With little salt, please.
SAH-leh — two syllables, stress on first. Very clean short vowels.
Use when following a low-sodium diet for health reasons, such as hypertension. Italian food can be quite salty, particularly pasta water, cured meats, and aged cheeses.
'Con poco' means 'with little/not much'. Alternative: 'senza sale' (without salt) is stronger. 'Poco' is an indefinite adjective here meaning 'a little'. Italian pasta water is traditionally very salty — specifying low salt applies mainly to the sauce.
Senza sale aggiunto.
Without added salt.
More precise — no extra salt beyond what's natural.
Ho problemi di pressione alta.
I have high blood pressure issues.
Medical context that explains why low-salt matters.
Il piatto è molto salato?
Is the dish very salty?
Question to gauge saltiness before ordering.
Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano are naturally high in sodium due to the aging process. Prosciutto and other cured meats are also very salty. A low-sodium Italian meal works best with grilled fish or fresh vegetables.