26 Italian Recipes You'll Want To Make On Repeat This Summer
Pretend you're on the Amalfi Coast this summer with these Italian-inspired meals you can make at home.
Maybe you've been dreaming of a trip to Italy or perhaps your summer travel plans were cancelled. Bring a little slice of Italy into your own kitchen with these delicious recipes. Pour yourself an Aperol spritz or open a bottle of chilled Friuli wine and buon appetito.
You can find squash or zucchini blossoms at most specialty markets or at your local farmer's market. Fill them with a mixture of ricotta, egg, Parmesan, and lemon zest, and fry them until crispy on the outside but melty on the inside. Get the recipe for ricotta stuffed squash blossoms here.
2. Stuffed Chicken Marsala
Classic chicken marsala gets a little upgrade. These chicken breasts are stuffed with a mixture of mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese. Then, they're tossed in a creamy mushroom sauce. Get the recipe for stuffed chicken marsala here.
3. Tuscan Sausage Ragu
There are no fancy ingredients required for this comforting ragu. You'll need some sausage, carrot, celery, onion, canned tomatoes, and red wine to get started. Then serve the hearty sauce over your favorite kind of pasta. Get the recipe for Tuscan sausage ragu here.
This classic Roman recipe is sort of like mac 'n' cheese, except more sophisticated. Pasta gets tossed in a creamy sauce made with Parmesan, egg yolk, garlic, shallots, and bacon or pancetta. Get the recipe for pasta carbonara here.
5. Pasta Alla Norma
This Sicilian recipe — a pasta perfect for summer — is made with penne, grilled eggplant, tomato sauce, ricotta cheese, and basil pesto. Get the recipe for pasta alla norma here.
6. Crispy Lemon Roasted Baby Artichokes
A crowd-pleasing appetizer inspired by Roman cuisine, these baby artichokes come together with just four ingredients. You can roast them or fry them so they get extra crispy. Get the recipe for crispy lemon roasted baby artichokes here.
This light-as-air, melt-in-your-mouth gnocchi comes together in less than 30 minutes. All you need is ricotta cheese, egg yolks, flour, and Parmesan, plus your favorite pasta sauce. Get the recipe for 20-minute ricotta gnocchi here.
Chicken breast gets dredged in flour then pan-seared and coked in a tangy sauce made of garlic, chicken broth, butter, lemon, and capers. Get the recipe for chicken piccata here.
9. Bucatini all’Amatriciana
The best thing about this delicious pasta dish is that you can make it using mostly pantry ingredients like onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, tomato purée, and balsamic vinegar. Get the recipe for bucatini allamatriciana here.
If making seafood at home seems intimidating, this loaded stew will change your mind. Just add whatever seafood you have on hand like white fish, mussels, shrimp, and scallops into the tomato broth and let it simmer. Get the recipe for Ina Garten's easy cioppino here.
You don't need any fancy ingredients or an overnight rise to make this delicious focaccia bread. Just knead it quickly with your hands, let it sit for about 40 minutes, and prepare to bake. This recipe calls for olives and rosemary, but you can garnish your focaccia with any of your favorite veggies, herbs, or spices. Get the recipe for rosemary and olive no-knead focaccia here.
12. Oven-Baked Squash Risotto with Sage & Pancetta
You don't have to worry about all that monotonous stove top stirring with this risotto. The whole thing comes together in the oven. Get the recipe for baked squash risotto with sage and pancetta here.
13. Italian Egg Bake
This one-pan egg dish is perfectly acceptable for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Eggs are baked into a garlicky tomato sauce with plenty of melted cheese and savory herbs on top. Get the recipe for Italian egg bake here.
14. Squid Ink Pasta With Buttery Lobster
If you can't get your hands on lobster, you can make this seriously savory pasta dish with just about any shellfish like shrimp, clams, mussels, and squid. Or better yet, buy a bunch of seafood and toss it all together. Get the recipe for squid ink pasta with buttery lobster here.
This vegetarian dish will satisfy even serious carnivores. Eggplant ribbons get stuffed with a mixture of mozzarella, chopped spinach, pecorino cheese, and spices, then it's. baked in a creamy tomato sauce. Get the recipe for eggplant rollatini here.
16. Crispy Chicken Parmesan
First, the chicken cutlets are fried so they get delightfully crispy. Then, they're baked with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil until bubbly. If you want to take this meal to the next level, make your tomato sauce from scratch. Get the recipe for crispy chicken Parmesan here.
For the best, most tender meatballs, use a mixture of ground beef and pork. These babies are baked from start to finish, but they still manage to get that nice crisp exterior. Get the recipe for easy Italian meatballs here.
Use this four ingredient polenta as a base for anything from roasted vegetables or meatballs to ragu. Get the recipe for roasted mushrooms with creamy polenta here.
19. Thin Crust Pizza
Looking for a fun activity to spice up a family dinner or date night, try making pizza dough from scratch. With a little practice and some technique, you'll be surprised just how good it comes out. If you don't have a pizza oven or stone, just heat up a baking sheet and cook the pie directly on top. Get the recipe for thin crust pizza here.
20. Tuscan Ribollita
This hearty Tuscan stew is full of veggies like tomatoes, kale, carrots, celery, and lots of cannelini beans in a chicken stock. Get the recipe for Tuscan ribollita here.
21. Heirloom Tomato Panzanella Salad
Start with stale crusty bread (like the sourdough you've been baking throughout quarantine) and toss it with fresh tomatoes, cucumber and red onion tossed in olive oil and red wine vinegar. Get the recipe for heirloom tomato panzanella salad here.
Stop buying store-bought Alfredo sauce and try making it from scratch. It tastes worlds better, and you only need a few simple ingredients like whipping cream, butter, cream cheese, garlic, Parmesan, and spices. Get the recipe for pasta with homemade Alfredo sauce here.
The Italian take on sweet-and-sour chicken, this dish is made with hot peppadews, Italian sausage, onion, garlic, lemon and lots of herbs. Get the recipe for chicken scarpariello here.
24. Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Olive oil might sound like an odd ingredient to add to cake, but it adds creaminess and a slightly savory flavor. Get the recipe for lemon olive oil cake here.
Making tiramisu from scratch is surprisingly easy. Dip Lady Fingers in cold espresso and, if you're using, coffee liqueur, then layer them beneath a mixture of mascarpone, heavy whipping cream, vanilla, and sugar. There's no cooking involved, just pop it into the fridge for a few hours. Get the recipe for easy homemade tiramisu here.
Ricotta, eggs, sugar, mascarpone, vanilla, and lemon juice form the bulk of this super creamy cheesecake. Just remember to set aside a few hours to refrigerate the cheesecake before serving. Get the recipe for lemon ricotta cheesecake here.