The Best Gluten-Free (and Vegan) Italian Dinner in Park Slope: How Scottadito Cooks for Every Guest at the Table

Eating gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, nut-free or seafood-free doesn’t mean skipping a real Italian dinner in Park Slope. At Scottadito Osteria Toscana (788A Union Street, Brooklyn), every pasta dish on the menu can be made with gluten-free penne, every pizzetta can be made on a gluten-free crust, and Chef Raffaele Spadavecchia's kitchen adjusts dishes for vegan, dairy, nut and seafood restrictions. Tell us when you book at 718-636-4800 and again when you order.

Italian food has a reputation for being hard on anyone who can't eat wheat, cheese or butter. At a Tuscan osteria, though, the core of the cooking — grilled fish and meat, olive oil, slow-cooked vegetables, beans, greens — was never built on flour and cream in the first place. That's what lets our kitchen cook for the whole table: the celiac friend, the vegan sister, the kid with a nut allergy and the uncle who wants the rack of lamb.

Here's exactly what to order, dish by dish, and how we handle your request.

Gluten-Free Pasta Is Available for Every Pasta Dish

Every pasta on the Scottadito menu can be made with gluten-free penne. You don't have to pick from a short "gluten-free section." Choose any sauce the kitchen makes, ask for gluten-free penne, and it's cooked to order. (Prefer whole grains instead? Any pasta can also be made with organic whole-wheat fusilli.)

Here is the full pasta list, all available with gluten-free penne:

• Spaghetti Pomodoro — San Marzano tomato sauce (add Mamma's meatballs; ask whether today's batch is gluten-free).

• Ravioli di Ricotta — the San Marzano tomato and ricotta preparation, served over gluten-free penne.

• Gnocchetti di Spinaci — the sage-infused butter sauce, served over gluten-free penne.

• Pappardelle Scottadito — turkey ragout.

• Pappardelle ai Funghi — wild mushroom ragout and truffle oil.

• Orecchiette Pugliese — broccoli rabe and Italian sausage.

• Paccheri al Granchio — lump crab meat in vodka sauce.

• Fettuccine Zafferano Frutti di Mare — lump crab, tiger shrimp, scallops and PEI mussels in a spicy saffron broth.

• Bucatini Carbonara — guanciale and egg yolk.

• Bucatini all'Amatriciana — guanciale, San Marzano tomatoes and Pecorino Romano.

• Tagliatelle al Brie e Speck — smoked prosciutto, arugula and truffle oil.

• Campania — smoked salmon, ricotta and green peas.

Pasta add-ons — burrata, meatballs, grilled chicken, sausage, grilled shrimp or smoked salmon — can go on top of any gluten-free pasta; ask your server which are prepared without flour or breadcrumbs.

Gluten-Free Pizza and Naturally Gluten-Free Plates

Gluten-free pizza

Any pizzetta can be made gluten-free for a $5 upcharge — the Margherita with mozzarella di bufala and San Marzano tomatoes, the Rughetta with prosciutto and arugula, or the Toscana with shaved truffles over burrata and fresh ricotta.

Naturally gluten-free starters and mains

Much of the Tuscan menu is gluten-free as written. Confirm with your server, but these are the dishes our gluten-free guests order most:

• Polipo alla Griglia — grilled Portuguese octopus on arugula.

• Capesante di Mare — pan-seared scallops with chickpeas and chorizo.

• Caprese — mozzarella di bufala and tomatoes.

• Tonno — grilled yellowfin tuna over caponata of eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash.

• Salmone Scottadito — pan-seared salmon wrapped in grilled zucchini with cannellini beans and roasted grape tomatoes.

• Petto di Pollo — roasted chicken with preserved Meyer lemon, haricots verts and oven-roasted potatoes.

• Casserola di Pollo e Salsiccia — slow-cooked chicken, sausage, wild mushrooms and roasted peppers.

• Bistecca — grilled hanger steak with broccoli rabe and mashed potatoes.

Skip the breaded dishes — the Calamari Fritti, Pollo Parmigiana and Parmigiana di Melanzane — and ask us to hold the croutons if you'd like a Caesar.

If you have celiac disease

Please say "celiac," not just "gluten-free," when you reserve and again when you order. We make pasta from wheat flour in our kitchen every day, so the word tells the team to take cross-contact precautions with your plate and to steer you toward the dishes that are the safest choice that night. Our servers will be straight with you about what we can and can't guarantee.

Vegan Italian in Park Slope

Vegan guests don't have to settle for a side salad. Built from olive oil, vegetables and beans, these dishes are vegan as described or with one simple change — just tell your server you're vegan so the kitchen skips butter and cheese at the finish:

• KIM salad — romaine and arugula with artichoke hearts, roasted peppers and olives.

• Mesclun — organic greens and tomatoes.

