliciousness are guaranteed. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can vegans eat Italian food?

Yes! Our favorite part about Italian food might be the fact that almost everything is easy to convert into vegan or vegetarian Italian food! Italian cuisine also already has meals that are fully vegan. And in the meals that are not vegan, all you have to do is replace the meat and dairy with vegan meat and vegan cheeses.

What Italian meals are originally vegan?

Some people might think Italian cuisine is nothing but carbs with meat and cheeses. When in reality, most ingredients used in Italy can easily be plant-based. Some authentic Italian foods and meals are already vegan and need no adjusting! These vegan Italian foods include dishes such as pizza marinara, bruschetta, caponata alla siciliana (eggplant stew), and tomato & basil soup. Hungry yet?

Is it easy to make Italian food vegan?

Pesto, pizza, pasta; they can all be made vegan! There are so many delicious vegan alternatives for cheeses, meats, and even different types of creams, which makes it easy to veganize any Italian meal. As long as you have the high-quality key ingredients that bring flavor (garlic, herb, olive oil, etc), you can get creative and come up with some amazing vegan Italian foods that everyone will enjoy. Italy is also growing on veganism, and most restaurants are adding more and more vegan options to their menus; if the Italian chefs can do it, so can you!

Is traditional Italian pasta vegan?

Most traditional dried pasta, such as spaghetti, penne, farfalle, and rigatoni, are made with 100% plant-based ingredients. If you’re buying fresh pasta, make sure to check the ingredients, since a lot of the fresh pasta is made with eggs. The same goes for gnocchi. If you want to enjoy your Italian foods vegan, check that your gnocchi is made without eggs.