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Italian Recipes

From classic Italian pizza recipes to traditional lasagne, Italian food offers something for everyone. If you are looking to expand your culinary skills, Italian cuisine offers simple techniques that deliver great results at home.

Best Rated Italian Recipes

Our "Best" recipes are ranked using a weighted methodology that considers recipe ratings, review volume, and overall recipe performance to surface recipes consistently loved by home cooks.
Our "Best" recipes are ranked using a weighted methodology that considers recipe ratings, review volume, and overall recipe performance to surface recipes consistently loved by home cooks.

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What is Italian Cuisine?

What is Italian Cuisine?

Italian food is a Mediterranean cuisine known for rich, comforting recipes made with fresh, simple ingredients, including pasta, pizza, risotto and gnocchi.

Many Italian recipes date back generations, reflecting Italy’s strong food culture and highly regional cooking styles. Nevertheless, popular food in Italy is always authentically Italian, with dishes that are unmistakable.

In short, Italian cuisine is often regarded as one of the world’s greatest culinary traditions.

Easy Italian Sauce Recipes That Are a Dinnertime Staple

Easy Italian Sauce Recipes That Are a Dinnertime Staple

Italian sauce recipes are worth mastering, as they allow you to prepare quick and satisfying pasta dishes with ease. Pomodoro sauce is one of the easiest Italian sauces to make and is typically made from tomatoes, olive oil and basil. You can make it especially delicious by adding onion, garlic, beef stock and Worcester sauce, like in this linguine and pork polpette recipe.

Carbonara is another popular sauce, though authentic versions can be tricky due to the delicate egg-based consistency. A simplified version of a traditional carbonara recipe makes use of creme fraiche. Not only does it make this Italian dish easier to prepare, but it also makes it a firm family favourite to serve at dinner.

Top 5 Italian Dishes

Top 5 Italian Dishes

Food in Italy covers a wide range of flavours, but the most popular Italian dishes all share a focus on simplicity and quality ingredients. Read on to discover more about the top Italian dishes you can make at home:

  1. Italian Pasta: In Italy, pasta recipes are a mainstay of home cooking, with many highly localised dishes found across different regions. Spaghetti bolognese is traditional in Bologna, while spaghetti alle vongole is popular in Naples. Italian lasagne recipes can be found in virtually every region of the country, too.
  2. Italian Risotto Dishes: Although pasta is often thought of as the quintessential Italian staple, Italians also frequently cook with rice. Italian risotto recipes are found in many pescetarian and vegetarian meal plans.
  3. Italian Passata: Passata is a key ingredient in many Italian dishes and forms the base of countless sauces and recipes.Made from pureed and strained tomatoes, passata recipes take many forms, often using a tomato base for the dish’s core flavour.
  4. Italian Pizza Recipe Ideas: Making pizza at home isn’t that hard, especially if you make the base dough in advance. It can be frozen and then thawed for a variety of homemade pizza recipes, from traditional ham and cheese to innovative courgette pizza toppings.
  5. Italian Soups: Soup plays an important role in Italian cooking, with many regional variations. Minestrone is popular throughout Europe, including Ireland. In Naples, zuppa di fagioli, or bean soup, is a staple.
Top 6-10 Italian Dishes

Top 6-10 Italian Dishes

  1. Traditional Italian Bread: In Italy, bread recipes can differ from one town to the next. Focaccia is probably the most famous Italian bread, made with olives and rosemary. Pane cafone, a simple rustic bread, is another one to look out for.
  2. Meat-Based Italian Dishes: Osso bucco is a prized Italian meaty dish. It is a slowly braised shank of veal, which is very rich. In Milan, meat dishes are often cooked in breadcrumbs, a signature of the Milanese style.
  3. Italian Desserts: Gelato, a rich and creamy Italian ice cream, is one of the most popular desserts across Italy. Tiramisu is probably the best-known Italian dessert, and it isn’t too tricky to master at home.
  4. Italian Salads: Caprese salad does well with numerous Italian dishes, including any Italian meatball recipe. Octopus salad is a popular Ligurian dish that comes from the north of the country.
  5. Italian Snack Ideas: If you want a light lunch or Italian starter, bruschetta is quick and easy to prepare. Gnocco fritto, a fried bread snack, is also a tasty treat loved in Italy.
Simple Vegetarian Italian Recipes That Are Perfect for Vegetarians and Flexitarians Alike

Simple Vegetarian Italian Recipes That Are Perfect for Vegetarians and Flexitarians Alike

With or without meat, Italian recipes are easy to prepare thanks to simple, flavourful and nutritious staple ingredients. This makes Italian food perfect for anyone who prefers vegetarian meals or a flexitarian meal plan. Note that vegetarian Italian recipes don’t always require a meat substitute, as the heartiness of ingredients like bread, pasta and cheese are already filling and satisfying.

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