22 Italian Recipes Everyone Should Know How To Cook

Marinara sauce and basic tomato sauce, or sugo, are similar, but they're more cousins than they are twins. Sugo al pomodoro is an un-fussy, basic sauce that can be used on pasta or as a pizza base but works well with other ingredients, not necessarily as a standout aspect of the dish. It's ideal to have in your fridge or freezer to dress up boxed pasta, leftover chicken, or for dipping mozzarella sticks in. It's also a fantastic excuse to use up the mountain of tomatoes your garden is producing this summer. Fresh Roma tomatoes are ideal, but canned work just as well outside of peak season. Simmer them down with fresh garlic, basil, and good olive oil, and that's genuinely all you need to feel like you're standing in a Nonna's kitchen.

Recipe: Sugo al pomodoro

A classic marinara sauce is arguably the most quintessential Italian recipe to learn. It's a great recipe to have on-hand, easy to accomplish, and ideal to have in your fridge or freezer at any time. It's like sugo but with a lot more flavor. This version slow-roasts cherry tomatoes, onion, and garlic for a punch of sweetness, caramelized notes, and garlicky zing before it all gets blended. Serve it as chunky or as smooth as you'd like. A touch of balsamic vinegar and red pepper flakes round it out, leaving you with a deeply flavored sauce. Once you have a jar of this in the fridge, it'll find its way into pastas, chicken Parmesan, lasagna, and anything else that needs a hit of rich, homemade tomato flavor.

Recipe: Roasted tomato marinara sauce

Focaccia is one of those breads that looks like it requires a lot of skill but really just requires a little patience. The dough comes together quickly, rises twice, and gets pressed into a pan before baking. Those distinctive dimples you poke in aren't just decorative, they're what help the olive oil pool and give the bread its signature chewy, golden crust — and getting your hands in there is the fun part. This version is topped with green olives and crumbled feta, but the bread itself is endlessly customizable. Fair warning: If you serve this focaccia before a meal, there's a high chance it'll become the meal.

Recipe: Focaccia bread

A classic crusty Italian bread shines brighter not on its own, but as an accompaniment. It's the ideal vehicle for sopping up extra sauce, layering cured meats and cheeses, or slathering garlicky butter on as the perfect side to a hearty soup. Fear not — this recipe from nutritionist Miriam Hahn of YouCare-SelfCare requires no kneading and just five ingredients. The secret to achieving that signature crunchy crust here is a cast iron skillet or pizza stone, a sprinkle of cornmeal, and a bowl of water to create steam in the oven. After a few simple steps, you'll have a house filled with the mouthwatering scent of bread and a loaf you'll want to recreate for every meal.

Recipe: Crusty Italian bread

Cacio e pepe is not just fun to say, it's actually fun (and easy) to make! Translating directly to "cheese and pepper," this spaghetti dish is as simple as they come. The only other traditional ingredient is pasta water, but this recipe also calls for a bit of butter which goes a long way to achieve a silkily textured sauce. Since it's so simple, the quality of your ingredients is paramount here — that's why this recipe calls for Pecorino Romano and, if you can swing it, whole peppercorns, ground by hand. The key is to stir your spaghetti noodles well with the sauce before serving to blend everything smoothly. You can also crack on as much black pepper as your heart desires.

Recipe: Cacio e pepe

If you feel like the only people who are actually making fresh pasta are working to impress judges in Food Network competitions, you're wrong! Freshly-made pasta is easier than you think, and it can all come together with some basic kitchen tools. You really only need eggs and flour, but this recipe has you infuse fresh herbs into the dough for some lovely extra layers of flavor. Unlike boxed pasta, fresh pasta cooks in just a couple of minutes. Whip up your favorite sauce and find out why everyone agrees that the fresh stuff is vastly superior to dried, boxed noodles.

Recipe: Homemade pasta

Fried calamari is one of the best Italian appetizers to order at a restaurant, but there's really no reason you can't make it fresh at home. You can purchase unbreaded calamari (squid) rings fresh or frozen from most grocery stores. The key to great calamari is perfectly crispy breading and a great marinara for dipping, and this recipe achieves both. Soaking your calamari in buttermilk is a unique step that tenderizes the squid and helps the breadcrumb coating stick. If a deep fryer scares you, you're in the right place — this recipe comes together with a nifty air fryer, minimal mess, and the same golden crispy bite you know and love.

