45+ of Our Best Italian-Inspired Recipes

Sheela Prakash
Sheela PrakashSenior Contributing Food Editor
Sheela is the Senior Contributing Food Editor at Kitchn and the author of Mediterranean Every Day: Simple, Inspired Recipes for Feel-Good Food. She received her master's degree from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy and is also a Registered Dietitian.
updated Jan 11, 2021
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There’s a reason Italian food is beloved by so many. It’s humble in preparation, rich in flavor (hello, garlic!), and always totally satisfying. Dinner is never a disappointment when it involves twirling your fork around al dente spaghetti or spearing it into pillowy potato gnocchi.

We could gather up a nearly endless compilation of our favorite Italian recipes. Today, however, we’ve pulled together more than 45 of our best. And while not all are necessarily authentic, the recipes — inspired by classics and restaurant favorites — are downright delicious and span from classic to newfangled, savory to sweet, and they all deliver total gratification.

Classic Italian Recipes

Visit Italy and you’ll find more diversity in the cuisine than you might think possible. These recipes hardly account for all of it, but they do hit on many of the classics we know and love.

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Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Amelia Rampe
The Ultimate Cacio e Pepe
This easy step-by-step guide results in the very best version of this classic Roman pasta.
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Leela Cyd
Homemade Meatballs
Learn how to make classic meatballs with this step-by-step cooking lesson that makes tender and rich meatballs every time.
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Joe Lingeman
Classic Parmesan Risotto
Learn the classic risotto technique that will make this rich, creamy rice dish in less than 20 minutes.
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Joe Lingeman
Lasagne alla Bolognese
Here's how to make the very best classic Italian lasagne alla bolognese with bechamel sauce and fresh pasta.
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<a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/authors/mariasiriano">Maria Siriano</a>
One-Pot Linguine with Clams
This garlicky, briny pasta is the epitome of fast and fancy — quick to make and impressive to serve.
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Olive & Mango
Ricotta Gnudi
Gnudi very roughly translates to “naked” in Italian and is basically thought to be the naked filling of ravioli — without the pasta that surrounds it.
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Sara Kate Gillingham
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
The key to good spaghetti alla carbonara, like any good piece of cooking (and especially this one), is the quality of the ingredients.
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Leela Cyd
Homemade Marinara Pasta Sauce
This marinara isn’t just for pasta, although that’s often its destination in my kitchen. You can also use this basic sauce for pasta casseroles like lasagna, to top homemade pizza, or to serve with roasted meat.
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Maria Midoes
Pesce all’Acqua Pazza (Fish in Crazy Water)
Crazy water, or acqua pazza as it translates to in Italian, is a simple tomato-based broth commonly used as a poaching liquid for white fish.
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<a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/authors/joe">Joe Lingeman</a>
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
This classic Italian recipe comes straight out of your pantry and is rich with olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and parsley.
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Joe Lingeman
Chicken Cacciatore
A comforting recipe for chicken cacciatore that's made in a skillet and comes together quickly.
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Photo: Joe Lingeman | Food Stylist: Cyd McDowell
The Easiest Gnocchi from Scratch
Homemade potato gnocchi is easier than you think — here is how to make it step-by-step.
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Ribollita Soup (Tuscan Bread & Tomato Soup)
This easy, satisfying recipe for Tuscan ribollita soup is rich with white beans, kale, and bread.
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Joe Lingeman
The Best Frittata
As long as you have a few vegetables and some eggs on hand, you can have a frittata on the table in about 20 minutes.
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Photo: Joe Lingeman | Food Stylist: Cyd McDowell
Pasta al Limone
This vibrant and creamy pasta is bursting with fresh lemon flavor.
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Italian-Inspired Pasta Recipes

You can’t talk about Italian food without talking about pasta. Whether it’s spaghetti, rigatoni, fusilli, or orzo, pasta is a comforting favorite for good reason.

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<a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/authors/joe">Joe Lingeman</a>
Easy Green Olive Pasta
This quick and simple recipe for pasta tossed in a lemon-garlic butter is enhanced with chopped green olives.
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Patricia Niven
Pasta alla Gricia with Kale
This one-pot, veggie-packed riff on classic Pasta alla Gricia will quickly become part of your weeknight dinner rotation.
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Joe Lingeman
Smoky Mozzarella Pasta and Meatball Bake
How can you improve on the good ol' combination of pasta and meatballs? This saucy casserole, filled with fire-roasted tomatoes and meatballs, is proof that it can be done.
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Leela Cyd
Garlic Butter Pasta
This easy, lemony pasta dinner recipe is filled with vibrant green vegetables like asparagus, arugula, and peas.
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Joe Lingeman
Creamy Tomato Pasta
A quick and easy weeknight pasta that's tossed in tomato cream sauce and finished with chopped fresh basil.
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Joe Lingeman
Lemon Butter Pasta & Veggies
This colorful pasta is tossed in a lemon butter sauce and filled with sautéed zucchini and cherry tomatoes.
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Andrea Monzo
Mushroom and Garlic Spaghetti Dinner
This spaghetti is packed with a whole pound of sautéed mushroom, along with a garlic butter sauce.
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Jenny Huang
Lemon Caper Pasta
The very best part of this dish might not be the actual pasta, but the crispy, crunchy breadcrumbs that are sprinkled with abandon over the top.
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Christine Han
Spaghetti with Crispy Pancetta, Peas, and Burrata
This fast and fancy dinner is what happens when pantry staples meet fresh indulgence, with creamy burrata leading the charge.
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Shelly Westerhausen
One-Pot Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Orzo
Simmering orzo in milk in the secret to achieving silky, extra creamy results in this one-pot recipe.
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Joe Lingeman
Spaghetti with Mascarpone, Meyer Lemon, Spinach, and Hazelnuts
If you can't find Meyer lemons, feel free to use regular lemons in this dressed up dish.
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Italian-Inspired Chicken Recipes

