Who else enjoys Italian cuisine as much as I do? Pasta and some tomato sauce are not enough! We want traditional meatballs, rosemary risotto, Italian bruschetta, and Tuscan chicken. If your mouth watered to the previous list, you’re exactly in the right place. Be transported to the beautiful country of Italy with my 10 favorite traditional Italian recipes.
No matter if you already have any Italian cuisine knowledge or you are new in this area and you are just curious, this round-up is for you. The 10 recipes are easy to make and they respect the traditional Italian directions as much as possible.
1. Caprese Chicken with Smashed Potatoes
You sauté chicken, top it with sundried tomatoes and cheese, and put it in the oven. Finally, garnish it with balsamic vinegar and fresh basil and serve it over creamy mashed potatoes. This recipe is super easy to make for any occasion or just dinner night with the family. It also gives you a little piece of Italy’s flavor bouquet.
2. Chicken Parmesan
Chicken parmesan is one of the most popular non-pasta dishes in Italian-American-style restaurants. However, while this delicious meal may seem fancy, it’s actually pretty easy to make at home. The ingredient list is small and also super affordable; you basically need only chicken breast, parmesan cheese, tomato sauce, and Italian seasonings. Also, don’t forget about the eggs, bread crumbs, and flour for the batter mixture you’ll need for the chicken.
3. Homemade Calzone Recipe
Calzones are Italian turnovers that are stuffed with your favorite pizza ingredients. Pretty much anything that goes on a pizza can go into a calzone (cheese, tomato sauce, mushrooms, olives, meat, and so on). The ingredients are placed on one-half of the circular-shaped pizza dough. Then, the dough is folded over, pinched, and sealed by coating it with an egg wash or olive oil. Finally, just bake your calzone in the oven until golden brown for one of the easiest Italian recipes out there!
4. Italian Meatballs
Italian meatballs are incredibly tender and juicy with irresistible flavors that will bring a piece of Italy into your kitchen. Made with ground beef, onion, garlic, parmesan cheese, and parsley, these oven-baked meatballs are well seasoned with an Italian herb mix and ready to be served in just 30 minutes. Isn’t this just amazing?
5. Neapolitan Pizza Recipe
Eating pizza in Naples, the place where pizza was invented, will transform your expectations when it comes to pizza in general. Most Neapolitan pizzas are baked in a wood-fired pizza oven that’s around 800 to 1000 degrees F, that’s why the crust is soft and super thin. Next, the crust on Neapolitan pizzas is typically spread simply with tomatoes, usually the San Marzano variety, and then with fresh mozzarella slices and basil leaves.
6. Rosemary Mushroom Risotto
This traditional Italian recipe is perfect for any fancy gathering with friends and loved ones at home. It is full of fresh flavors like rosemary, lemon, and parsley and the mushrooms and parmesan add the right amount of heartiness and creaminess to the bowl. It is also a one-pot recipe that is ready in no time; so, we can see only benefits when it comes to this Italian dish.
7. Sausage Arugula Pizza
Who wants a pizza that looks healthy? This sausage arugula pizza recipe comes straight from Italy and it is sure to convince any veggies lovers that pizza can be healthy too!
The arugula adds a sharp taste to the pizza and it helps balance out the flavors from the crust to the garlic and the sausage. This is such a summerish pizza, best served with a glass of icy white wine. You can’t hate this pizza recipe, as it is one of the easiest out here and is also super fresh.
8. Tuscan Chicken
Juicy chicken breasts are seasoned with Italian spices and cooked on the stovetop until golden. Next, it is simmered in the fanciest cream sauce filled with parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, onions, and fresh spinach leaves. Finally, there you have a super good-looking Italian traditional dish that is sure to please anybody. It is also a kids’ favorite!
9. Pasta Fagioli al Forno
The name of this Italian-inspired dish means “baked pasta with beans.” Now, this sounds really interesting! Also, this traditional recipe is ready in only one hour and it is sure to become one of your family’s favorite comfort foods! Just imagine a pan full of juicy Italian sausage, tender penne pasta, cannellini beans, and a rich tomato sauce with an amazing depth of flavor. Not to mention that you add a fantastic amount of cheese mix in order to make this even creamier!
10. Bruschetta Recipe
Chopped fresh tomatoes with garlic, basil, olive oil, and vinegar, served on toasted slices of Italian bread. This is the ultimate appetizer for any Italian cuisine lover. Not to mention that you don’t need to use your oven or stovetop. To be honest, I prepare these Italian bruschettas for any late Sunday breakfasts in order to spoil myself. I just love the garlic and vinegar flavors on the fresh tomatoes.
One tip to remember is that you should use high-quality balsamic vinegar for the best results.
Which Italian Recipes Are Your Favourites?
All in all, these are my 10 best Italian recipes that I’ll surely serve to any of my Italian relatives – I’m sure they will feel their home with every bite. Having Italian relatives, I was always exposed to their specific cuisine, the fresh herbs, and all the magic techniques. So,2 this round-up was quite easy for me to come up with. However, I’m aware that I’m one of the lucky ones, and many of you are new in this area. So, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments below any questions and express any personal dilemmas. We are all here to learn!
Last but not least, for those of you who are also familiarized with Italian dishes and traditional recipes, please let me know your personal favorites in the comments. I’m super excited to hear from you!
