Whole-wheat thick-cut spaghetti dressed with a slow-cooked onion and anchovy sauce. The canonical Venetian meatless pasta, served on lean-Friday and Christmas Eve.
Bigoli is the whole-wheat pasta extruded through a brass torchio (press) that gives it its rough texture and bite. The in salsa preparation, onions slowly melted into a paste with salted anchovies, was the canonical lean-day dish, traditionally served on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and Christmas Eve. The dish has no tomato, no garlic, no cheese, just onion, anchovy and olive oil reduced to a near-confit. It survives unchanged at every traditional Venetian trattoria and is on the menu at Vini da Gigio, Anice Stellato and Antiche Carampane.
5 editor picks for Bigoli in salsa in Venice, ranked by editorial score. All Venice signature dishes · Bigoli in salsa across every city.
Osteria alle Testiere ★ 4.7
castello · Calle del Mondo Novo 5801, 30122 Venezia VE
Osteria alle Testiere in Venice's Castello is the 22-seat room with two seatings, run by Bruno Gavagnin and Luca di Vita on Calle del Mondo Novo since 1993.
Antiche Carampane ★ 4.6
san-polo · Rio Terà de le Carampane 1911, 30125 Venezia VE
Antiche Carampane in Venice's San Polo is the 1983 family-run seafood trattoria the Rialto fishmongers send friends to, the room with the no-tourist-menu sign on the door.
Vini da Gigio ★ 4.5
cannaregio · Calle Stua Cannaregio 3628A, 30121 Venezia VE
Vini da Gigio in Venice's Cannaregio is the Lazzari family's canal-side trattoria, a Slow Food-listed family room running the canonical Venetian carte since 1981.
Osteria Anice Stellato ★ 4.4
cannaregio · Fondamenta de la Sensa, Cannaregio 3272, 30121 Venezia VE
Osteria Anice Stellato in Venice's Cannaregio is the canal-side modern Venetian seafood room on Fondamenta de la Sensa, with outdoor tables along the rio in summer.
Trattoria Bar Pontini ★ 4.0
cannaregio · Cannaregio 1268, 30121 Venezia VE
Trattoria Bar Pontini on Rio Terra San Leonardo in Cannaregio is the neighbourhood lunchroom locals fill at noon, the canonical no-bookings Venetian set lunch.