Give your weekly chicken dinner an Italian twist and you’ll never be disappointed. These recipes prove it.

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Lauren Volo
Tuscan Chicken Skillet
Caramelized mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, tender white beans, juicy chicken: there's nothing but good flavor happening here. And all in one skillet!
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Joe Lingeman
Slow Cooker Pesto Chicken
Homemade pesto mixed with hearty chunks of chicken in the slow cooker, ready for a week's worth of salads, wraps, and grain bowls.
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<a href="http://www.ghazallephotography.com/">Ghazalle Badiozamani</a>
Chicken & Tomato No-Boil Pasta Bake
This one-pot casserole calls for dry pasta instead of boiled pasta and can be adapted to your diet and taste.
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Joe Lingeman
Parmesan Chicken and Kale Sauté
This quick and easy (and low-carb) one-skillet dinner fits the bill on weeknights and weekends alike.
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Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Amelia Rampe
Easy Chicken Carbonara
Adding chicken to classic carbonara pasta lends extra heartiness.
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Joe Lingeman
Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
These weeknight-friendly chicken meatballs are baked in marinara sauce and topped with lots of melted cheese.
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Olive and Mango
30-Minute Chicken Francese
Dredged in flour and egg, then seared and swimming in a savory-tart lemon butter sauce, this chicken francese comes together in 30 minutes.
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Joe Lingeman
Homemade Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Learn the basics of Alfredo sauce and how to use it for making chicken fettuccini Alfredo any night of the week.
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Joe Lingeman
Easy Chicken Parmesan
Using just a sheet pan and few key ingredients, this easy chicken Parmesan is perfect for mid-week meals, and allows you to get a comforting dinner on the table without a ton of hands-on cooking.
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Italian Dessert Recipes

Whether you’re looking to master homemade tiramisu or want to dive into making gelato from scratch, we’ve got you covered.

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<a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/authors/joe">Joe Lingeman</a>
The Easiest Classic Tiramisu
Pick up a package of store-bought lady fingers and never look back because this recipe is easily the best tiramisu you'll make at home.
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Olive & Mango
Pizzelle
Pizzelle are a simple yet beautiful Italian cookie made with a special pizzelle press. The resulting cookie is sweet and buttery, and keeps well for days.
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Joe Lingeman
Brûléed Ricotta
This fast and easy dessert recipe features honey-sweetened ricotta that's brûléed and finished with fresh fruit.
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Eric Wolfinger
Italian Carrot Cake (Torta di Carote)
This just-sweet-enough Italian-style carrot cake skips nuts, spices, and raisins, to make it all about the carrots.
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Photo: Joe Lingeman/Kitchn; Food Styling: Cyd McDowell
Cannoli From Scratch
Cannolis are lovely little tubes of deliciousness.Here’s everything you need to know about making them at home.
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Photo: Tara Donne | Food Stylist: Cyd McDowell
Great Homemade Affogato
The Italian coffee-based dessert is made with just three ingredients — espresso, gelato, and a shot of liqueur. Here's how to make the very best one at home, even without an espresso machine.
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Kristin Teig; Food Styling: Catrine Kelty
Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
This ultra-moist chocolate cake is deep and rich in flavor and best served with whipped cream and toasted hazelnuts.
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Joe Lingeman
Classic Granita with Any Fruit
This granita is the easiest frozen fruit dessert ever — and you can use whichever fresh fruit you have on hand.
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Faith Durand
The Best Panna Cotta
Panna cotta really is the perfect dessert. It's practically foolproof and accommodating to many dietary adjustments, being naturally gluten-free and adaptable to dairy-free and vegan diets.
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Faith Durand
Hazelnut & Olive Oil Shortbread
You can mix these cookies up in less than 5 minutes, and they bake off in a flash. They taste delicious too: Sweet, nutty, savory from the oil, and salty on the finish.
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Emily Han
Ricotta Mousse With Balsamic-Black Pepper Cherries
A little balsamic vinegar with freshly ground black pepper punches up fresh cherries and lends an intriguing note to this light yet decadent dessert.
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Nealey Dozier
Chocolate & Hazelnut Praline Gelato
Rich dark chocolate and toasty hazelnut form the perfect marriage of flavor in this creamy homemade gelato.
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