Our Best Italian Recipes

August 27, 2019
Whether you're dreaming of a trip to the Italian countryside or want inspiration for a delicious meal, you'll love these authentic Italian recipes. Enjoy pasta with a traditional Neopolitan puttanesca sauce or savor the flavors of Sicily with marinated olives and Eggplant Caponata. Venture to Verona for a refreshing taste of Spaghetti with Halibut & Lemon or to Puglia and Florence for delightfully fresh and simple Italian cuisine. Buon appetito!Watch Video
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Pasta e Fagioli

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This is the classic Italian soup recipe (pasta and beans in a tomato base), though we've reduced the sodium and swapped in whole-grain pasta. Tailor it to your taste with anchovy and crushed red pepper as desired.

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Easy Chicken Cacciatore

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Fresh veggies and herbs spice up this tasty one-pot chicken that's easy to prepare for company or even on a busy weeknight.

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Spaghetti with Halibut & Lemon

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In this delicious and simple pasta recipe, halibut is “cooked” ceviche-style in a zesty lemon marinade then tossed with warm spaghetti. While the fish marinates, throw together a salad for an easy and healthy dinner.

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Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Shells

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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.

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Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans

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In this one-skillet supper, we toss dark leafy greens, diced tomatoes and white beans with gnocchi and top it all with gooey mozzarella. Serve with a mixed green salad with vinaigrette.

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Classic Marinara Meatballs

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You can't go wrong with these classic marinara meatballs filled with applesauce, zucchini, and green onions.

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Tuscan Kale & White Bean Bruschetta

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In this classic Tuscan combination, kale and white beans are whirled into a spread for this easy bruschetta recipe. Serve on crostini, toss it with pasta for an appetizer, use it as a panini spread or stir the bruschetta topping into a bowl of chicken soup.

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Basic Risotto

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Slowly adding hot broth to arborio rice helps release the starch from the rice, giving risotto its characteristic silky, creamy texture. We add a splash of wine along with each addition of broth to give the dish a more pronounced wine flavor. If you'd prefer the wine to be more subtle, add the entire cup at the end of Step 2 and cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed, then begin adding the broth. If you prefer to omit wine, use more broth in its place.

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Chicken Alfredo

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Satisfy your cravings with this rich and creamy chicken Alfredo recipe. Top with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley for an unforgettable meal.

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Fried Winter Squash with Black Olives

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In this sautéed butternut squash recipe, vinegary, caramelized onions and black olives add sweet, salty and tangy flavors. Other hard winter squashes, such as hubbard or red kuri, work nicely in this dish as well.

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Orange, Anchovy & Olive Salad

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This delightful Italian salad recipe brings together oranges, olives and anchovies. Beautiful and refreshing, this simple salad can easily be made ahead. Serve as a first course or with roasted chicken.

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Red Wine Braised Mushroom Sauce

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Simple sautéed mushrooms are made sumptuous with the addition of red wine and rich mushroom or beef broth in this easy mushroom sauce recipe. Serve with steak or stir in a little sour cream and serve over egg noodles for a meat-free mushroom Stroganoff.

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Sicilian Eggplant Caponata

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In this eggplant caponata recipe, the traditional eggplant and tomato combination is spiked with olives, capers and chile peppers. Serve with crostini as an appetizer or as a topping for chicken or fish.

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Baked Vegetable Soup

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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.

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Bread & Tomato Soup

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This healthy tomato soup recipe is a blend of two Tuscan classics, pappa al pomodoro (a hearty bread-thickened tomato soup) and acquacotta (which translates as “cooked water,” and is a soup made with tomatoes, greens and a poached egg, served over bread). This easy vegetable soup is the perfect light supper for those first cool evenings of fall.

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Fish Stew with Olives, Capers & Potatoes

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The olive, caper and tomato-based sauce in this healthy fish stew recipe gives this very traditional Italian dish tons of flavor. Serve with crusty bread for dipping.

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Cartwheel Pasta with Peppers & Onions

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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.

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Fusilli with Yellow Squash & Grape Tomatoes

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For this healthy and quick pasta recipe, corkscrew-shaped pasta, fusilli, is tossed with silky sautéed summer squash, ripe red tomatoes and fresh thyme. Serve with a green salad with vinaigrette and crusty whole-grain bread.

