Healthy Italian Vegetarian Recipes

Find healthy, delicious Italian vegetarian recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

EatingWell's Eggplant Parmesan

Rating: Unrated
44
Here we bake breaded eggplant for crispy results with fewer calories to boot. This makeover of the classic recipe was originally developed by our Test Kitchen in 1995 and got an update in 2020 for our 30th anniversary issue.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Creamy Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms

Rating: Unrated
41
Sliced Brussels sprouts and mushrooms cook quickly and cling to the pasta in our fall version of pasta primavera. Look for presliced mushrooms to cut prep time. Serve with a tossed salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Baked Vegetable Soup

Rating: Unrated
13
Originally prepared in the wood-burning hearths of Italian homes, this peasant-style healthy vegetable soup recipe is simple to make in a modern oven. Brimming with artichokes, mushrooms, zucchini and leeks, this easy soup heats up the house as it becomes the perfect warming meal.
By Jane Black

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna with Broccolini

Rating: Unrated
41
In this low-carb spaghetti squash lasagna recipe, garlicky broccolini, spaghetti squash and cheese are combined for a healthy take on a favorite casserole. This bakes right in the squash shells for a fun presentation. Serve with a big Caesar salad and some warm and crusty whole-grain bread.
By Breana Killeen

Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Rating: Unrated
5
We've taken the key ingredients of the popular caprese salad--tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil--and piled them into portobello mushroom caps to make a delicious and satisfying vegetarian main dish.
By Carolyn Casner

Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Rating: Unrated
13
This low-carb riff on classic lasagna layers mushrooms and tomato sauce with spaghetti squash noodles instead of lasagna pasta. Make the layers right in the shell of the spaghetti squash and top with mozzarella cheese for a melty top and fun presentation. Serve with a green salad and a glass of Chianti for an easy, healthy dinner.
By Carolyn Casner

One-Pot Tomato Basil Pasta

Rating: Unrated
4
This one-pot pasta with tangy tomato-basil sauce is a simple, fast and easy weeknight dinner. All of your ingredients go into one pot, and with a bit of stirring and about 25 minutes of cook time, you'll have a healthy dinner the whole family will enjoy.
By Carolyn Casner

Instant Pot Butternut Squash Risotto

Rating: Unrated
8
Making risotto has never been easier, thanks to an electric pressure cooker, like the Instant Pot. In this easy recipe, you don't have to stand over the stove constantly stirring. Just add everything into the multicooker and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes and this delicious dinner side dish is ready.
By Carolyn Casner

Easy Pea & Spinach Carbonara

Rating: Unrated
5
Fresh pasta cooks up faster than dried, making it a must-have for fast weeknight dinners like this luscious yet healthy meal. Eggs are the base of the creamy sauce. They don't get fully cooked, so use pasteurized-in-the-shell eggs if you prefer.
By Adam Hickman

Spinach Alfredo Lasagna

Rating: Unrated
1
This lightened-up lasagna packs in the nutrients with plenty of spinach, carrots, and mushrooms--plus satisfies cheese cravings with ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Ravioli & Vegetable Soup

Rating: Unrated
86
Fresh or frozen ravioli cook in minutes and turn this light vegetable soup into a main course. Look for whole-wheat or whole-grain ravioli in the refrigerated or frozen section of the supermarket. Tortellini can be used instead of ravioli as well. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Italian Vegetable Hoagies

Rating: Unrated
25
This delightfully easy, and somewhat messy, sandwich packs a punch with sweet balsamic vinegar, artichoke hearts, red onion, provolone cheese and zesty pepperoncini. We love it for dinner as well as lunch. If you're packing the hoagies to take along, keep the ingredients separate and assemble right before eating to avoid soggy bread. Serve with tomato and cucumber salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Inspiration and Ideas

Tomato & Artichoke Gnocchi

Tomato & Artichoke Gnocchi

Rating: Unrated
20
Artichoke hearts, olives and a splash of red-wine vinegar give this ultra-quick, healthy vegetarian gnocchi recipe pizzazz. For an additional hit of Mediterranean flavor, try topping with feta cheese.
Avocado Pesto

Avocado Pesto

Rating: Unrated
11
Avocados add a silky consistency and cheese-like richness to this dairy-free pesto recipe. Toss it with pasta, spread it on baguette slices to make bruschetta, or use it for a healthy mayo substitute on your sandwich.
Stuffed Eggplant

