Food World Cuisines European Cuisines Italian Cuisine 30 Italian Dinner Recipes to Try Tonight From quick pasta dishes to elegant, celebration-worthy mains, these savory Italian recipes make any meal feel special. By Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann is an editor, baker, and confectioner with more than 15 years of experience in content creation, recipe development, and pastry production. She's obsessed with the fine details and ingredients that take dishes from tasty to outright otherworldly. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 21, 2024 Close Photo: Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Caleb Clark Bring a taste of Italy to your kitchen with these fantastic Italian dinner recipes. From crescent-shaped stuffed pasta to woven lasagna and fried risotto pancakes, these dishes are full of flavor and are wonderful for family meals and parties alike. Try one of these Italian dishes tonight for a gourmet getaway. 01 of 30 Pork Chop Milanese Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Jillian Knox Preparing something Milanese (or Milanesa) style means dredging thin slices of meat in flour, eggs, and seasoned breadcrumbs and frying them. In this recipe, a rib-cut pork chop is the meat used, but it can be made with beef, veal, or even chicken. Get the Recipe 02 of 30 Pasta e Ceci (Pasta with Chickpeas) Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Pasta e ceci (“pasta with chickpeas” in Italian) is a classic and comforting one-pot dish that makes the most out of simple ingredients — in just 30 minutes. The garlicky thyme- and rosemary-scented broth gets a subtle umami boost from tomato paste and bright acidity from white wine. Get the Recipe 03 of 30 Italian Baked Rice and Clams Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Victoria Granof / Prop Styling by Thom Driver In this traditional casserole from Puglia, layers of potatoes, clams, tomatoes, salty cheese, broth, and arborio rice are baked until the rice is tender and creamy. A sprinkle of red pepper flakes provides heat and spice without taking over. It all comes together to create comfort food perfection in a skillet. Get the Recipe 04 of 30 Smoked Mozzarella Mezzelune with Braised Onion Sauce Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Micah Morton / Prop Styling by Missie Neville Crawford Mezzelune (which means "half-moons" in Italian) are a crescent-shaped stuffed pasta similar to ravioli. They're a relatively simple shape to try that requires little equipment to make at home. The accompanying thick, rich slow-cooked tomato-onion sauce is loosely inspired by a Bolognese classic called il friggione. Get the Recipe 05 of 30 Cacio e Pepe Broccolini with Crispy White Beans and Burrata Victor Protasio This hearty vegetarian dish from cookbook author Hetty McKinnon captures the rich, elegant, simple flavors of the classic Italian pasta and rounds them out with bitter charred Broccolini and crispy, creamy, flash-fried white beans. Get the Recipe 06 of 30 Veal Piccata Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle Garlic, lemon juice, capers, and parsley cook down in chicken stock, then are thickened with butter to create a silky, tangy pan sauce for crisp, tender veal cutlets. Feel free to use pork or chicken cutlets here instead. Get the Recipe 07 of 30 Soppressata Pizza with Calabrian Chiles and Hot Honey Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis 10 Essential Tools for Italian Cooking Soppressata, chopped chiles, and a drizzle of hot honey come together for a pizza that's greater than the sum of its parts. Fiery Calabrian chiles from Italy add heat and a distinct fruitiness; the hot honey mirrors the flavors of the chiles and adds a touch of sweetness. Get the Recipe 08 of 30 Risotto al Salto (Crispy Rice Pancake) Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Thom Driver Also known as risotto alla Milanese, risotto giallo is a yellow risotto that gets its vibrant color as a result of the pigment released by saffron, the hero of the dish. In this two-for-one recipe, you can make a sumptuous saffron-stained risotto that's perfectly delicious served all’onda (creamy and hot) — or prepare it al salto (fried) into crisp golden pancakes. Get the Recipe 09 of 30 Stracotto di Fassona Piemontese (Piedmont Braised Beef) Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Chef Otto Lucà considers this rustic top blade roast, slow-braised in red wine until it's falling-apart tender, the most important main course of classical Piedmontese cuisine. The meat will need to marinate overnight, so plan accordingly. Get the Recipe 10 of 30 Swordfish Steaks with Salmoriglio Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver A simple Italian five-ingredient marinade called salmoriglio infuses meaty swordfish steaks in this easy summer recipe while still allowing the fish’s natural sweetness to shine through. Drizzling additional marinade over the grilled fish just before serving provides a showstopping, glossy finish with a flourish of bright lemony flavor. Get the Recipe 11 of 30 Italian Bone-In Pork Loin Victor Protasio Finishing the pork on a slow roast gives it time to cook through without drying out, gently caramelizing the tender fennel, onion, and shallots. Serve it with polenta for a magnificent meal. Get the Recipe 12 of 30 Gnocchi Asparagi e Pancetta (Tuscan Gnocchi with Asparagus and Pancetta) Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Shell Royster For this gorgeous dish from Tuscan winemaker Cinzia Merli, pillowy homemade potato gnocchi are tossed with delicate asparagus and a light yet creamy pancetta pan sauce. Get the Recipe 13 of 30 Farro Mafaldine with Black Truffle Butter and Mushrooms Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen This elegant yet hearty dish pairs creamy butter, nutty farro pasta, and a fortifying mix of wild mushrooms with just enough truffle to elevate each forkful. Black truffle paste, available year-round, melts beautifully into the buttery sauce, but when they're in season (November through