Recipe: Air fryer calamari with simple marinara sauce

An authentic Italian meal is rarely just one course, and the first is typically a pasta-based dish, or, even a pasta-based soup. Pasta e fagioli is a quintessential Italian soup, packed with veggies and tons of fragrant herbs. This version calls for not one, but three types of beans, plus canned tomatoes, carrots, onion, and small pasta shells. A Parmesan rind tossed in while the soup simmers is a notorious Italian trick for extra-rich flavor. Serve it with crusty bread on a chilly night, or with a squeeze of lemon to brighten all those fragrant flavors.

Recipe: Pasta e fagioli

If you've got spaghetti, garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes, you've got dinner. Aglio e olio is one of those Italian dishes that proves a great meal doesn't require much, just solid ingredients and a little kitchen skill. The key is toasting the garlic low and slow in the oil without letting it burn (use your nose to get it right), then using reserved pasta water to bring everything together into a glossy, light sauce that clings to every strand. A little lemon zest at the end uplifts the whole thing. It takes 20 minutes, start to finish, and works for hot summer lunches as easily as chilly nights in.

Recipe: Simple aglio e olio

If there's one Italian dish that has achieved universal approval from picky eaters, fussy kids, and all, it's penne alla vodka. It's a unique, distinctly Italian, yet crowd-pleasing icon. A depth of flavor comes from simmered onions and garlic, while a sprinkling of sugar leaves you with the perfect level of sweetness to balance other flavors. Cream goes in at the end, resulting in a rich, slightly sweet, rosy-hued sauce that's hard to stop eating. Swap penne for rigatoni or fusilli if you want something with more nooks to catch the sauce, and don't skip a hearty grating of good Parmesan at the end.

Recipe: Penne alla vodka

Homemade gnocchi sounds like a project, but it's mostly just patience — and we promise that the payoff is worth it. Two potatoes, some flour, an egg, and you've got pillowy little dumplings that cook in minutes and pair with just about any sauce you'd like. The key to keeping them light is drying the potatoes out thoroughly before mixing the dough, so they don't get mushy or dense, and there's a great trick for that in this recipe. Make a big batch, freeze what you don't use, and you'll have a homemade dinner ready in under five minutes on any given night.

Recipe: Potato gnocchi

That creamy, green pea-studded pasta you've seen on casual Italian chain menus is not what the Romans have been raving about for generations. Traditional carbonara contains no cream. Instead, the sauce comes entirely from eggs, cheese, and starchy pasta water that ties it all together into something irresistibly silky. That is achieved by working quickly off the heat so the eggs emulsify rather than scramble, which is a technique worth mastering. Long noodles are the move here, helping cook raw yolk and mix everything together. This recipe uses bacon, which is easy to find and works well, but if you can get your hands on pancetta or guanciale, it's worth the upgrade.

Recipe: Pasta carbonara

Risotto is one of those dishes that can be tricky to master, but is oh so worth it when you do. It really just requires babysitting a pot of Arborio rice and stirring a bunch to achieve a texture that is perfectly soft. But if that sounds like too much standing around for you, this recipe is the one. After sautéing onions and garlic, mixing in the rice, and adding the stock, you can take the whole pot to the oven and let it do the work for you. After 45 minutes, a very generous dusting of high-quality Parmesan, and a good stirring, this creamy, cheesy risotto is ready to devour. 

Recipe: Parmesan risotto

You might not know that chicken Parmesan is technically Italian-American rather than Italian, but it's probably one of the dishes you'd most expect to find on a list like this. The method here involves butterflying and pounding the breasts flat (the thinner, the better), dredging in flour, egg, and seasoned breadcrumbs, baking until golden (no pesky deep-frying here), and then finishing with sauce and a generous layer of both mozzarella and Parmesan. Serve it over pasta or alongside a simple salad, or toss it between bread for a hearty hero.

