Can I take away what is left over?
a-VAN-za — three syllables, stress on the middle. 'Avanzare' here means 'to be left over'.
At the end of a meal when you have not finished your dish and want to take the leftovers home.
The English term 'doggy bag' exists in Italian slang but the natural phrase is 'portare via quello che avanza' (to take away what is left over). The law on food waste (2016) obliges restaurants to provide containers for leftovers upon request — you have a legal right to ask.
Posso portarlo via?
Can I take it away?
Shorter — 'lo' refers back to the dish you have not finished
Mi dà un contenitore per il cibo?
Can you give me a container for the food?
More direct — asks explicitly for the container
Posso avere la doggy bag?
Can I have a doggy bag?
The English term is understood in tourist areas and by younger staff
Italy passed an anti-food-waste law in 2016 that encourages restaurants to offer containers for leftovers. Despite this, the practice is less common than in the US — but is growing, especially among younger Italians.