Italian Dinner Recipes
A quick, curated collection of italian recipes for weeknights — designed for fast decisions and easy cooking.
Showing 36 italian-related recipes.
Crisp Gnocchi With Brussels Sprouts and Brown Butter
For a fantastic meal that can be ready in 20 minutes, toss together seared gnocchi and sautéed brussels sprouts with lemon zest, red-pepper flakes and brown butter The key to this recipe is how you cook the store-bought gnocchi: No need to boil Just sear them until they are crisp and golden on the outside, and their insides will stay chewy
Shrimp Scampi With Orzo
The universal appeal of shrimp scampi, frankly, isn’t the shrimp but the pan sauce: garlicky butter lightened with white wine and bursts of lemon, parsley and red-pepper flakes Scampi is often tossed with pasta or served with crusty bread, but this version instead uses quick-cooking orzo It simmers directly in the pan sauce, imparting a starchy gloss — and soaking up the garlicky scampi flavors
Caramelized Shallot Pasta
This pasta is all about the shallots, cooked down in a bath of olive oil to a jammy, caramelized paste Tomato paste is there for tanginess, and anchovies for saltiness, but they serve more as background flavors to the sweetness of the shallot This recipe makes enough caramelized shallot mixture for a double batch of pasta, or simply keep it refrigerated to spoon over fried eggs, or to serve underneath crispy chicken thighs or over roasted root vegetables like carrots or sweet potatoes.
One-Pan Orzo With Spinach and Feta
Similar to spanakorizo, a Greek spinach and rice dish, this easy, meatless meal features orzo, spinach, peas and scallions It is deeply satisfying but still on the lighter side of pasta recipes, thanks to all those vegetables A little feta gives it creaminess and tang, while some lemon zest brightens everything up
Classic Shrimp Scampi
Scampi are tiny, lobster-like crustaceans with pale pink shells (also called langoustines) Italian cooks in the United States swapped shrimp for scampi, but kept both names Thus the dish was born, along with inevitable variations
Cheesy White Bean-Tomato Bake
For those of you who love lasagna's edges, where sticky tomato meets crisp cheese, this whole dish is for you — even the middle A tube of tomato paste here mimics the deep flavors of sun-dried tomato Frying a few generous squeezes caramelizes the tomato's sugars and saturates the olive oil, making a mixture that's ready to glom onto anything you stir through it
Braised White Beans and Greens With Parmesan
Inspired by the Italian dish of sautéed puntarelle (an Italian variety of chicory) and white beans, this recipe makes a satisfying vegetarian main course or a hearty side dish for roast chicken or sausages It opts for canned white beans, for the sake of weeknight convenience, and Swiss chard, which is much milder than puntarelle and easier to find in the U.S Kale or escarole would also work well, if that’s what you’ve got
Spaghetti Carbonara
This dish is a deli bacon-egg-and-cheese-on-a-roll that has been pasta-fied, fancified, fetishized and turned into an Italian tradition that, like many inviolate Italian traditions, is actually far less old than the Mayflower Because America may have contributed to its creation, carbonara is Exhibit A in the back-and-forth between Italy and the United States when it comes to food Remember: the main goal is creaminess.
Crispy Gnocchi With Burst Tomatoes and Mozzarella
Pan-fried gnocchi is like a faster version of baked pasta Store-bought gnocchi can simply be browned in a pan for an exciting mix of crispy outsides and chewy middles, no boiling required This dish is studded with juicy tomatoes and melty pockets of mozzarella
Chicken Piccata
Chicken piccata is an Italian-American staple beloved for its piquant flavors cradled in a silky, butter-rich pan sauce It also doesn’t hurt that it cooks up very quickly This version is mostly traditional except that it uses lemon two ways, calling for lemon slices to be caramelized (to soften their tang) and for a hit of fresh juice at the end (to brighten the whole dish)
Crispy Gnocchi With Sausage and Broccoli
In this cozy, easy dinner, store-bought gnocchi, broccoli and little meatballs (made by pinching pieces of Italian sausage) roast together on a sheet pan When everything comes out of the oven bronzed and crisp, sprinkle it with Parmesan and stir: The heat from the sheet pan will help the cheese gloss the gnocchi Some lemon juice lightens the mix; for a little heat to balance the richness, use hot Italian sausage or a sprinkling of crushed red pepper.
Creamy, Spicy Tomato Beans and Greens
This weeknight wonder is for those who delight in turning a modest can of beans into a spectacular dinner Inspired by the flavors of red pesto, this recipe calls for simmering cannellini beans with staple ingredients like onion, garlic, crushed red pepper, tomato paste and heavy cream, as well as sun-dried tomatoes and salty Pecorino, until the results taste complex and rich Top the beans with a lemony arugula salad that is peppered with fried bread crumbs for a dish that is crunchy, chewy, crispy and creamy in every bite.