Recipe: Chicken Parmesan

Mushroom lovers, this one is for you. Chicken Marsala sounds like something that would take all day, but it comes together in about 30 minutes and is a satisfying dish that feels fancier than your usual weeknight dinner. The sauce is built from earthy cremini mushrooms (or portobello mushrooms), sweet red Marsala wine, chicken stock, and cream, all reduced together in the same pan in which the chicken was cooked. A word on the wine: Look for actual Marsala, not a cooking wine with corn syrup. If you can't find Marsala wine, this recipe has a few swaps that work well. Serve it over pasta or with a piece of crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Recipe: Chicken Marsala

Some Italian dishes are hearty and homey, and others are light and summery. It's important to have both kinds of Italian recipes in your wheelhouse. For proteins, no dish is more summery and bright than a classic chicken piccata. Italian-style thin cutlets are dredged in flour and served in a buttery lemon-capers sauce that comes together quickly and tastes like something straight from a fancy restaurant. Capers are non-negotiable here; their briny, punchy bite is what gives the whole thing an elevated feel. Serve it over pasta, mashed potatoes, or eat it on its own. Leftovers on a brioche roll the next day are also never a bad idea.

Recipe: Chicken piccata

Veal feels like a special-occasion protein, and Milanese is a great introduction to cooking with it. It's a great dish for summer days or lighter meals, since it's one of the few Italian dishes that don't include heavy sauces or lots of cheese. Thin cutlets get breaded in a Parmesan-seasoned panko crust and pan-fried until deeply golden. They come out with a delicious crunch and juicy interior, typically served with lemon-dressed arugula for a tangy, peppery bite. Shave some more Parmesan on top, and voila! If you can't find veal, the same method works just as well with chicken or pork.

Recipe: Crispy veal Milanese with arugula

Chicken and veal make up a big chunk of Italian cuisine, but don't forget that Italy is largely surrounded by water, and some of its most iconic dishes are seafood-based. This Italian-American dish quite literally translates to "brother devil," which tells you everything you need to know about the spice level. It consists of succulent shrimp tossed in a thick marinara sauce with a lovely depth of spice thanks to a hearty helping of red pepper flakes. This recipe takes about 10 minutes to come together, and while it's fantastic tossed with linguine, it also works by itself with a side of crusty bread or a lemony salad.

Recipe: Shrimp fra diavolo

If you want to master Italian cooking, you must master the art of the homemade meatball. Once you do, a jar of sugo and a pot of pasta are all you need to pull off a legitimately impressive dinner anytime. Adapted from registered dietician Kristen Carli's Italian uncle's recipe, one is about as traditional as it gets, with ground beef, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, garlic, and parsley, rolled and simmered low and slow in marinara for at least two full hours. That long simmer is what makes the difference between a good meatball and a great one.

Recipe: Homemade Italian meatballs

Ossobuco is the kind of dish you find on a restaurant's specials menu, so you might not have ever considered making it at home. It's really just a braise, which means most of the work happens in the oven while you do something else, like whipping up a Parmesan risotto for a side. Veal shanks get seared, then slow-cooked for about two hours until the meat is falling-off-the-bone tender and the marrow inside the bone becomes silky and spreadable — don't knock it 'til you try it! This recipe finishes with a sprinkle of herbaceous gremolata, which cuts through the richness of the braise and makes the whole thing taste distinctly Italian.

Recipe: Ossobuco

Tiramisu is a decadent dessert that feels super fancy, but it's essentially just espresso-soaked cookies layered with whipped mascarpone. This recipe doesn't necessarily take the easy way out, but the end result is so worth it. A splash of rum is a unique addition to this recipe, adding bold extra flavor. The biggest mistake people make with tiramisu is soggy ladyfingers. To avoid this, just dip them briefly in your espresso rather than letting them soak. It's worth noting that this recipe requires 24 hours of refrigeration, but it's sure worth the wait.

Recipe: Tiramisu

It's not an Italian meal if cannolis aren't passed around at the end! Originating in Sicily, these crispy pastry shells stuffed with sweetened ricotta are one of the most iconic Italian desserts. Making them at home is easier than you'd think, especially since this recipe skips the intimidating step of frying your own shells and instead calls for store-bought ones. Whipping up the filling is quick, and be sure not to skip those mini chocolate chips. One rule: Don't fill the shells until right before serving, or you'll end up with soggy cannoli, and nobody wants that.

Recipe: Easy cannolis