Skip to content

Top Navigation

Food & Wine Food & Wine
  • Recipes & Cooking
  • Drinks
  • Travel
  • Holidays & Events
  • News
  • F&W Classic
  • Video
  • Kitchen & Home
  • F&W Pro

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Wine Club
  • Podcast
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Food & Wine

Food & Wine Food & Wine
  • Explore

    Explore

    • F&W Cooks

      Food and Wine presents a new network of food pros delivering the most cookable recipes and delicious ideas online. Read More Next
    • Our 22 Best Crock Pot and Slow-Cooker Recipes

      Looking to amp up your beef stew but unsure where to start? A slow cooker can can take your comfort food to the next level. Read More Next
    • 50 Affordable Wines You Can Always Trust

      We’ve assembled a list of 50 of the world’s most reliable, inexpensive wines – bottles that offer amazing quality for their price year in and year out. Read More Next
  • Recipes & Cooking

    Recipes & Cooking

    See All Recipes & Cooking
    • Chicken Recipes
    • Comfort Food Recipes
    • Breakfast & Brunch Recipes
    • Salad Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Vegetable Recipes
    • Pasta & Noodle Recipes
    • Chefs
    • Meat & Poultry Recipes
    • Soup Recipes
    • Appetizer Recipes
    • Side Dishes
    • Fruit Recipes
    • Seafood Recipes
    • Special Diets
    • Cooking Techniques
    • Steal This Trick
  • Drinks

    Drinks

    See All Drinks
    • Wine
    • Cocktails & Spirits
    • Coffee Drinks & Recipes
    • Juices
    • Beer & Brews
    • Champagne & Sparkling Wine
    • Tea Recipes & Ideas
  • Travel

    Travel

    See All Travel
    • Wine Regions
    • Restaurants
  • Holidays & Events

    Holidays & Events

    See All Holidays & Events
    • Valentine's Day
    • Halloween
    • Passover
    • Hanukkah
    • Christmas
    • Gifts
    • Super Bowl
    • Easter
    • Thanksgiving
    • New Year's Eve
    • Holiday Entertaining
  • News
  • F&W Classic
  • Video
  • Kitchen & Home
  • F&W Pro

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Wine Club
  • Podcast
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home Chevron Right
  2. Travel Chevron Right
  3. Europe Chevron Right
  4. Ultimate Italian Guide to Food, Wine, Travel and Style Chevron Right
  5. Italian Food

Italian Food

By Food & Wine
Updated May 10, 2017
Skip gallery slides
Save FB Tweet
Bring a taste of Italy to your kitchen with these fantastic Italian recipes. From easy ravioli to crisp-skinned porchetta, these dishes are full of flavor and perfect for your family dinner or party. Try one of these amazing dishes tonight.
Start Slideshow

1 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Bucatini Carbonara

Credit: © Anna Williams
Go to Recipe

Italian carbonara is famously rich, combining pancetta or guanciale (cured pork jowl), egg yolks and cheese. Chef Linton Hopkins adds his own Southern accent to the dish with house-cured pork and local eggs.

  • Fast Weekday Pastas

1 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Veal Scaloppine with Wilted Parsley, Lemon and Sesame

Go to Recipe

Marcia Kiesel wilts parsley to make a clever topping for quick-cooking veal scaloppine.

  • More Fantastic Veal Recipe

2 of 43

3 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Herbed Fazzoletti with Asparagus and Burrata

Credit: © Con Poulos
Go to Recipe

Creamy burrata cheese and tender asparagus pair well in this elegant pasta dish

  • More Delicious Pastas

3 of 43

Advertisement

4 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Slow Cooker Sunday Sauce on Spaghetti

Credit: © Fredrika Stjärne
Go to Recipe

This tomato-based pasta sauce is easy to make—just let all the ingredients simmer in a slow cooker for a few hours and serve with your favorite spaghetti.

  • Italian-American Classics

4 of 43

5 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Italian Meatballs in Caper-Tomato Sauce

Credit: © David Cicconi
Go to Recipe

Milk-soaked bread helps make chef Massimiliano Alajmo's beef-and-pork meatballs incredibly light; bits of chopped olive make them extra-flavorful. The thick tomato sauce coats the meatballs nicely and doubles as an excellent pasta sauce.

  • More Great Meatballs

5 of 43

6 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Chicken alla Diavola

Credit: © Dana Gallagher
Go to Recipe

Salvatore Denaro's pollo alla diavola ("devil's-style chicken") is intensely seasoned. Two days prior to cooking, Denaro infuses white wine vinegar with a big bunch of dried Sicilian oregano for a marinade. Then he seasons the marinated chicken with an exotic herb mixture, or condimento, that includes Turkish bay laurel ("the only kind to use," Denaro says) and myrtle leaves. Feel free to experiment with a variety of herbs for the condimento.