• Cavolo — kale with quinoa, avocado, cherry tomatoes and pistachios; ask us to hold the poached egg.

• Barbabietola — beets, arugula and walnuts; ask us to hold the ricotta salata.

• Pasta al Pomodoro — San Marzano tomato sauce with olive oil, no cheese; ask for gluten-free penne if you're also avoiding gluten, and add a Portobello from the grill.

• Contorni as a meal — roasted potatoes, broccoli rabe, haricots verts and sautéed spinach make a generous shared plate.

• Zuppa del Giorno — our soup of the day is marked vegetarian; ask whether today's is vegan.

Vegetarian Italian Dinner

Vegetarians have the run of the menu: Gnocchetti di Spinaci (spinach-and-ricotta gnocchi in sage butter — named number one in NYC by CBS News), Ravioli di Ricotta in San Marzano tomatoes, Pappardelle ai Funghi, Parmigiana di Melanzane, the Margherita, Genovese and Toscana pizzette, the Caterina salad with frisée, pears, pistachios and goat cheese, and — at weekend brunch — the Frittata con Vegetali.

Dairy-Free, Nut-Free and Seafood-Free Requests

Dairy-free

The grilled secondi are the easiest place to start: the Tonno, the Salmone Scottadito, the Polipo and the Bistecca (swap the mashed potatoes for roasted potatoes). Pomodoro sauce can be finished with olive oil instead of butter or cheese. Our pizzette and cream- and cheese-based sauces aren't good choices, so let us guide you.

Nut allergies

A handful of dishes use nuts, and we want you to know which: the Cavolo and Caterina salads (pistachios), the Barbabietola (walnuts), the Bologna pizzetta (pistachio pesto) and the Genovese pizzetta (pesto). Tell your server about the allergy and its severity so the kitchen can keep your plate clear.

Seafood and shellfish allergies

Seafood is part of a Tuscan menu, but it's easy to avoid. Dishes with fish or shellfish include the Cozze, Polipo, Capesante, Calamari, Paccheri al Granchio, Fettuccine Zafferano Frutti di Mare, Campania (smoked salmon), Tonno, Branzino al Cartoccio and Salmone. Everything else — the chicken, sausage, steak, pork tenderloin, rack of lamb and the vegetarian pastas — is seafood-free; flag a shellfish allergy and we'll take care with your plate.

How the Kitchen Handles Your Request

1. Tell us when you book. Note the restriction on your reservation or call 718-636-4800. A heads-up lets the kitchen plan, especially for larger parties and private events.

2. Tell your server at the table. Name the restriction and how serious it is — preference, intolerance or allergy. Your server takes it to the kitchen directly.

3. We cook to order. Because our pasta, sauces and secondi are made in-house, Chef Raffaele's team can swap pasta, hold cheese, butter, nuts or eggs, and change sides instead of pointing you to a single "special diet" dish.

4. We're honest about limits. If a dish can't be made safely for you, we'll say so and suggest one that can.

One Table, Every Diet: A Sample Order for Four

A celiac guest, a vegan, a vegetarian and a meat-lover walk into Scottadito. To share: the KIM salad and a gluten-free Margherita pizzetta. Then the celiac guest has the Salmone Scottadito, the vegan has Pasta al Pomodoro on gluten-free penne with a side of broccoli rabe, the vegetarian has the Gnocchetti di Spinaci, and the meat-lover goes for the Agnello Scottadito, our "finger-scorching" herb-crusted rack of lamb. Nobody orders off a separate menu, and everyone eats the same night's cooking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Scottadito have gluten-free pasta?

Yes. Every pasta dish on the menu — all twelve — can be made with gluten-free penne, cooked to order.

Can I get gluten-free pizza in Park Slope at Scottadito?

Yes. Any pizzetta on the menu can be made gluten-free for an additional $5.

Is Scottadito safe for celiac guests?

We make wheat pasta in-house, so we can't promise a gluten-free environment, but we take celiac requests seriously. Tell us "celiac" when you book and when you order, and your server will guide you to the safest dishes and flag your order for the kitchen.

Does Scottadito have vegan options?

Yes. The KIM and Mesclun salads, the Cavolo and Barbabietola salads with small changes, pasta al pomodoro without cheese, and our vegetable contorni can all be served vegan. Let your server know you're vegan when you order.

Can the kitchen accommodate nut, dairy and shellfish allergies?

Yes. Tell us about the allergy and its severity; we'll point out which dishes contain the allergen and adjust your plate where we can.

Where is Scottadito and when is it open?

Scottadito Osteria Toscana is at 788A Union Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215, in Park Slope. We serve dinner Wednesday through Sunday and brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 3:30 pm; we're closed Monday and Tuesday.

Reserve Your Table

Bring the whole table — every diet included. Make a reservation online or call us at 718-636-4800 and tell us who's coming to dinner. Planning a weekend? See our bottomless brunch guide or browse the full menus.