22 Italian Recipes for Sunday Dinners

April 12, 2020

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Italian food is comforting and delicious, which makes it the perfect choice for Sunday dinner. These recipes feature classics like lasagna and bolognese as well as provide new, tasty spins on carbonara and pizza. Recipes like Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore with Polenta and Eggplant Parmesan are filling, hearty and the best way to end the weekend.

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Spaghetti & Chicken Meatballs with No-Cook Tomato Sauce

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This crowd-pleasing and easy dinner recipe takes just 20 minutes to make, start to finish, so it's perfect for weeknights! When tomatoes are at their in-season best, just a quick chop and a few ingredients are all you need to make a spaghetti sauce in minutes. Store-bought chicken meatballs keep the low-effort theme going all the way to the table. Source: EatingWell Magazine, June 2019

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Linguine alle Vongole

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Italian for "linguine with clams," this seafood pasta dish includes tomatoes for a mashup between red and white clam sauces. Source: EatingWell Magazine, March 2019

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Sicilian-Style Chicken Thighs

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Bright-green Castelvetrano olives hail from Sicily and have a buttery flavor and meaty texture that pair perfectly with the Italian seasoning and salty capers in this one-skillet chicken dinner. Look for them on your supermarket olive bar or in jars with Italian ingredients. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2019

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Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore with Polenta

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This rustic stew cooks all day in the slow cooker so you can come home to a comforting, hot dinner. Not a fan of polenta? Try this healthy chicken dinner over pasta instead. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2019

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Whole-Grain Spaghetti with Italian Turkey Sausage, Arugula & Balsamic Tomato Sauce

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Total happiness in a bowl: pasta, sausage, tomatoes and herbs. The tomatoes get sweet and tender and turn into sauce with the stock and the pasta. Without ever adding any butter, the spaghetti sauce is rich and silky. Adding the herbs at the end gives the dish a fresh pop of color and flavor. This is one healthy pasta recipe we can definitely get behind! Source: 400 Calorie Recipes

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Slow-Cooker Vegetable Lasagna

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This vegetarian lasagna couldn't be easier, thanks to jarred pasta sauce and no-boil lasagna noodles. Prep it in the morning and let your crock pot do the work. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine, Winter 2019

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Bruschetta Chicken Pasta

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This healthy chicken pasta recipe is jazzed up with traditional bruschetta toppers, including cherry tomatoes, garlic and basil. Multicolored cherry tomatoes look pretty, but you can use all one color of tomato too. Either way, you've got an easy weeknight dinner that's ready in 25 minutes. We've called for spaghettini (thin spaghetti) in this recipe, but feel free to use your favorite shape of pasta. Source: EatingWell.com, April 2019

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Prosciutto Pizza with Corn & Arugula

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Prosciutto and arugula elevate this simple grilled pizza. If you have time, let the dough stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes to make rolling it out easier in this 20-minute healthy pizza recipe. Thawed frozen corn works in place of fresh, just pat it dry before sprinkling it on the pizza. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July/August 2019

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Slow-Cooker Pork Sausage Bolognese

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Here's the meaty, saucy pasta that we all crave. If you have any slow-cooker bolognese leftovers, freeze them and reheat on a cold night when you're in need of a hot, comforting dish. Serve with a simple, crisp salad and crusty bread. For the prettiest appearance, sprinkle with whole fresh basil leaves instead of chopped oregano. Source: Everyday Slow Cooker

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Chicken-&-Mushroom Marsala

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For the best flavor in this classic one-pan chicken dinner recipe use real Marsala wine, not the cooking-wine kind. Serve with mashed potatoes. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2019

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Sausage & Pepper Medley

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Low in carbs and rich in Vitamin C, bell peppers add flavor as well as volume to this slightly spicy dish. For more heat, use hot turkey Italian sausage links rather than mild. Make it a sandwich by serving it inside a toasted bulky roll. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

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Easy Lasagna

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This classic beef lasagna recipe is easy to make and will be ready to eat in just over an hour. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

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White Bean Soup with Tomato & Shrimp

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With capers and olives, this heart-healthy soup draws inspiration from Italian puttanesca sauce. Serve with crusty whole-grain bread to soak up the broth. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2020

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Butternut Squash Alfredo with Chicken & Spinach

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If you're not feeling like regular pasta tonight, turn to butternut squash noodles. These delicate veggie strands are a great base for any number of sauces and toppings, like this creamy and decadent Alfredo sauce with chicken, garlic and silky spinach. Source: EatingWell.com, December 2018

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Cauliflower Gnocchi Carbonara

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Frozen cauliflower gnocchi is a time-saving, low-carb convenience food that works perfectly as a base for creamy, comforting carbonara. Source: EatingWell.com, January 2019

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Trapanese Pesto Pasta & Zoodles with Salmon

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Trapanese pesto is the Sicilian version of the sauce that uses tomatoes and almonds instead of pine nuts. This savory pesto sauce coats low-carb zucchini noodles and heart-healthy seared salmon to create an absolutely delicious pasta dinner. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine, Spring 2019

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Shrimp Oreganata Cauliflower Gnocchi

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This cauliflower gnocchi dinner is ready in just minutes on busy nights. A simple flavor-packed sauce marries the tender pasta with cooked shrimp. If you don't eat shrimp, use rotisserie chicken instead. Source: EatingWell.com, January 2019

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Easy Italian Wedding Soup

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Forget the marble-size meatballs you find in many versions of this soup. In this easy recipe, they're full-size, full-flavored and plenty filling. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2019

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Skillet Chicken Parmesan

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If you can't find cutlets for this easy chicken Parmesan recipe at your supermarket, place a boneless, skinless breast flat on a cutting board, hold it steady with your palm and, using a sharp knife, slice the breast horizontally into two thin pieces. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2019

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Cast-Iron Skillet Pizza with Sausage & Kale

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A piping-hot cast-iron skillet turns pizza dough into a puffy, crisp-bottomed crust (similar to focaccia). If you have children, let them help make this easy pizza recipe: While you cook the sausage, have the kids tear up the kale--no knife required! Source: EatingWell Magazine, October 2019

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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. Source: EatingWell Magazine, September/October 1995

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Spinach & Sausage Gnocchi

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Some like it hot--but if you don't, sweet Italian turkey sausage is also delicious in this healthy gnocchi recipe. Serve with a mixed green salad with sherry vinaigrette. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2015

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