Generally speaking, Italians are still quite suspicious of veganism, mostly because they think all vegans eat is tofu and lettuce. Those who mock vegans may have never stopped to consider that some of Italy’s most popular dishes actually are either vegan or vegetarian.

Filling and flavorful, they have nothing to envy meat-based dishes and, if you follow a vegetarian or plant-based diet, you have plenty of options. In fact, while we have listed ten of our favorites Italian vegetarian and vegan dishes, there are many more we could have included, from pumpkin tortelli to homemade potato gnocchi, from mushroom risotto to peperonata to cacio e pepe.