Cheesy Baked Pasta With Sausage and Ricotta
Like a cross between baked ziti and sausage lasagna, this mozzarella-topped pasta is rich with ricotta and crushed tomatoes — and cooks entirely in one pan, including the pasta The Italian sausage adds meaty depth to the sauce, but vegetarians can leave it out or use their favorite plant-based sausage instead.
Pasta e Ceci (Italian Pasta and Chickpea Stew)
There is an incredible number of recipes for this classic Roman dish, and everyone has an opinion on how it should be prepared This version is more stew than soup, but it can be loosened up with a bit more water if you prefer It begins with sautéing onion, tomatoes, garlic and rosemary in olive oil, then tossing in the chickpeas, and smashing a few to give the stew a creamy texture
Creamy Chickpea Pasta With Spinach and Rosemary
Luxurious and hearty, cheap and easy, this vegetarian pasta uses mostly pantry staples, requiring just a few fresh ingredients, like baby spinach, rosemary and heavy cream Canned chickpeas form the foundation of the dish: They’re cooked until crisp and caramelized Half are then saved as a garnish, while the rest are simmered until they break down and thicken the sauce
Chickpea Stew With Orzo and Mustard Greens
A complex and colorful chickpea stew, this is rich with vegetables, olive oil and Parmesan cheese You can vary the vegetables to use what you’ve got Here, I keep to the basics, adding carrots for sweetness, fennel or celery for depth, cherry tomatoes for looks
One-Pot Tortellini with Prosciutto and Peas
Luxurious in the end result but not in process, this quick, one-pot pasta features crisp shards of salty prosciutto, soft pillows of tortellini and bright pops of sweet peas in a silky lemon cream sauce The dish is inspired by pasta alla papalina, a more delicate carbonara that uses prosciutto instead of guanciale and Parmesan instead of Pecorino While pasta alla papalina often uses long noodles, this dish uses tortellini and cooks them right in the broth and heavy cream: No waiting for a pot of water to boil, and the starch from the pasta helps the cream thicken into a sauce
Pasta Alla Norma
This traditional Sicilian pasta dish of sautéed eggplant tossed with tomato sauce and topped with ricotta salata makes for a satisfying vegetarian dinner, and it can be thrown together in under an hour.
Crispy Gnocchi With Spinach and Feta
Inspired by the herbaceous and jaunty flavors of spanakopita, the savory, ever popular Greek pie, spinach and feta headline this textural gnocchi salad The spinach is not cooked, but is simply massaged, which softens it while ensuring it maintains its leafy structure Incorporating some feta to the spinach massage is a functional move — the salt in the feta helps to tenderize the leaves — but it also adds a hint of quiet luxury to this dish, as the leaves become coated with the creamy, briny cheese
One-Pot Zucchini-Basil Pasta
This no-colander-necessary, one-pot pasta method isn’t a gimmick: Cooking the noodles in just enough seasoned stock means they’re done in the same amount of time it takes the liquid to reduce into a concentrated, extra flavorful sauce Mascarpone makes it silky, though crème fraîche or even softened cream cheese would be solid substitutes While the pasta cooks, make a quick gremolata of chopped parsley, salted almonds and basil, which adds brightness and texture to the finished dish
Elaine’s Fettuccine Alfredo
This recipe came to The Times in a 2004 article about Elaine Kaufman, the founder and proprietress of the famed New York restaurant and celebrity hot spot that bore her name and where this dish was served There is nothing fancy or complicated about it — it’s glorified macaroni and cheese, really — but it is delicious and deeply satisfying (Fun fact: Jackie O
Blistered Broccoli Pasta With Walnuts, Pecorino and Mint
The trick to creating deeply browned, pan-seared broccoli involves two things: high heat and no touching Allowing your florets and stems to sear in an even layer, undisturbed, gives them time to blister without cooking all the way through, so they retain some crunch While many pasta sauces are finished with starchy pasta water, this one isn’t, since the hot water would strip the broccoli of that color and crunch you worked so hard to achieve
Farro With Mushrooms
Farro is chewier than Italian rice and doesn’t release starch when it’s cooked, so there’s no need to stir it the way you’d stir a risotto This hearty dish has a rich, earthy flavor Although it takes about twice as long as a risotto to cook, it doesn’t require tending.
