52 Classic Italian Dinner Recipes That Go Beyond Pasta
Eat, pray, love, but emphasis on the eating part.
Okay, we know you love pizza and pasta. But we've got more Italian-inspired dinner ideas that'll have you feeling like you have your own Italian nonna on-call to teach you how to make a transcendent pappardelle with Bolognese. These classic Italian dinner recipes will help you venture outside the Olive Garden (although we do love the OG) and highlight some of the many diverse flavors in Italian cuisine. Our traditional recipes for skillet chicken cacciatore, pasta e fagioli, and skillet eggplant Parm will have you feeling like you're running your own Roman trattoria in no time.
Think outside the pasta box with our favorite homemade Italian classics that will make any weeknight feel like a special occasion. Our dream Italian feast? We love pairing a hearty stew like osso buco with creamy risotto. Add a side of sheet-pan panzanella on the side, and you'll be sure to get more than few chef's kisses. Okay, maybe add a glass of vino or Negroni for good measure too.
There's no coincidence that the "eat" portion of Eat, Pray, Love took place in Rome, and we've got plenty of Italian pasta recipes to prove it. And we're not just talking about spaghetti & meatballs either. There are actually four classic Roman pasta dishes: pasta alla gricia, bucatini all'amatriciana, spaghetti carbonara, and cacio e pepe. No surprise: They're all wildly good. But don't stop there! Try our recipe for homemade pasta dough, homemade cavatelli, and ricotta gnudi for the most authentic pasta night ever.
Cooking Italian food for dinner is one of the better decisions to be made all week long. The absolute best idea? Pair a fun Italian dessert to go with this feast—but hey, it's your party! Mangia!
Carbonara Pizza
![Carbonara Pizza carbonara pizza](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/delish-210419-carbonara-pizza-05-landscape-jg-1662421024.jpeg?resize=480:*)
If you can't get enough of Rome's famous spaghetti carbonara, then we have a sneaking suspicion you'll love this extra-cheesy pizza version. Keep it simple with a side of peppery arugula dressed with olive oil and lemon juice to cut the richness of the pie!
Get the Carbonara Pizza recipe.
Easy Chicken Parm
![chicken parm in a red cast iron skillet chicken parm in a red cast iron skillet](https://hips.hearstapps.com/del.h-cdn.co/assets/17/06/1486652910-easy-chicken-parmp1.jpg?resize=480:*)
There are hundreds (maybe thousands) of chicken Parm recipes in the world, but this one is our favorite. Crispy, well-seasoned chicken, a flavorful tomato sauce with a kiss of sweetness, and, of course, tons of melty cheese. It's easy, simple, and classic.
Get the Easy Chicken Parm recipe.
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
![Homemade Spaghetti Sauce homemade spaghetti sauce](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/homemade-spaghetti-sauce-vertical-1662413671.jpg?resize=480:*)
If Julia Child taught America how to roast chicken, Marcella Hazan taught us how to make good pasta sauce. Her version is a little unconventional; the onion isn't sautéed, the sauce simmers for less than an hour, and there's a lot of butter. It's the easiest and, most likely, best red sauce you'll ever make at home.
Get the Homemade Spaghetti Sauce recipe.
Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
![Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore slow cooker chicken cacciatore](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/slow-cooker-chicken-cacciatore-horizontal-1662567389.png?resize=480:*)
We love slow cookers because they do all of the work for us, meaning we can do literally anything else while the chicken cooks. Need dinner faster? Make our classic chicken cacciatore instead.
Get the Slow-Cooker Chicken Cacciatore recipe.
Cacio e Pepe
![Cacio e Pepe cacio e pepe](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/delish-cacio-e-pepe-vertical-1662413601.jpg?resize=480:*)
Cacio e pepe literally translates to “cheese and pepper." These two ingredients are usually thought of as small components to a dish, but in this pasta recipe, they take center stage. The fruity bite of freshly ground pepper adds complexity and is earthy, sweet, and spicy all at once.
