When you can’t get to Italy, bring the flavor of your favorite destination home with these tasty Italian recipes! From savory meals to indulgent desserts, you’ll find something here to make your taste buds swoon. Vino rosa optional.
Heading to Italy? Check out 30 things to know before you go.
Italian recipes for your table
Is the food in Italy especially tasty, or does it just seem like it because you’re on vacation? Hard to say, right?? While there are plenty of things to love about eating your way around the country, there’s no reason you can’t continue to enjoy some of your favorite Italian flavors right at home.
You might even want to try your hand at making homemade Italian pasta!
Savory Italian Recipes for Lunch or Dinner
When you dine at a restaurant in Italy, you’ll get a choice of primi piatti or secondi piatti.
Primi piatti: These “first plates” are typically starchy offerings like pasta, risotto, or soup.
Secondi piatti: “Second plates” feature the main course, often meat.
Diners may choose to order either or both, often depending upon how long they intend to extend their meal.
Baked Ricotta Stuffed Cannelloni
When it comes to delicious Italian meals, baked cannelloni can’t be beat. There are as many recipes for this dish as there are Italian nonnas. This cannelloni recipe features pasta stuffed with a ricotta filling that’s cheesy and delicious.
Italian Farfalle Pasta (Bowtie Pasta) with Zucchini and Ham
This farfalle pasta topped with a light zucchini and ham “condimento” is a delicious recipe straight from Italy.
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
A little different than traditional pesto, this sun dried tomato pesto is perfect as a last minute appetizer.
Creamy Risotto with Sausage and Mushrooms
Risotto is a delicious Italian staple that can be made with numerous variations. This sausage and mushroom risotto is one of our faves!
Rosemary Tomato Focaccia
This thick and airy focaccia bread is delicious as a snack on the go or served with your favorite soup. Slice it through the middle and use it to make sandwiches!
Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Tagliatelle
A rich, creamy dish with earthy undertones, this chicken and mushroom tagliatelle makes the perfect bowl of hearty pasta to curl up with.
Zucchini Ripieni (Stuffed Courgettes)
These stuffed courgettes (aka zucchini) combine ricotta and fresh mint to make a deliciously light and flavor-filled dish.
Tuscan white bean soup
This flavorful, hearty Tuscan white bean soup is the perfect option for chilly nights! Pair it with fresh artisan bread or a side salad!
Pull out your dutch oven for this tender and flavorful Tuscan inspired braised pork! This savory meal is comfort food at its best!
Cod and Eggplant Caponata
This flaky, delicious cod fish plated on top of a hearty eggplant caponata, is full of nutritious vegetables and savory flavors. There is no better way to get your veggies than in this rich Sicilian dish!
Shrimp & Pea Risotto
A classic Italian shrimp risotto that takes your mouth on a delicious journey! Add cooked shrimp to creamy risotto then add a lemon tang that brightens the dish!
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
This rustic slow cooker chicken cacciatore recipe is a perfect weeknight meal. With just seven ingredients plus herbs and spices, it comes together in a hurry!
Sausage and Mushroom Tagliatelle
This sausage and mushroom pasta served with freshly made tagliatelle is divine!
Lasagna with Ricotta Cheese
Comfort food at its best, this delicious lasagna recipe is loaded with cheesy goodness!
Acquacotta
A hearty and traditional peasant soup, this Acquacotta (cooked water) is tomato-based and served with a delicate poached egg.
Spinach Gnocchi Recipe
Topped with crispy fried sage leaves, this brightly colored gnocchi pops with flavor in a brown butter sauce.
Sicilian-style artichoke salad
Serve this Sicilian roasted artichoke salad as a main course or hearty side dish. It’s full of fresh herbs and vegetables, as well as fresh mozzarella.
Creamy Mushroom and Sausage Risotto
This creamy mushroom risotto recipe is the perfect comfort meal and easy to make at home. Serve it up with a fresh green salad and dinner is complete!
Polenta
This classic polenta recipe can be served straight out of the pot as a creamy polenta recipe, or used to make fried or grilled polenta.
Chicken Pecorino
This chicken with Pecorino cream sauce checks all the boxes of rich, creamy, and cheesy, and the chicken and spinach adds a boost of protein and nutrients that makes this recipe both delicious and filling!
Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore
This Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore Recipe calls for chicken thighs, but can also be made with chicken breasts or a whole cut-up fryer.
