Top 10 Most Instagrammed Roman Dishes

There are two universal truths: Italians take food rules more seriously than soccer fans take penalties, and the rest of the world can’t stop posting pictures of pasta. Somewhere between #foodporn and #carbonara, Roman cuisine has quietly taken over Instagram feeds—and nonna is both proud and slightly horrified.

Rome, the Eternal City, has given us more than just ruins and gelato-stained white sneakers. It’s also gifted us a lineup of iconic dishes that are photogenic, deeply satisfying, and oh-so-easy to get wrong if you don’t play by Italian rules.

But how did we decide which dishes are truly the most Instagrammed? We didn’t just trust hashtags—we crunched the numbers. Each dish was ranked on both Instagram and TikTok by how often it showed up, then scored using this formula:

• Instagram Percentile = RANK(IG count) ÷ Total number of dishes
• Instagram Score = Instagram Percentile × 50
• TikTok Percentile = RANK(TT count) ÷ Total number of dishes
• TikTok Score = TikTok Percentile × 50
• Total Score = Instagram Score + TikTok Score (out of 100)

The result? A feed-worthy leaderboard of Roman classics that are not only delicious in real life but also absolute gold on the ’gram (and TikTok, of course). So, let’s break down the Top 10 Most Instagrammed Roman dishes—along with the “unwritten laws” Italians want you to remember (but know you’ll break anyway).

1. Carbonara

“No garlic, onion, Swiss cheese, cream!”

Rocco DiSpirito

The undisputed queen of Roman pastas. Egg yolks, pecorino Romano, guanciale, and black pepper. That’s it. No cream. No peas. No garlic. If you see cream in the picture? Congratulations—you’ve just committed culinary heresy.

Why it’s Instagram gold: That glossy yolk sauce clinging to spaghetti like it was born for the.

2. Crostata di Ricotta

“Crostata di ricotta e visciole (ricotta and sour cherry tart) is …. a creamy layer of sweet whey cheese, generous coating of jam and thick shortcrust concealing a secret.”

Anna Bressanin

A rustic tart filled with sweetened ricotta, Crostata di Ricotta is among Rome’s favorite desserts. It’s crumbly, creamy, and sometimes kissed with citrus zest or chocolate. Instagram loves it for the powdered sugar dusting that makes it look like an Italian postcard.

Why it’s Instagram Gold: That perfect powdered sugar dusting makes every slice look like an Italian holiday postcard.

3. Cacio e Pepe

“Cacio e pepe … could be the greatest thing in the history of the world.”
Anthony Bourdain

Minimalism at its most mouthwatering: pasta, pecorino, and black pepper. The challenge? Making the sauce creamy without a drop of cream. Get it wrong and you’ve got cheesy clumps; get it right and you’ve got viral content. Try a pasta-making class in Rome and you’re halfway there!

Why it’s Instagram Gold: A slow-motion toss in the pan turns cheese and pepper into pure pasta porn.

4. Stracciatella alla Romana

“Drink this broth, it is good for you.”

Livio Jannattoni

Not Roman gelato—this one’s soup! Egg ribbons floating in hot broth, simple yet comforting. It’s less flashy than a heaping bowl of pasta, but close-up shots of those delicate strands will still rack up the likes.

Why it’s Instagram Gold: Close-ups of silky egg strands swirling in golden broth = edible comfort content

5. Bucatini all’Amatriciana

“It could be said that bucatini all’amatriciana and spaghetti alla carbonara are the ‘Romulus and Remus‘ of Roman cooking”

Frank Fariello

Tomato, guanciale, pecorino, and a little chili heat. The real star? Bucatini pasta—like spaghetti but with a hole down the middle. (Yes, it sprays sauce everywhere. No, you can’t eat it gracefully on a date or private food tour in the Eternal City.)

Why it’s Instagram Gold: Bright scarlet sauce + chunky pasta = bold color pop for the feed.

6. Maritozzi

“If Rome could have an edible mascot, it would be the maritozzo … Ostentatious and yet sweetly unassuming, the maritozzo defines the Roman personality.”

Erica Firpo

Rome’s Maritozzi is its sweetest guilty pleasure: pillowy buns split open and stuffed with whipped cream. They’re basically made for Instagram because the more overstuffed they look, the better. Italians, of course, will judge whether your cream-to-bun ratio is on point.

Why it’s Instagram Gold: The more the cream spills out, the more likes you rack up. Excess = success.

7. Fiori di Zucca Fritti

“Fiori di zucca fritti are Italy’s classic fried food … stuffed with mozzarella, herbs, and lemon zest, and are ubiquitous as starters in Roman pizzerias”

Nicole Rovine

The ultimate local food in Rome, Fried zucchini blossoms are stuffed with mozzarella and anchovy – Crispy, golden, and delicate. Bite in, pull apart, and watch the cheese stretch—Instagram perfection.

Why it’s Instagram Gold: Fried flowers that ooze cheese? Basically edible supermodels.

8. Pasta alla Gricia

“Only use dried semolina pastas, and never fresh egg (pasta all’uovo) or fresh semolina pastas, for pasta alla gricia.”

Flavio al Velavevodetto

Carbonara without the egg, amatriciana without the tomato. Just guanciale, pecorino, and black pepper. Simple, salty, and satisfying—and yet somehow one of the most criminally underrated Roman dishes outside of Italy. It’s undoubtedly a must-try food in Rome.

Why it’s Instagram Gold: That rustic simplicity—pepper-speckled pasta with glistening guanciale—is effortlessly photogenic.

9. Supplì al Telefono

“Supplì is often confused with its cousin, arancini, which is more common in Sicily, and while they’re similar, there are plenty of differences when it comes to fillings and shapes”

Paul Feinstein

Rome’s iconic fried rice balls with mozzarella inside. The nickname “al telefono” comes from the gooey cheese stretch that looks like an old-school telephone wire. (Younger Instagrammers will just call it a cheese pull and move on.) Try it on a twilight tour of Rome. 

Why it’s Instagram Gold: The cheese stretch. No pull, no post.

10. Spiedini alla Romana

“It’s deep-fried mozzarella and bread that we’re basting with lemon, anchovy, white wine, and tomato. It’s like a glorified grilled cheese.”

Sal Lamboglia

Bread, mozzarella, anchovies—layered, skewered, and fried. Think of them as Rome’s savory answer to kebabs, only way more indulgent. The perfect street food in Rome. 

Why it’s Instagram Gold: Cross-sections that show gooey cheese stacked between crispy bread = the ultimate handheld bite shot.

Why the World Fell in Love With Roman Food

Roman food is unfussy. It’s about a handful of ingredients treated with respect, tradition, and maybe a few side-eyes from the locals when you sprinkle Parmesan on Roman seafood. Italians may guard their food rules like national secrets, but it’s precisely that passion for doing things “the right way” that has made the world fall so hard.

Instagram may have crowned carbonara queen, but at the heart of every dish is what Romans have known all along: food is culture, history, and a little bit of attitude served on a plate.

So go ahead—post that cheese pull, the powdered sugar close-up, or the cream-stuffed maritozzo while you’re loving life on a Rome food tour. Just don’t tag your location if you ate it with a cappuccino after noon.