Get the Cacio e Pepe recipe.
Italian Sausage & Pepper Frittata Affogato
![Italian Sausage & Pepper Frittata Affogato italian sausage pepper frittata affogato](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/frittata-affogato2-1662413900.jpg?resize=480:*)
Breakfast meets dinner in this marinara- and mozzarella-topped dish. Fittingly, the Italian word "affogato" means drowned, which explains the marinara topping. It lends this dish a vibe somewhere between a breakfast frittata and pizza, meaning it’s enjoyable for pretty much any meal of the day.
Get the Italian Sausage & Pepper Frittata Affogato recipe.
Pasta Pomodoro
![Pasta Pomodoro pasta pomodoro](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/delish-190903-pasta-pomodoro-0207-portrait-pf-1662569114.jpg?resize=480:*)
Pasta pomodoro is a step above from spaghetti and meatballs and highlights the freshness of tomatoes. You're cooking down the tomatoes just enough to form a light sauce but keeping most of them intact. It's the freshest pasta and is best enjoyed outside with a mound of grated Parmesan.
Get the Pasta Pomodoro recipe.
Sheet-Pan Panzanella
![Sheet-Pan Panzanella sheet pan panzanella](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/sheet-pan-panzanella1-1662420684.jpeg?resize=480:*)
Panzanella—an Italian salad made with dried bread cubes—is one of the most delicious versions of salad. That's because it stars bread as the main ingredient rather than lettuce. Perhaps this is why we love making panzanella as often as possible—with asparagus in spring, with tomatoes and zucchini in summer, and even with peaches and burrata too.
Get the Sheet-Pan Panzanella recipe.
Spaghetti and Meatballs
![Spaghetti and Meatballs Vertical spaghetti and meatballs vertical](https://hips.hearstapps.com/del.h-cdn.co/assets/17/39/1506456122-delish-spaghetti-meatballs-2.jpg?resize=480:*)
Meet your new favorite comforting, no-frills bowl of spaghetti and meatballs that you can take in any direction. We love this simple Marcella Hazan-inspired spaghetti sauce, and we especially love changing up our classic Italian meatball recipe with all kinds of fun flavor combinations, like cheesy Tex-Mex meatballs and spicy harissa meatballs.
Get the Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe.
Ricotta Gnudi
![Ricotta Gnudi ricotta gnudi](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/gnudi-recipe-1662568881.jpg?resize=480:*)
Making gnudi, or Italian ricotta dumplings, only sounds fancy. They're actually an easy pasta dinner anyone can pull off. If you love gnocchi as much as we do, you'll likely love these too. The only real difference? Gnocchi is made with potato and gnudi is made with ricotta, which makes them even more tender, light, and plump.
Get the Ricotta Gnudi recipe.
Easy Frittata
![Easy Frittata easy frittata](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/delish-210111-customizable-frittata-001-ab-1662420206.jpeg?resize=480:*)
There is no limit to what you can add to a frittata. It's a versatile dish that can handle most things you throw at it, and our recipe has all the tips and tricks to getting a fluffy-centered, crispy-edged frittata every time.
Get the Easy Frittata recipe.
Caprese Chicken Saltimbocca
![Caprese Chicken Saltimbocca caprese chicken saltimbocca](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/caprese-chicken-saltimbocca3-1662419126.jpeg?resize=480:*)
For this summery dish, you'll start by crisping up chicken cutlets that are wrapped in prosciutto (this technique comes from the Italian "saltimbocca" dish made with veal, wine, and sage rather than chicken, balsamic, and basil). Next, you'll finish them off in a tangy vinegar sauce, then top the whole thing with mozzarella and tomatoes for a fresh and fast crowd-pleaser.
Get the Caprese Chicken Saltimbocca recipe.
Easy Carbonara
![Easy Carbonara easy carbonara](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/1453933735-carbonara-delish-1-1662413725.jpg?resize=480:*)
This pasta dish with Roman origins is a sure win, calling for just 5 ingredients and done in 20 minutes. It’s basically a pantry dive—spaghetti, bacon, garlic, eggs, and Parmesan are all ingredients that are easy to have on hand and make this the ultimate comfort food.