Italian Stuffed Eggplant
Enjoy the flavor of your favorite Italian destination right in your own home kitchen with this stuffed eggplant recipe.
Tuscan Tomato and Egg Skillet
Ah, Tuscany! Hearty and filling especially for a weekend morning, This Tuscan tomato egg skillet is a standard fare in the Florence and Pisa regions of Italy.
Easy Caprese Skewers
Enjoy the flavors of the iconic Italian caprese salad in a simple caprese appetizer.
Mom’s Italian Meat Sauce Recipe
There’s nothing like an Italian red sauce for a comforting, filling meal. This Instant Pot meat sauce is a snap to make and excellent served over pasta, polenta, or in lasagna.
Sardinian Fregola with Clams
This Sardinian fregola with clams only uses a few ingredients but has such a wonderful flavor. It’s easy to make, comforting but not too heavy, and a delicious meal any night of the week.
Easy Homemade Minestrone Soup
This vegetarian minestrone soup recipe is easy to make at home from common pantry items and fresh produce. It’s hearty and delicious and full of flavor.
Sicilian Stuffed Squid
This Sicilian-style stuffed squid has a delicious chard, pine nut, raisin and cheese stuffing with just enough bite from the anchovy & capers. It’s easy to make and completely delicious.
Smoked Salmon Carbonara
Smoked salmon carbonara is an easy spin on traditional pasta carbonara. Made the authentic way, without cream, this smoked salmon pasta dish is creamy, decadent, easy to make and on the table in under 20 minutes.
Ricotta Gnocchi
Melt-in-your-mouth, pillowy Italian ricotta gnocchi. You won’t believe how delicious and quick to make they are! You only need 4 ingredients + salt and pepper to make them.
Rosemary Focaccia Bread
Focaccia is recognizable by the small holes poked throughout the dough. You will find many recipes and topping options in different region of Italy, but the one most commonly found outside of Italy is made with fresh Rosemary.
Tagliatelle with Creamy Pistachio Sauce
This tagliatelle with creamy pistachio sauce takes only 5 ingredients and 10 minutes to make! The Sicilian classic, it’s easy and quick, plus it tastes absolutely dreamy.
Boulevardier
Check out this bourbon spin on the classic negroni cocktail for a little apéritif!
Tuscan Chestnut Cake
Castagnaccio is a Italian chestnut cake that is simple, but delicious! Flavored with aromatic chestnut flour, rosemary, olive oil, and raisins, you will love this unique dessert!
Even MORE Italian recipes to serve for dinner
- Italian wedding soup
- Antipasto salad
- Italian sausage tomato orzo soup
- Porchetta (pork roast)
- Italian meatballs in red wine sauce
- Spinach and ricotta cannelloni
- Pici Cacio e Pepe – Tuscan Pasta with Creamy Cheese and Black Pepper Sauce
- Italian pasta carbonara
- Pasta all gricia
- Ricotta meatballs with spicy tomato sauce
- Easy chicken marsala
- Pasta e fagioli
- Italian stromboli
- 15-Minute puttanesca sauce
- Bucatini cacio e pepe
- Italian white bean soup
- Spaghetti alle vongole
- Pasta e piselli (pasta with peas)
- Easy chicken marsala
- Bolognese sauce
- Easy cioppino seafood stew
- Healthy fettuccine Alfredo
- Italian wedding soup
- Creamy Tuscan chicken skillet
- Slow cooker Italian harvest soup
Recipes for Italian desserts
Anise cookies
A recipe for soft and chewy Italian anise cookies (a.k.a. Italian Christmas cookies) that have the classic licorice flavor everyone loves.
Pasticcini di Mandorle
Flourless Soft Almond Cookies (Pasticcini di Mandorle) can be soft like marzipan or baked a few minutes more for a slightly crunchy chew. Either way, these wondrous cookies are a real Italian treat! Made with only 4 ingredients, these delicious cookies are naturally gluten free and ideal for Passover or Easter sweetness.
Limoncello Panna Cotta
This creamy, delicious limoncello panna cotta is the perfect make ahead dessert for your next party! This is the perfect springtime lemon recipe, with a kick!
Taralli Dolce Di Pasqua
Taralli Dolce Di Pasqua are Italian Easter cookies, lightly sweet with a crunchy sugar icing flavored with citrus.
Italian Hot Chocolate Recipe
Learn how to make traditional Italian hot chocolate at home with just 5 ingredients and 10 minutes!