Pasta With Spicy Sausage, Broccoli Rabe and Chickpeas
In this hearty weeknight pasta recipe, chickpeas contribute an earthy, nutty flavor to the classic combination of sausage and broccoli rabe The addition of Parmesan, butter, and lemon juice just before serving balances the heat from the sausage with a bit of richness, creating a bright and flavorful sauce in the process This pasta is incredibly versatile: You can use any sturdy greens or even broccoli in place of the broccoli rabe, and feel free to swap in whatever pasta shape and canned beans you have on hand
Lemony Pasta With Chickpeas and Parsley
You can used either canned or home-cooked chickpeas in this take on the classic Italian dish pasta con ceci, which is an excellent, nutritious, quick-cooking dinner But even more appealing is the way the soft earthiness of the chickpeas plays off the al dente pasta, coating it like a rich sauce but without a lot of fat The whole dish is zipped up with some lemon, garlic and red pepper flakes.
Pesto Beans
Part quick and rustic bean stew and part deconstructed pesto, this pesto-inspired one-pan meal requires no blender and minimal slicing It all starts out by sizzling nuts with a little turmeric in olive oil until golden The Parmesan cheese makes a creamy base for softened shallots and tender beans; then freshly torn basil leaves and lemon juice are stirred in at the end so they stay vibrant and fresh
Pasta With White Sausage Sauce
Pasta and sausage are a combination that usually suggests a dense, heavy tomato sauce But it can also mean the very opposite Sausage, used in small amounts, can contribute to a relatively light, almost delicate pasta sauce
Spicy and Saucy Cherry Tomato Pasta
In this incredibly easy weeknight pasta, red-pepper flakes, capers and tomato paste turn a simple cherry tomato sauce into something hearty enough for cold weather Sautéeing tomato paste until it caramelizes develops deep flavor, while pan-fried capers add crunch and red-pepper flakes provide heat For smokier undertones, you can use dried ancho chile or chile de árbol, chipotle powder or Aleppo pepper in place of the red-pepper flakes
Creamy Cauliflower Pasta With Pecorino Bread Crumbs
Equal parts cauliflower and pasta, this one-skillet dinner is a vegetable-forward version of macaroni and cheese A whole head of cauliflower browns and caramelizes in a skillet before being simmered with heavy cream, pecorino cheese and a bit of lemon zest, breaking down into a special (and yes, decadent) sauce to coat the pasta shape of your choosing For those looking to make it their own, this pasta could absolutely handle a bit of chopped bacon sautéed with the cauliflower, or handfuls of leafy greens tossed in at the end to wilt
Pasta With Garlicky Spinach and Buttered Pistachios
If you want to get the timing just right on this one — no wasted time — start the sauce a few minutes after you’ve dropped the pasta into the boiling water Your spinach should be wilted right around the time the pasta is al dente
Creamy Turmeric Pasta
This earthy pasta is cobbled together using ingredients that you almost certainly already have in your kitchen Its approach is fairly standard: Melt some butter, sauté some garlic and shallots, simmer with cream, then add some Parmesan and pasta cooking water to create a silky sauce That alone would make a great meal, but what makes this recipe really special is the addition of ground turmeric, which gives this simple dish its vibrant color and sophisticated depth of flavor
Pasta With Tuna, Capers and Scallions
There are about a gazillion ways to cook pasta using other pantry staples — things like garlic, bread crumbs, pecorino, capers, olives and especially, canned fish This recipe, pasta with tuna, anchovies and capers, showered with lots of green herbs and scallions, is one of my family’s household favorites I like it with a long, thin, twirlable pasta — spaghetti, linguine or bucatini — but you can use whatever pasta you have on hand
Sheet-Pan Mushroom Parmigiana
This smart weeknight dinner offers all the comforting flavors of a classic Parmigiana, but with minimal work Earthy portobello mushrooms are used here, offering a perfect cradle for the red sauce and creamy mozzarella Use good quality store-bought marinara sauce (vodka, arrabiata or amatriciana), a much-underrated pantry item that can turn around a meal quickly
Sausage Ragù
Meat sauce is one of the recipes many American home cooks start with It seems so easy; brown some hamburger, pour in a jar of marinara, and presto Meat sauce
Angel Hair Pasta
This simple yet satisfying pasta recipe is made with just a few pantry staples It comes together quickly and with ease, as angel hair is one of the fastest cooking pastas The classic combination of olive oil, butter, garlic and herbs is enough to coat the thin, delicate strands of pasta, but the addition of soft, bursting cherry tomatoes really sweetens the deal
Pasta With Kale Pesto and Roasted Butternut Squash
Here is a one-pot meal designed explicitly for the hungriness of a long-distance runner, with garlicky kale pesto and sweet roasted butternut squash Making the pesto with kale instead of basil gives it a structure the basil-rich original lacks, and it interacts beautifully with the crisp-and-soft smoothness of the roasted squash A terrific dish