February), fresh black truffles are worth the splurge. Get the Recipe 14 of 30 Insalata di Pesce Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Quickly poaching the mix of swordfish, shrimp, and scallops gently cooks the seafood to perfection for tender, flaky bites. Choose a favorite olive oil here; its flavor permeates the whole dish and adds a savory vegetal flavor. Get the Recipe 15 of 30 Woven Lasagna with Prosciutto and Fresh Spinach Sauce Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Thom Driver Weaving the pasta sheets in this lasagna allows the outer pieces to bubble and crisp in the oven around the creamy, rustic prosciutto-ricotta filling. Don’t skip the fresh pasta sheets; their length and texture are key to assembling this show-stopping dish. Get the Recipe 16 of 30 Braciole Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen This cozy dish of rolled flank steak and prosciutto stuffed with breadcrumbs, cheese, and pine nuts and cooked in tomato sauce is a staple at Italian family gatherings. Get the Recipe 17 of 30 Creamy Polenta with Three-Cheese Fonduta Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer This creamy polenta with three-cheese fonduta, also called toc’ in braide, is a luxuriously rich mixture of thick, sweet polenta and three cheeses: whole milk ricotta, crumbly Gorgonzola, and nutty Parmigiano-Reggiano. Thyme-infused brown butter adds a woodsy, nutty bite to this indulgent side. Get the Recipe 18 of 30 Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley The creamy goat cheese and squash filling in these decadent homemade ravioli pairs perfectly with the tender pasta, toasted butter, crunchy walnuts, and peppery kale. Make the ravioli ahead and keep it in the freezer for easy day-of meal prep. Get the Recipe 19 of 30 Italian Wedding Risotto Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen For a more substantial, main-course variation on Italian wedding soup, serve this garlicky meatball and spinach risotto with a drizzle of olive oil, grated Parmesan, and parsley. Be sure to remove the risotto from the heat while it's still a little soupy — it will thicken slightly as it rests. Get the Recipe 20 of 30 Florentine Butter Chicken Greg DuPree This recipe is inspired by Food & Wine editor in chief Hunter Lewis' trip to Trattoria Sostanza in Florence. It features tangy cultured butter, which has a higher butterfat content for a slightly higher smoke point and — when combined with olive oil — provides enough cooking time to finish the chicken and sauce simultaneously. Get the Recipe 21 of 30 Fire-Roasted Pasta e Fagioli Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen This satisfying recipe has all the vegetables, pasta, and beans you expect from the classic dish, made especially flavorful with an extra touch. Charred tomatoes and peppers give this soupy stew its heady, fire-roasted flavor. Meanwhile, pancetta offers a nice hit of salt, and fresh basil lends brightness. Get the Recipe 22 of 30 Bucatini Carbonara Food & Wine / Photo by Greg Dupree / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling Italian carbonara is famously rich, combining pancetta or guanciale (cured pork jowl), egg yolks, and cheese. Chef Linton Hopkins adds his own Southern accent to the dish with house-cured pork and local eggs. Get the Recipe 23 of 30 Pasta ’Ncasciata (Sicilian Baked Pasta) Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christina Daley In Sicily, ’ncasciata has many variations; 2016 F&W Best New Chef Michael Gulotta’s version combines tender eggplant, buttery caciocavallo cheese, and crushed tomatoes with al dente rigatoni. Baking the eggplant rounds rather than frying them cuts down on the prep time. Get the Recipe 24 of 30 Ricotta Polpette Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Caleb Clark These vegetarian polpette are made from a basil-laced mixture of ricotta and Parmesan held together by egg and breadcrumbs. They're simmered in a simple tomato sauce until they become tender and delicious. Get the Recipe 25 of 30 Fritto Misto with Calabrian Chile Aïoli Jose Mandojana / Food Styling by Robyn Valarik / Prop Styling by Christine Wolheim A festive mix of shrimp, calamari, anchovy-stuffed olives, and paper-thin lemon slices are dredged in a Pernod-spiked batter and fried to crispy, golden perfection. Jarred Calabrian chiles add a fruity heat to the creamy aïoli dipping sauce. Get the Recipe 26 of 30 Five-Herb Frittata with Prosciutto and Parmesan John Kernick Chef Nancy Silverton's creamy frittata showcases thinly sliced ham, umami-rich Parmesan, and a generous smattering of fresh herbs. At her dinner parties, she often serves this 15-minute recipe as a side dish, so guests can cut wedges at the table. Get the Recipe 27 of 30 Antipasto Salad with Bocconcini and Green-Olive Tapenade © Greg DuPree Chef Nancy Silverton is an Italian cooking expert, getting the biggest flavor from the simplest ingredients. She does just that with this hearty salad, which combines crisp iceberg lettuce, milky mozzarella, spicy-tangy peperoncini, and salty olives and salami. Get the Recipe 28 of 30 Tuscan-Style Veal Chops © James Baigrie "Grill masters all over the world have noticed that when you grill a piece of meat and then anoint it with some kind of fat, it mixes with the meat juices and creates instant sauce," barbecue teacher Steven Raichlen says. In Tuscany, olive oil is the fat of choice for finishing herbed veal chops like these. Get the Recipe 29 of 30 Beef Brasato with Pappardelle and Mint © Tina Rupp Chef Chris Cosentino braises beef shank and oxtail in red wine to make a brasato he serves with housemade mint pappardelle. This easier version uses just beef shank; feel free to purchase the fresh pappardelle from the store instead of making your own. Get the Recipe 30 of 30 Farro Salad with Fried Cauliflower and Prosciutto © Kana Okada Cooks in Italy fry cauliflower to bring out its nuttiness. Here, chef Ethan Stowell deep-fries it for a salad with salty prosciutto and nubby farro. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit