Italian Recipes & Food Ideas

It pairs perfectly with cold rosé and lazy summer evenings out in the yard.

And this fresh peach version is a stunner.

Gelato and brioche buns combine for a treat that's greater than the sum of its parts.

This saucy Italian mix of ultra-tender bell peppers, garlic, and herbs has endless uses.

"While the recipe read like it was geared towards newer cooks, I did find they skipped some vital explanations. I was, however, really impressed with the creaminess of the dish, considering nothing creamy or cheesy was added."

Yes, please.

When I think about throwing a dinner party, especially a big one like this polenta supper I’m sharing with you this week, my thoughts immediately go to: What can I make ahead? Last week, I had an easy answer: a shredded, succulent mess of beef braised in red wine and tomatoes, falling apart in its juices. It’s a terrific make-ahead dish, since like most braises, this beef gets better overnight, and takes all the stress of a main dish off your hands entirely. Sound good?

Breakfast pizza — have you ever tried it? No, this is not cold pizza from the fridge on a Saturday morning (not that there’s anything wrong with that either!). Hot and crispy homemade pizza, with handfuls of herbs and scoops of soft ricotta cheese, topped with an oozing egg — this is a breakfast in its own right. Saturday morning we were crunched for time but we needed to put a hot breakfast on the table; it was a long day and fruit and toast wouldn’t do.

We love the looks of just about every recipe in Pasta Sfoglia (see our review here). But we decided to reprint one of the simplest, most elemental recipes in the book: Fusilli al Telefono. Pasta cooked with a simple homemade sauce of tomatoes and basil, with an entire pound of fresh whole milk mozzarella folded in until it melts and runs off the pasta like gooey strings. Yum yum. We would like a plate of this right now please!

We’re always looking for something new to do with chicken. This Chicken Milanese is a simple, classic Italian dish we love — a thin, breaded chicken cutlet that is cooked until juicy and crisp, topped with a colorful, healthy, summery salad. It’s easy and delicious, a whole meal on one plate.

This step-by-step recipe comes together in no time.

It really doesn’t get much simpler than this! Take the freshest vegetables you can find and arrange them on a platter with a bowl of really good olive oil and another bowl of sea salt. Let guests dip, sprinkle, and nibble to their heart’s content. You won’t believe how ridiculously tasty this is.

My husband likes nothing more than a good ragù. His perfect meal would involve something saucy, bright, and rich with a bit of meat, falling over a dish of toothsome pasta. A good ragù is nearly a religious experience for him. It expresses the ultimate goodness of the world, a place where people feed one another good food in love and honesty.

We’ve posted a recipe for Orange and Fennel Salad before now, but that was before we had a proper mandoline! When we saw this recipe for fennel salad in Rebecca Gray’s book American Artisanal we just had to try it! We went to the market and treasure-hunted for fresh organic fennel, pink Cara Cara oranges, juicy scarlet blood oranges, and artisan-cured black olives.

You’ve been asking for our sauce recipe using fresh tomatoes. We’ve been refining our recipe, double-checking our measurements, and now we’re ready to share. Let us know how this compares to your tomato sauce recipe and the recipe your great-great grandmother carried over from Italy (we should be so lucky!). This basic tomato sauce manages to hold on to the fresh, bright flavors of a garden tomato while also providing some complexity.

It's the Italian equivalent to buttered noodles.

A hearty vegetarian dinner that gets an extra boost of savoriness from sun-dried tomato broth.

Calling all pesto-lovers!

The classic Roman pasta comes together in 30 minutes.

Only five ingredients go into the fresh-tasting basil tomato sauce that's tossed with penne pasta.

Our version of the Olive Garden favorite.

It's a classic Ligurian pasta for good reason.

An Italian Easter pie filled to the brim with the country's finest cured meats and cheeses.

Take pesto up a notch with some cream for the dreamiest sauce ever.

Double boiler for the win!

The clever double-boiler technique guarantees a smooth, creamy sauce.

Rich, creamy, and, as The Pasta Queen says, "just gorgeous"!

The classic Italian pasta gets an upgrade with the addition of lemon zest and a healthy grind of black pepper.

I’m all for simplifying, so I was super curious to give this recipe a spin.

The classic Tuscan soup is rich and comforting and easy to put together.

How to make cheesy-filled pasta even cheesier.

A fast and fancy dinner no matter the occasion.

This showstopping appetizer is easier to make than you might think.

This filled flatbread is the perfect Italian lunch.

Your favorite Italian comfort food in less than 30 minutes.

Cheesy, comforting, and veggie-packed.

The prep and cleanup are so easy!

This soup is all about the broth.

Two smart ingredients make it extra creamy and "cheesy."

Even after eating so much Alfredo I can’t wait to make this recipe again.

This recipe sticks to the dish's Roman roots.

Read this before giving it a try.

My skepticism vanished after taking my first bite.

Was this the secret to the best-ever sauce?

Doused with tomato sauce and melty mozzarella, and ready to serve a crowd.

It's saucy, lemony perfection.

It's cozy winter comfort at a moment's notice.

The dough comes together quickly and is delightfully easy to work with.

Give the classic Italian dessert a few easy and fun upgrades.

This easy sauce is just as rich and creamy as the original.

It took me no more than 45 minutes, from start to finish, to make.

This humble, slow-simmered soup is transformative.

Pass those garlic breadsticks.

It really made this recipe a standout.

How to recreate the famous Chicago sandwich at home.

The cheesy, wholesome answer for right now.

It's an ultra savory, pleasantly pungent bath for veggies.

It's a braised chicken dish that can help you fall in love with cooking again.

It's the perfect pasta sauce for any night of the week.

This recipe will surely fill every red sauce lover’s deepest desire, and offers an alternative to more traditional holiday fare.

Homemade pizza hot pockets better than anything from the freezer case.

The quickest answer to Italian red sauce cravings.

Add a shake of this to dinner every night.