  • More Chicken Recipes

6 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Crisp-Skinned Porchetta with Lemon and Chile

Go to Recipe

Porchetta, a traditional Italian street food, is a moist and fatty fresh ham covered with skin that's heavily seasoned with salty garlic, rosemary, fennel and lemon. Chef James Lewis adds some heat to his version with crushed red pepper.

  • More Terrific Pork Recipes

7 of 43

8 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Eggplant Caponata with Golden Raisins

Credit: © Michael Turek
Go to Recipe

As a nod to the grape harvest, chef Ben Towill adds golden raisins to this tangy caponata. It's delicious on toast or with pecorino cheese.

  • Eggplant Recipes

8 of 43

9 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Sardinian Stuffed Eggplant

Credit: Quentin Bacon
Go to Recipe

Efisio Farris, the executive chef at Arcodoro in Houston, says that his mother used only eggplants from the first pick of the season (le primizie) for this dish because of their supple texture and earthy-sweet flavor without a hint of bitterness. But if you don't have the primizie option, you should seek out firm, heavy eggplants with smooth, evenly colored skin. Check for ripeness by pressing them lightly; if this leaves an imprint, the eggplant is ready to use.

  • Eggplant Recipes

9 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi with Tomato-Butter Sauce

Go to Recipe

Former Gotham Bldg Tavern chef Tommy Habetz describes gnudi as "ravioli filling without the pasta."; He learned how to make his outrageously light and creamy version while working at the former New York City restaurant Pó.

  • Delicious Homemade Pastas

10 of 43

11 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Toasted Pistachio–Cheese Arancini

Go to Recipe

This recipe for arancini—fried risotto balls—comes from Renato Poliafito, who got it from his Sicilian cousin Emanuele Sanfilippo. "Renato is obsessed with arancini," says Matt Lewis, "especially this version with toasted pistachios." These arancini are the size of tangerines, filled with creamy, cheesy rice, studded with nuts and green peas and encased in a great crunchy crust.

  • Tasty Risotto Recipes

11 of 43

12 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Autumn Fritto Misto

Credit: © John Kernick
Go to Recipe

Antonio Ciminelli prepares this starter year-round with whatever produce is in season. In the fall, that means apples, mushrooms and late-harvest zucchini, fried in a batter made extra-light and crisp by adding sparkling wine and whipped egg white. The fritto misto is best eaten hot from the pan, perhaps served in a paper cone.

  • More Crispy Fried Foods

12 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Beef Brasato with Pappardelle and Mint

Go to Recipe

Chef Chris Cosentino braises beef shank and oxtail in red wine to make a brasato he serves with house-made mint pappardelle. Instead of oxtail, this dish uses just beef shank. Fresh pappardelle from a store replaces the house-made kind.

  • More Recipes by Chris Cosentino

13 of 43

14 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Mozzarella with Summer Squash and Olive Puree

Credit: © Con Poulos
Go to Recipe

This dish, from chef Mathieu Perez is a take on the classic Italian mozzarella-tomato-basil Caprese salad. It depends on young, very fresh zucchini and summer squash. To prepare the recipe like Perez does at the restaurant, grate the olives finely with a Microplane grater instead of pureeing them.

  • More Cheese Dishes

14 of 43

15 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Baked Eggs en Cocotte with Basil

Credit: © Fredrika Stjärne
Go to Recipe

These baked eggs topped with melted butter are Piero Incisa della Rocchetta's go-to breakfast. The dish was also a favorite of his grandfather Mario, the founder of Italy's world-famous Sassicaia winery in Tuscany.

  • More Egg Dishes

15 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Tuscan Style Veal Chops

Go to Recipe

"Grill masters all over the world have noticed that when you grill a piece of meat and then anoint it with some kind of fat, it mixes with the meat juices and creates instant sauce," Steven Raichlen says. In Tuscany, olive oil is the fat of choice for finishing herbed veal chops like these.

  • More Juicy Grilled Meats

16 of 43

17 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Chickpea Panelle with Goat Cheese and Salsa Rustica

Credit: © John Kernick
Go to Recipe

Traditional panelle, the popular Sicilian chickpea fritter, is deep-fried. Melissa Kelly forms her panelle onto a sheet, lightly sprinkles it with goat cheese and bakes it. Then she cuts the panelle into pieces and sautés them until they're crisp.

  • More Sicilian Recipes

17 of 43

18 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Pecorino Ravioli with Walnuts and Marjoram

Credit: © Quentin Bacon
Go to Recipe

In adapting this recipe from chef Shea Gallante, Marcia Kiesel traded a labor-intensive fresh pasta for premade wonton wrappers and was thrilled with the results. Wonton wrappers are milder-tasting than fresh pasta, which makes them a better showcase for the nutty brown butter, delicate young pecorino cheese and fresh marjoram.

