Do Italians eat pizza with a knife and fork?

Each country in the world has its customs and rules when it comes to food and dining. Although it seems Italy appears to have more rules than any other country. 

Just like not ordering a cappuccino after 11:00 am, there are unspoken traditions that apply to what you should eat and drink along with how you should eat it. 

The question you are here for is, how do Italians eat pizza? The answer is that they eat pizza just like everyone else, but they do it with some additional rules and along with a different level of etiquette.

Italians still eat their pizza one bite at a time, but they treat pizza in the same regard as they would one of their world-famous kinds of pasta.

Pizza in Italy is respected and the traditions are revered along with the customary way in which people eat them.

When you travel to Italy to eat Pizza Tonda from Rome, do as the Romans do and adapt to these local rules and customs. Who knows, you may like eating pizza like a true Italian.

1. Italians eat their pizza with a fork and knife

You will most likely get some dirty looks from your waiter if you try eating your Margherita pizza with your hands.

First off, the different styles of pizza served in sit-down restaurants in Italy are very thin and flimsy in the middle.

Trying to do the New York-style fold would result in the middle flopping down and the toppings landing in your lap. 

It is also expected that most pizzas in Italy like the Margherita pizza from Naples are to be eaten while they are still hot and aromatic.

Good luck picking up a piece of one of these pizzas right after it comes out of a 900-degree pizza oven.

The tradition of eating pizza with a fork and knife comes from the fact that they have been eating these types of pizza for over a hundred years.

2. One pizza per person 

During dinner or at any sit-down full-service restaurant, it is expected that you will order and eat your own pizza.

It is unthinkable to share a pizza in Italy and Italians take a sense of pride in finishing their pizza.

If fact, the kitchen sends out whole pizzas unsliced as cutting pizzas in advance is for the sole purpose of sharing. You are expected to cut your own pizza. 

The only exception to this is when it comes to pizza al taglio which is pizza by the slice. You can order several different types and share them with friends or family. 

3. Order fried appetizers

When going out for pizza, it is customary to start off your meal with a few fried appetizers.

This can vary from crispy carciofi alla giudia (fried artichokes) or fiori di zucca fritti (mozzarella and anchovy stuffed squash blossoms).

The most popular option is called suppli and is available at both full-service pizzerias and pizza al taglio restaurants.

These mozzarella cheese and tomato stuffed rice balls are breaded and fried until the inside cheese is melted and gooey. 

4. Italians drink beer with their pizza

First off, wine lists in pizzerias in Italy are for tourists! Don’t get us wrong, we love a glass of red wine with a pizza, but when in Italy we drink beer as the Italians do.

Sparkling water (or sparkling wine) is also an acceptable option as anything carbonated is believed to aid in digestion. 

With craft and natural beers gaining in popularity in Italy, this pairing isn’t likely to go away anytime soon.

How to eat Pizza like an Italian

1. Do not ask for these things (grated cheese, chili peppers, dipping sauce)

The use of dipping sauces for pizzas like ranch or adding chili flakes to a pizza in Italy is considered a slap in the face of the traditions and the authenticity of their beloved pizzas.

Don’t even ask, Italians look at altering a pizza as a cardinal sin and would consider it unfit to serve even to a dog after those alterations.

The reality is, if you need to add these garnishes to a pizza, you chose the wrong pizza restaurant.

A great pizzaiuolo knows exactly the correct amount of toppings and seasoning so that the pizza is perfect from the first bite to the last. 

Although many Italians won’t want to admit it, chilies being used on pizza most likely started in the Calabria region of Italy and not in America. 

2. What you need to know about pepperoni pizza

Your favorite pizza topping in America may be the classic pepperoni, but if you order one in Italy, you will receive a pizza with peppers on it instead of the sliced meat that you were expecting.

You will have a real tough time finding American-style pepperoni anywhere in Italy, but you might be able to find a Pizza alla Diavola.

This pizza is topped with spicy salami, chili peppers, mozzarella, and tomato sauce. It’s not the same, but it’s as close as you will get. 

3. When is it okay to eat pizza with your hands? 

Even though it is considered improper pizza-eating etiquette to eat pizza with your hands, it is your pizza and you can eat it how you want.

The only time that this would work is when the pizza has cooled significantly and the molten hot sauce is no longer going to scorch your hands. 

It is acceptable to eat pizza al taglio with your hands as that is the only option in most cases.

The shop may serve it on a plate but they usually do not offer any utensils and most places do not even have tables. 

Pizza al taglio is made with a thicker crust that can hold up to the weight of the sauce and toppings and is appropriate as a handheld food.

3. What to do with your leftover pizza

If you just can’t finish your pizza because you ate a little too much “fritti” to start your meal, don’t ask for a to-go box or a doggy bag. 

It is expected that you will finish your pizza so the tradition is to leave whatever you do not finish. Most restaurants do not even have special containers for leftovers as this request is rare.

