Travel Europe Italy 27 Irresistible Italian Main Dishes By Food & Wine Editors Updated on February 12, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Italian food is the most popular global cuisine in America; pizza and pasta rank highest among the world's favorite dishes. Though the cuisine varies across Italy's 20 geographical regions and also through the American lens, the myriad combinations of iconic Italian ingredients like garlic, olive oil, rich tomatoes, fresh cheeses, pasta, and wine are infinitely compelling. Get inspired by the flavors of Italy with these delicious main dishes, from light and creamy Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi to Osso Buco with Citrus Gremolata and more. 01 of 27 Sun-Dried Tomato and Arugula Pizza © Ingalls Photography The secret to this crispy pizza: giving the dough lots of time to rise so it's pliant enough to stretch very thin. Make it the night before to allow for maximum flavor development, Get the Recipe 02 of 27 Free-Form Sausage and Three-Cheese Lasagna © Quentin Bacon 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. Get the Recipe 03 of 27 Grilled Fish with Artichoke Caponata © Stephanie Foley To top meaty mahimahi, chef Michael White makes a vinegary caponata (a Sicilian relish) with fresh artichoke hearts, not the traditional tomatoes and eggplant. Trimming artichokes can be time-consuming, so buy marinated artichoke hearts from the grocery store instead. Get the Recipe 04 of 27 Beef Brasato with Pappardelle and Mint © TINA RUPP Chef Chris Cosentino braises beef shank and oxtail in red wine to make a brasato he serves with housemade mint pappardelle. This easier version uses just beef shank; feel free to purchase the fresh pappardelle from the store instead of making your own. Get the Recipe 05 of 27 Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi with Tomato-Butter Sauce © Catherine Ledner Chef Tommy Habetz describes gnudi as "ravioli filling without the pasta." Gnudi are of Tuscan origin, and a fresh Tuscan white wine — particularly a Vernaccia — makes a perfect pairing for Habetz's recipe. Get the Recipe 06 of 27 Swordfish Sicilian-Style © Greg DuPree In 2018, Food & Wine named this recipe from the late, legendary cookbook author Marcella Hazan as one of our 40 best. Hazan joined F&W as a contributing editor in 1992; of all the wonderful recipes she created, our all-time favorite is this quick-cooking swordfish, where an oregano-infused sauce imparts bright flavor to hot-off-the-grill steaks. Get the Recipe 07 of 27 Gorgonzola, Fig, and Pancetta Pizza © Anson Smart This pizza hits all the right notes. It's topped with salty pancetta, funky gorgonzola, and sweet, juicy fresh figs. Enjoy it with a refreshing lager or sparkling rosé. Get the Recipe 08 of 27 Braised Chicken all'Arrabbiata © Quentin Bacon All'Arrabbiata means "in an angry style" in Italian. At Marzano in Oakland, California, chef Robert Holt braises his chicken with five kinds of peppers in a wood-fired oven. Here, spice the chicken with poblano and chile flakes, then braise it. For extra kick, toss in some hot pickled cherry peppers. Get the Recipe 09 of 27 Balsamic and Rosemary-Marinated Florentine Steak © Marie Hennechart Chef Matt Molina prepares this dish by marinating porterhouse steak in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and lots of fresh chopped rosemary overnight. It gets a char on the grill, then roasts in the oven to finish cooking. Get the Recipe 10 of 27 Pea and Bacon Risotto © Petrina Tinslay Sweet peas and salty bacon come together in this creamy risotto from Tom Colicchio's New York City restaurant Craft. It's especially wonderful paired with Oregon Pinot Noir. Get the Recipe 11 of 27 Sardinian Stuffed Eggplant © Quentin Bacon Chef Efisio Farris 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, 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. Get the Recipe 12 of 27 Tuscan-Style Spareribs with Balsamic Glaze © Tina Rupp Sausage aficionado and cookbook writer Bruce Aidells loves to barbecue spareribs, but his top way to prepare them is to generously season the ribs with a mix of aromatic herbs and spices and slow-roast them until tender and crisp. Like his favorite Tuscan cooks, he finishes the ribs with a simple balsamic glaze. Get the Recipe 13 of 27 Osso Buco with Citrus Gremolata © Kana Okada Chef Ethan Stowell