Get the Easy Carbonara recipe.
Italian Wedding Soup
![Italian Wedding Soup italian wedding soup](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/delish-italian-wedding-soup-064-1544222426-1-1662420069.png?resize=480:*)
If you asked us to name our favorite comfort foods, pasta, soup, and meatballs would all be at the top of the list. So it’s no surprise that Italian wedding soup is one of our favorite meals when the weather turns chilly. Loaded with mini chicken meatballs, little pasta nuggets, and plenty of veg, it’s like an upgraded version of chicken noodle soup, and we can’t get enough of it!
Get the Italian Wedding Soup recipe.
Chicken Saltimbocca
![Chicken Saltimbocca chicken saltimbocca](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/delish-210212-chicken-saltimboca-002-ab-1662419188.jpeg?resize=480:*)
In Italian, saltimbocca means "jumps in the mouth"—this delightful and sinfully simple recipe does just that. Saltimbocca also refers to the Roman style of preparing cutlets of meat, where the cutlet is pounded thin and wrapped in prosciutto and hearty, herbaceous sage. Though it can be served straight-up, we added a delicious and easy white wine sauce that pairs beautifully with the chicken.
Get the Chicken Saltimbocca recipe.
Pasta alla Norma
![Pasta alla Norma pasta alla norma](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/20200930-ehg-delish-pasta-alla-norma-12620-1662421243.jpeg?resize=480:*)
Pasta alla Norma is an easy Sicilian pasta dish with eggplant that is essentially pan-fried, plus lots of ricotta salata. Go slow with the eggplant. You want to gently cook it in plenty of oil so that they turn deeply golden and slightly crispy all over. Just try not to eat all of them before they make it into the pasta!
Get the Pasta alla Norma recipe.
Creamy Chicken Marsala
![Chicken Marsala - Delish.com Chicken Marsala - Delish.com](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/delish-190814-chicken-marsala-0108-portrait-pf-1567185387.jpg?resize=480:*)
Chicken marsala is a classic Italian American dish that's creamy, quick, and irresistible. The creamy sauce made of mushrooms, marsala wine, and heavy cream is straight-up drinkable, and we love serving it over a big pile of spaghetti or angel hair. It's the perfect weeknight dinner, and we don't even feel guilty making it three nights in a row.
Get the Creamy Chicken Marsala recipe.
Fresh Pasta Dough
![Fresh Pasta Dough fresh pasta dough](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/20200625-pasta-dough-ehg-11242-1662419264.jpeg?resize=480:*)
Pasta night deserves a special pasta. Making your own dough takes a bit of time, but the process itself isn't complicated. The dough is made from 3 basic ingredients and comes together in minutes.
Get the Fresh Pasta Dough recipe.
Osso Buco
![Osso Buco osso buco](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/osso-bucco1-1662420783.jpeg?resize=480:*)
Literally translated to “off the bone,” osso buco is a traditional northern Italian stew that celebrates the impossible tenderness of crosscut veal shank. It’s true, this recipe does take a bit of time, but we promise it’s worth it. Lucky for you, this is the epitome of a make-ahead dish—it tastes even better the next day!
Get the Osso Buco recipe.
How To Make Risotto
![How To Make Risotto how to make risotto](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/delish-191112-risotto-rice-0168-portrait-pf-1662414126.jpg?resize=480:*)
This easy rice dish is as comforting as it comes, and while it may seem intimidating, it really is simple. All you need is an hour, some arborio rice, good-quality chicken broth, a little butter and cheese and wine, along with your favorite aromatics like onion, garlic, and basil.
Get the How To Make Risotto recipe.
Mackenzie Filson is a food writer and contributing digital food producer at Delish. Her favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate-pine. If wine was an astrological sign she'd be a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. She's never met a bag of Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos she didn't eat in one sitting.