Stuffed Eggplant

Rating: Unrated
4
Mozzarella, Basil & Zucchini Frittata

Mozzarella, Basil & Zucchini Frittata

Rating: Unrated
11
Lemony Linguine with Spring Vegetables

Lemony Linguine with Spring Vegetables

Rating: Unrated
3
Baked Asparagus & Cheese Frittata

Baked Asparagus & Cheese Frittata

Rating: Unrated
6

Vegan Gnocchi Soup

This Italian-inspired vegetable-packed soup features flavorful herbs, mushrooms, kale and tomatoes. Shelf-stable potato gnocchi are vegan, but if you want to make this soup gluten-free or lower in carbs, try cauliflower gnocchi instead.

All Healthy Italian Vegetarian Recipes

Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Shells

Rating: Unrated
9
Our stuffed shells are filled with spinach, sautéed onions and part-skim ricotta and topped with prepared marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese. The shells hold and reheat well, which makes them great for entertaining.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna

Rating: Unrated
45
Sure, the slow cooker's great for stews and soups, but it also happens to make a mean lasagna! In this ingenious slow-cooker recipe, all you have to do is chop your veggies, then layer the ingredients (raw) into the crockpot. Serve with: Garlic bread and a green salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mac & Cheese with Collards

Rating: Unrated
6
Dark leafy collards add bold flavor and boost the calcium in this healthy skillet mac and cheese recipe with a crispy topping. If you don't have collards, kale, Swiss chard and spinach are delicious substitutes.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Lasagna with Slow-Roasted Tomato Sauce

Rating: Unrated
8
Slow-roasting the tomatoes gives the tomato sauce for this lasagna recipe an intense depth of flavor--which is then enhanced by the umami in onions, Parmesan and spinach. The lasagna noodles are layered into the lasagna uncooked; the moisture from the fresh spinach cooks them perfectly as the lasagna bakes in the oven.
By David Bonom

Spaghetti Frittata

Rating: Unrated
9
Here's a creative way to use leftover cooked spaghetti: try mixing it with eggs for a filling Italian omelet. If you don't want to buy separate bunches of fresh herbs, look for an Italian blend package that may contain some of each or use one-third the amount of dried.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Artichoke & Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms

Rating: Unrated
1
For this healthy stuffed mushroom recipe, marinated artichokes and Parmesan cheese are mixed with thyme and panko breadcrumbs for a delicious filling. If serving at a party, you might consider doubling the recipe. These stuffed mushrooms will be devoured quickly!
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Eggplant Pomodoro Pasta

Rating: Unrated
43
Diced eggplant turns tender and tasty sautéed with garlic and olive oil. Toss with fresh plum tomatoes, green olives and capers and you have a simple light summer sauce. We like it over angel hair pasta, but any type of pasta will work. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a mixed green salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cartwheel Pasta with Peppers & Onions

Rating: Unrated
2
This simple pasta recipe is one of the best ways to enjoy sweet bell peppers. The pasta sauce--red peppers stewed with caramelized onions and tomatoes--is tossed with wagon-wheel pasta for an easy and filling pasta dinner.
By Giuliano Hazan

Tortellini Primavera

Rating: Unrated
58
This creamy tortellini and vegetable pasta is a real crowd pleaser. To make it even quicker, use frozen chopped vegetables instead of fresh. Serve with: A green salad and whole-grain baguette.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Baked Parmesan Tomatoes

Rating: Unrated
42
A sprinkle of Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil transform tomatoes into the perfect side dish. Or try sandwiching them between slices of your favorite whole-wheat country bread.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough

Rating: Unrated
29
To improve the nutritional profile of pizza, use half whole-wheat and half all-purpose flour, which yields a light crust with a distinctive nutty taste. Quick-rising yeast shortens rising time to just 10 minutes, making homemade pizza a possibility for busy weeknights. Use a food processor, stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or your hands to mix the dough. Add enough liquid to the dry ingredients to make a soft dough. If kneading by hand, toss, rather than push, the dough onto the counter for about 10 minutes; this allows the gluten to develop without incorporating too much flour.
By Patsy Jamieson