  • More Delicious Pastas

18 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Butter Beans in Miso Bagna Cauda

Credit: © Quentin Bacon
Go to Recipe

Creamy butter beans get flavor from a miso dressing in this terrific vegetarian dish .

  • More Vegetarian Recipes

19 of 43

20 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Chocolate-and-Pistachio Biscotti

Credit: © John Kernick
Go to Recipe

Kevin Sbraga varies these wonderful nutty biscotti, sometimes dipping them in melted dark chocolate for an extra layer of flavor.

  • More Cookie Recipes

20 of 43

21 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Antipasto Salad

Go to Recipe

This simple green salad is a refreshing antipasto, or appetizer.

  • More Great Salads

21 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Ricotta Gnudi with Chanterelles

Go to Recipe

These tender gnudi, adapted from Nancy Silverton's Mozza Cookbook, are delicious with buttery chanterelles.

  • More Chanterelle Recipes

22 of 43

23 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Grilled Mackerel with Sicilian Caper-Tomato Salsa

Go to Recipe

"Give mackerel a chance," begs Michael White. The Spanish fish he imports from Europe is grilled, which makes the skin enticingly crisp, then topped with a refreshing tomato-caper salsa.

  • More Healthy Fish Recipes

23 of 43

24 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Aged Gouda Biscotti with Walnuts

Credit: © Frances Janisch
Go to Recipe

These crunchy biscotti are surprisingly rich-tasting thanks to aged Gouda and chopped walnuts. Try other hard cheeses, too, like aged Prima Donna, a lighter Gouda-style cheese from the Netherlands.

  • Cooking with Cheese

24 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

25 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Rabbit Stew with Olives and Rosemary

Go to Recipe

"This is one of my favorite things on the planet," says Marco Canora about his savory rabbit stew. He loves sharing the recipe with his students because it's an opportunity to teach them about making battuto (similar to soffrito), a mixture of sautéed onion, celery and carrots that's the base for many Italian dishes.

  • More Hearty Stews

25 of 43

26 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Pizza Vesuvio with the Works

Credit: © Anson Smart
Go to Recipe

This half-pizza, half-calzone is named for Italy's Mount Vesuvius.

  • More Amazing Pizzas

26 of 43

27 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Jam-Filled Mezzaluna Cookies

Credit: © Marie Hennechart
Go to Recipe

Using a recipe Nancy Silverton taught her for a super-buttery dough, chef Dahlia Narvaez made vanilla-scented cookies shaped like mezzaluna ("half moon") pasta and filled them with a mixed-berry jam she found in Panicale.

  • More Cookie Recipes

27 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

28 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Porcini Risotto

Credit: © James Merrell
Go to Recipe

Daniel Humm's exceptionally easy risotto gets a sublime earthiness from fresh and dried porcini mushrooms.

28 of 43

29 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Italian Seafood Stew

Credit: © John Kernick
Go to Recipe

In this luscious, tomato-rich stew, Marco Canora cooks calamari slowly until it becomes supertender. He says calamari is absolutely essential to the success of the dish, because it releases its liquid as it simmers, which adds a huge amount of flavor to the sauce. "I'm a big fan of substitutions," he says, "but not in this case."

  • More Seafood Recipes

29 of 43

30 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Farro Salad with Fried Cauliflower and Prosciutto

Go to Recipe

Cooks in Italy fry cauliflower to bring out its nuttiness. Here, Ethan Stowell deep-fries it for a salad with salty prosciutto and nubby farro (a variety of whole-grain wheat).

  • Delicious, Quick Side Dishes

30 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

31 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Easy Ravioli

Go to Recipe

"Always err on the side of making ravioli dough a little bit sticky," Domenica Marchetti says. "You can sprinkle on more flour as you roll it out."

  • Pasta Recipes

31 of 43

32 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Free-Form Sausage-and-Three-Cheese Lasagna

Credit: © Quentin Bacon
Go to Recipe

The style of this gooey lasagna is called free-form because the pasta can be arranged in different ways—for instance, folded over the filling—instead of traditionally layered.

  • More Baked Pasta Dishes

32 of 43

33 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Vanilla Zabaglione with Raspberries

Go to Recipe

The ethereal Italian dessert sauce zabaglione (known in French as sabayon) consists of egg yolks beaten with sugar and the Sicilian fortified dessert wine Marsala. Steeping vanilla seeds in the Marsala adds lovely flavor; folding in whipped cream increases the decadence factor.

  • More Fruit Desserts

33 of 43

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

34 of 43

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Spinach-and-Sausage-Stuffed Peppers