Different types of Italian Pizza 

Pizza al Taglio 

This is a classic Roman-style pizza that is a thick focaccia-like rectangle dough baked in an olive oil greased pan. 

Most shops offer as many as 10 different combinations of toppings to choose from so you can try many different slices.

The pizza is cut to the size you want and sold by the kilo. This style of pizza is commonly eaten during lunchtime while standing outside the pizza shop.

Pizza Tonda Romana

When going out for a pizza at night in Rome, this is the style of pizza you will most likely receive.

Pizza Tonda is based on a low hydration dough that when baked forms a thin cracker-y crust because of the addition of extra virgin olive oil. 

These pizzas come in two options, pizza bianco which is topped with olive oil, and pizza rosso which comes with tomato sauce.

The toppings are relatively simple ranging from prosciutto to hard-boiled eggs. If you order a pizza with multiple toppings, they will be separated on the pizza.

Neapolitan Pizza/Pizza Napoletana

Naples is home to the most famous pizza in the world, the Margherita. This masterpiece was created in 1889 in honor of Queen Margherita of Savoy. 

The world took notice and Neapolitans started the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana to preserve the craft of making their beloved pizza.

Unesco then followed and recognized the art of the pizzaiuolo and these pizzas, giving them UNESCO world heritage status. 

There are two types of pizza considered Neopolitan pizzas: Margherita pizza which has mozzarella, tomato, and basil, and Marinara pizza which is made with tomatoes, oregano, and garlic.

Related: Roman Pizza vs Neapolitan Pizza: What’s the Difference?

Pizza alla Pala

To find these pizzas, you will need to visit a bakery in Rome. Not wanting to waste their delicious bread dough, they roll it out and top it with delicious ingredients before baking it in their hearth oven.

The tradition was that they would serve slices on wooden palettes as a vessel to eat off of. Nowadays, you are more likely to receive a slice on a disposable plate.

Pizza Pinsa

This style of pizza dates all the way back to Roman times and has a truly unique dough that is made with a combination of grains including whole wheat, millet, soy, rice, and oat flours. 

The cooked dough is fluffy and airy and is considered much easier to digest than regular bleached wheat flour doughs.

Toppings are kept simple with tomato sauce being the main component.

Pizza al Padellino

In the northern city of Turin, there is a special pizza called Pizza al Padellino that is baked in a round pan that contains a generous amount of olive oil. 

The pizza cooks in a hot oven and the oil heats up to a point that the exterior gets a fried and slightly crispy texture which is in contrast to the super light and fluffy dough. 

Toppings stay fairly straightforward with the classic combination of tomato sauce, mozzarella, and salami slices reigning supreme.

Pizza Siciliana

Although this focaccia-like rectangle pizza is topped with familiar ingredients like tomato sauce, anchovies, and oregano, it also has some unique additions including caciocavallo cheese and breadcrumbs.

This combination gives a crunchy texture that is a nice contrast to the soft dough.

Pizza Fritta

This is the lesser-known brother to the famous Pizza Napoletana from Naples.

Although they do not garner the same kind of attention, these deep-fried pizzas are an important part of the history of Naples especially during WW2 when ingredients were scarce and most of the pizza ovens had been broken during the allied bombing.

The ingredients used in these deep-fried pockets of dough are a lot less restrictive compared to its wood-fired Neapolitan pizza.

Simple tomato and mozzarella are the most basic, but you can find ingredients ranging from eggplant to portobello mushrooms.

What time of the day is pizza eaten in Italy?

Pizza is a dinner tradition as all that dough and cheese is considered by Italians as hard to digest.

Eating a whole pizza at midday can damage any potential for productivity even if you get a couple of hours of break called a “riposo” in Italy

The other reason is that an electric oven or a wood-fired pizza oven has to get hot enough to properly cook a pizza.

The oven has to be turned on or started many hours in advance of the first pizza being cooked.

This would mean that a kitchen team member would have to come in extra early each day only for this purpose. 

The exception to this rule is pizza al taglio a.k.a. pizza by the slice which is commonly served at lunch by small kiosks and storefront restaurants and is eaten while standing.

Is it rude to eat pizza with your hands in Italy?

It isn’t considered rude, but it is inappropriate. Pizza is consumed in the evening at full-service restaurants where eating with your hands is always considered to be impolite.

The one exception is when eating pizza al taglio as this is a form of street food usually eaten standing up for lunch.

Final Thoughts: How do Italians Eat Pizza

With so many rules, the idea of eating a pizza in Italy may seem a little intimidating.

The reality is, most of these are suggestions and are how Italians eat their pizza based on over a hundred years of tradition.

The cliff notes version of how Italians eat pizza is simple, order your own pizza at night that you will eat with a knife and fork with a cold beer and no condiments.

If you stick to this, you will be just fine and have an amazing experience eating all the delicious pizza you can eat in Italy.

As man can not live on pizza alone, check out our list of the best food cities in Italy and their signature dishes.