Pear & Camembert Crostini

Rating: Unrated
1
Up your appetizer game with this fruit-topped cheese crostini recipe. Warm preserves give the pears a shiny glaze and prevent them from browning.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Caramelized Onion & White Bean Flatbread

Rating: Unrated
14
Here we top pizza with herbed mashed beans, sliced plum tomatoes, sweet caramelized onions and some shredded Gouda for a tasty flatbread that will have you rethinking pizza toppings.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Homemade Pizza Sauce

Rating: Unrated
12
This recipe for garden-fresh pizza sauce makes a batch large enough to top several pizzas. You can make it right now with fresh tomatoes, but if you have a bumper crop or just want to buy a lot of in-season tomatoes and put them up for another day, canning is not your only option: try freezing them. Just remove the cores and freeze them whole. Then, turn your frozen tomatoes into pizza sauce any time of the year.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Garden Tomato Sauce

Rating: Unrated
1
This garden-fresh tomato sauce is a delicious way to use summer-ripe tomatoes. Or freeze whole tomatoes and make this sauce later on in the winter. Just remove the cores and freeze them whole. Then, turn your frozen tomatoes into a garden-fresh sauce any time of the year. For pizza sauce: In Step 2, cook until thickened to about the consistency of pizza sauce, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove from the heat, transfer to a blender, add 2 tablespoons tomato paste and blend until smooth.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Eggplant Lasagna Rolls

Rating: Unrated
8
Vegetarians and meat-eaters alike will devour these comforting lasagna rolls. We use thinly sliced eggplant in place of pasta to cut the carbs. Preroasting the eggplant helps develop the flavor and softens the slices for easy rolling.
By Hilary Meyer

Two-Ingredient-Dough Margherita Pizza

Rating: Unrated
1
You won't believe how quick and easy it is to make this healthy pizza. Thanks to a two-ingredient dough that combines self-rising flour and Greek yogurt, there is no need for a rise time. Just roll, top and bake, and you'll have a delicious dinner on the table in under half an hour.
By Carolyn Casner

Garlic-Parmesan Hasselback Zucchini

Rating: Unrated
3
Using the hasselback technique--cutting partially into a whole fruit or vegetable every 1/2 inch or so--gives you an easy way to sneak lots of flavor into this healthy zucchini recipe. To bake the zucchini instead of grilling, place in a foil-lined 8-inch-square baking pan and bake at 425°F until tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
By Breana Killeen

Vegan Lasagna Soup

This quick and easy vegan lasagna soup has all the classic flavors of lasagna, with plenty of tomatoes, veggies and lasagna noodles broken into bite-size bits. Plant-based meatless crumbles stand in for the sausage, and you won't miss the cheese with the fresh basil puree dolloped on top as a finishing touch.
By Julia Levy

Tomato & Kale Pesto Pasta

Rating: Unrated
1
This 25-minute pasta side dish goes well with chicken or fish and can be served either warm or at room temperature. Kale and basil create a fresh-tasting pesto that is packed with protein and taste, thanks to the addition of chickpeas. We like shaved Parmesan sprinkled on the top, but feel free to add toasted pine nuts or walnuts for some crunch.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Pesto Pasta Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
A creamy pesto sauce turns this simple pasta salad into a delightful dinner. Adding broccoli to the pasta cooking water just before the pasta is done is a convenient way to briefly cook it so that it turns a vivid shade of green and softens slightly.
By Carolyn Casner

Spaghetti Genovese

Rating: Unrated
8
Traditionally, this Italian pasta recipe combines pasta and pesto with potatoes and green beans. In our recipe for Spaghetti Genovese we give pesto a nutritional boost by adding spinach and toss it all together with fiber-rich whole-wheat pasta for a warm, comforting weeknight meal. Serve with escarole and radicchio salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Vegan Mushroom Bolognese

This Bolognese sauce recipe is adapted from Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. We swap out the beef and pork for button mushrooms to keep this traditional comfort food vegan yet weighty with umami flavor. And while some recipes call for red wine, this recipe sticks with Hazan's white wine selection.
By Paul Greenberg

Fettuccine with Shiitake Mushrooms & Basil

Rating: Unrated
39
EatingWell reader Sidra Goldman of Washington, D.C., contributed this fresh-tasting whole-wheat pasta recipe. Lemon zest accents the basil beautifully.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
Load More
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from http://www.eatingwell.com