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Stuffed Eggplant

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In this Italian stuffed eggplant recipe, fresh breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and parsley make a simple, yet delicious filling for an “inside-out” eggplant Parmesan. Serve these stuffed eggplants as a light dinner along with a big salad.

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Macaroni with Sausage & Ricotta

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A bit of sausage goes a long way in flavoring the creamy ricotta tomato sauce in this healthy and quick pasta recipe. Serve with a green salad and crusty Italian bread.

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Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe

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In this classic Italian pasta recipe, anchovies are mashed into olive oil to add amazing depth to the garlicky sauce. If broccoli rabe is too bitter, you can use broccolini or broccoli in its place.

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Dario's Florentine Steak

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While the cooking method for this steak recipe means standing it up on the “T,” celebrity Florentine butcher Dario Cecchini guarantees it yields truly juicy results. It's important to get a T-bone steak that's 1 1/2 inches thick or it won't stand on its end on the grill, as instructed. Ask your butcher to cut one to order for you.

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Stuffed Fresh Sardines

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In this stuffed sardine recipe, fresh sardines get a cheesy filling before being cooked in olive oil. Serve as a first course or with a salad for an easy supper.

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Bucatini alla Puttanesca

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This classic Italian pasta recipe for bucatini (spaghetti with a hole in the center) with a flavorful tomato sauce, seasoned with olives, anchovy, oregano and capers, comes together in just 30 minutes. Puttanesca was named after the “ladies of the night” who, according to legend, cooked it to seduce their clients. Serve atop sautéed chicken cutlets with a simple tossed salad for a restaurant-worthy meal.

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EatingWell's Eggplant Parmesan

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This lighter take on eggplant parmesan maintains all the flavors of the classic dish but is baked instead of fried. There are also 11 grams of filling protein in this hearty vegetarian side dish.

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Almond Cookies

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The Italian name of these almond cookies, Brutti-Buoni, roughly translates to “ugly but good.” These delicious cookies are traditionally dropped directly on a cookie sheet, but shaping them as directed here gives a more elegant look. Enjoy them for dessert with an espresso.

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Mascarpone-Stuffed Figs

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A creamy, honey-scented mascarpone filling makes this fresh fig recipe luxurious, yet still lets the fruit be the star. Serve these pretty stuffed figs to top off a special meal.

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Chestnut Bread

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This authentic Tuscan chestnut bread recipe, castagnaccio--not exactly bread and not sweet enough to be considered cake--is in a category by itself. Serve this Italian delicacy on a cheese platter or as part of an antipasti spread.

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Puglian-Style Paella

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In this Italian paella recipe, potatoes and other vegetables are layered with mussels and rice and baked in a casserole dish. Be sure to cover the rice completely with vegetables to ensure it cooks properly.

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Italian Hazelnut Cookies

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These crispy cookies are made with Piedmontese staples--hazelnuts and eggs--and called Brutti Ma Buoni: literally, “Ugly But Good.” But they are really more plain-looking than “ugly,” and pack a powerful, sweet, nutty burst of flavor, making them welcome at any table.

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Grissini

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Long, crispy, thin breadsticks like these grissini are laid right on the tablecloth at many Piedmontese restaurants.

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Tuna-Stuffed Peppers

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These tuna-stuffed peppers are ubiquitous in delis all over Susa, Italy.

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Red-Wine Risotto

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Rich, red-wine-infused risotto is served as a first course or side dish all over Northern Italy. The type of wine used varies according to region. In Piedmont, a local Barbera or Barbaresco is the wine of choice. Any dry red wine that's good enough to drink can be used in its place.

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Hunter's Chicken Stew

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Hunter's Chicken is found across Northern Italy, with many variations. This version uses meaty bone-in chicken thighs and is full of onions, mushrooms and tomatoes. It's also delicious served over egg noodles.

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Broccoli Rabe with Garlic & Anchovies

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Pungent broccoli rabe (or broccoli rape, broccoli raab or rapini) is tossed with a rich mixture of garlic, olive oil and anchovies in this easy side dish.

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