Whether eating in one of the specialist vegetarian restaurants in Rome or a mainstream one, you’ll be sure to eat well. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Only a few years ago, it was hard to find vegetarian food in Italy. However, with 7\u201310% of the population estimated to live meat-free lifestyles, vegetarians are a demographic that Italian restaurants can no longer afford to ignore. And there are some very fine specifically vegetarian restaurants in Rome.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Photo Credit: Marc Climent<\/a>, Text Overlay: Devour Rome Food Tours<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditional vegetarian food<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t have to find specialist vegetarian restaurants in Rome to eat vegetarian food. Many traditional Italian dishes, which you will find on the menus of a large number of restaurants, are vegetarian. Apart from the obvious, pasta con sugo di pomodoro<\/em> (pasta with tomato sauce); spaghetti aglio, olio peperoncino<\/em> (spaghetti with garlic, oil and chile pepper); minestrone<\/em>; carciofi alla romana<\/em> (Roman-style artichokes); caponata<\/em> (sweet and sour stewed vegetables); penne all\u2019arrabbiata<\/em> (pasta quills with spicy sauce); carciofi alla giudia<\/a><\/em> (Jewish-style fried artichokes); pasta alla norma (pasta with aubergine, tomato and basil).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Italian cheese<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For dishes\nmade with cheese, you have to be careful. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, for\nexample, is never vegetarian, so no cheese on your pasta. Mozzarella, can be,\nbut it\u2019s better to check first. Ricotta is always vegetarian, which is great\nnews if you like cannelloni or ravioli stuffed with ricotta and spinach. Most\nrestaurants will mark vegetarian dishes on the menu or you can just ask. Many\nof them are happy to adapt dishes which are easily adaptable too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n