sticks to Italian tradition when making osso buco, topping braised veal shanks with a citrusy gremolata (orange and lemon zest mixed with garlic and parsley). He advises spooning out and eating all of the marrow from the bones for what he calls "a mouthful of fatty goodness." Get the Recipe 14 of 27 Smoky Pork Pappardelle © Anna Williams For the luscious meat sauce here, chef Gerard Craft braises pork with apples and honey, which adds some unexpected sweetness. Another surprise: He finishes the pasta with a sprinkling of smoked salt. Get the Recipe 15 of 27 Roman-Style Braised Chicken with Roasted Peppers © John Kernick This lush, homey Roman favorite is a simple braise of chicken with white wine, tomatoes, garlic, and a colorful mix of roasted red, green, and yellow bell peppers. As a shortcut, substitute roasted peppers from a jar. Get the Recipe 16 of 27 Spaghetti with Anchovy Carbonara © TINA RUPP Chef Chris Cosentino adds briny flavor to his pasta with cured tuna heart, which he shaves on right before serving. This recipe calls for anchovies rather than the tuna heart Cosentino uses. Egg yolks form a silky sauce. Get the Recipe 17 of 27 Seafood Stew with Saffron Zabaglione © Quentin Bacon For this brothy stew full of wonderfully moist snapper, tender squid, and plump mussels and clams, prepare the ingredients separately so nothing becomes over- or undercooked. To make the lush saffron zabaglione, which gets stirred into the stew, egg yolks are cooked slowly in wine over the gentle heat of simmering water. Get the Recipe 18 of 27 Pasta ’Ncasciata (Sicilian Baked Pasta) Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christina Daley In Sicily, ’ncasciata has many variations. Chef Michael Gulotta’s version combines tender eggplant, buttery caciocavallo cheese, and crushed tomatoes with al dente rigatoni. Baking the eggplant rounds rather than frying them cuts down on the prep time. Get the Recipe 19 of 27 Cavatelli with Mussels, Lillet, and Dill © Quentin Bacon The perfect match for this creamy cavatelli and mussels dish: Muscadet, a coastal wine that's superb with shellfish. Get the Recipe 20 of 27 Chicken Parmesan with Pepperoni © Quentin Bacon Chef Bryan Vietmeier merges two Italian-American favorites here: chicken parm and pepperoni. Get the Recipe 21 of 27 Slow Cooker Sunday Sauce on Spaghetti © Fredrika Stjärne 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. Get the Recipe 22 of 27 Chicken Scarpariello © Quentin Bacon Traditional scarpariello — chicken sautéed in a tangy lemon glaze with bell pepper — is typically made with a whole chicken cut into pieces, then cooked on the stove for hours. To speed things up, we opt for faster-cooking boneless thighs and skip the bell pepper in favor of jarred Peppadews, a sweet-spicy pickled pepper. Get the Recipe 23 of 27 Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe © John Kernick Pasta cacio e pepe ("cheese and pepper") is made with Pecorino Romano, a tangy aged sheep's milk cheese originally from Rome, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. In Lazio, chef Antonio Ciminelli serves an elegant version with short pasta on the menu and a rustic one with spaghetti for staff. Get the Recipe 24 of 27 Chicken Milanese with Sage and Lemon Butter Sauce © Fredrika Stjärne These pounded, breaded, and fried chicken cutlets are served with a creamy butter sauce that's lightened with a touch of lemon juice and dry white wine. Get the Recipe 25 of 27 Sizzling Shrimp Scampi ©Con Poulos Scampi refers to shrimp that are split, brushed with garlicky butter, and broiled. The recipe here calls for flavoring butter with lemon, garlic, parsley, and thyme, then dotting it liberally on shrimp and roasting the shellfish until it sizzles. Get the Recipe 26 of 27 Rabbit Stew with Olives and Rosemary © John Kernick "This is one of my favorite things on the planet," says chef 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. Get the Recipe 27 of 27 Pork Medallions with Onion Marmalade © Con Poulos This recipe from superstar chef Massimo Bottura is simpler than the food cooked at his avant-garde three-star Michelin restaurant, Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy. Still, it’s incredibly delicious: The savory marmalade made by cooking onions in butter and sugar is intensely rich in flavor. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit