I enjoy making Italian recipes and sharing them with my family–usually with a salad and a nice bottle of wine. And did you know that here in United States, we celebrate Italian-American Heritage Month in October? But for me, every month is a great time to enjoy Italian food! Here are a few Italian Night Recipe Ideas to serve to your family.
Did you know that a Traditional Italian dinner might consist of six courses that would last over 2 hours? This type of meal is more like an event–perhaps on a Sunday afternoon with family and friends and plan for plenty of visiting in-between courses. Because there are so many courses, the portions are smaller than what we might see in the U.S. If you would like to learn more about a Traditional Italian dinner, see this POST about a dinner I made for our family that had six courses!
Let’s Begin with Italian Appetizers
Every Italian meal begins with some type of Antipasto to whet your appetite. This can be as simple as a tray of cheese with salami and olives. Below are a few ideas to begin your Italian dinner.
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Antipasto Skewers with Italian Dressing
If you’re looking for an easy appetizer to make for your next dinner or party, try these Antipasto Skewers with Italian Dressing. They look great on a table, and they are delicious. Plus, they are so easy to put together.
These cheese sticks are simply fabulous and a great start to your Italian dinner. Fried in a seasoned bread coating with oozy mozzarella cheese. Oh yes, please.
When we were in St. Louis one weekend, we tried our first toasted ravioli and were amazed at the wonderful flavor. If you've never tried these little jewels, please give this recipe a try! I think you will be very pleased, as will your guests for the evening!
Once you’ve chosen an appetizer for your dinner, you may want to select an item for your first dish (Primo), which could include pasta, risotto, or soup. In America, however, pasta is often served with a main course, so it can be a bit confusing. Below, I’m including simple pasta dishes with little to no meat.
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Homemade Pasta
A few years ago, my husband gave me a KitchenAid Pasta Machine for Christmas, and I was so excited to use it. I have been creating Homemade Pasta ever since!
Butternut Squash Risotto with Saffron is a new favorite dish. Creamy risotto with tender roasted butternut squash, flavored with the subtle essence of savory saffron. A perfect side dish for autumn, served with your favorite chicken or pork recipes.
Classic Minestrone Soup is one of my favorite potluck dinners to take to church. It makes a lot, plus it's perfect for my Tangy Sourdough Bread, which also makes enough to feed a large group.
This Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup is so delicious. Seared pieces of chicken breast cooked in an aromatic buttery base of vegetables, then finished off with light cream, homemade potato gnocchi, and a sprinkling of fresh spinach.
Italians serve bread during the meal, usually some type of breadstick or rustic bread that you break off, or even flatbread. Americans would probably serve a green salad or soup with the bread.
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Sourdough Pizza Dough Focaccia
I love sourdough pizza and this Sourdough Pizza Dough Focaccia is an easy and great way to use the extra dough from my artisan pizza recipe. Flavored with rosemary, olives, and dried tomatoes–or simply with sea salt, it’s so delicious.
Everyone loves breadsticks, whether they are loaded with cheese or buttered with garlic and herbs. These soft breadsticks again go well with any saucy main dishes.
Oh my goodness! This is the best recipe for Sourdough Baguettes–hard and crusty on the outside, chewy on the inside, and just the right taste of tangy sourness.
Sourdough Olive Flatbread is loaded with lots of flavor from the sourdough, olives, and herbs. Plus it’s crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside.
Here in America, we often combine our main entrée with pasta and vegetables. Sausage is very popular as is chicken. In Italy the portions are probably much smaller and have less meat, but don’t expect that in the US. I remember the first time I ate at an authentic Italian restaurant in Chicago. They served us huge family-style portions. And it was fabulous.
You can make any one of these dishes to enjoy in your own home, which will also be truly fabulous!
Pasta and Italian Sausage Dishes
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Baked Five-Cheese Ravioli
My husband loves when I make homemade ravioli. It's one of his favorite dishes. This casserole is loaded with lots of yummy red sauce and my little cheesy jewels.
Ragu is one of most traditional Italian dishes. This recipe is simmered low and slow on the stove and then served over a bed of thickly sliced homemade pappardelle. So good. One of my favorite Italian comfort foods.
Our family loves Italian food, especially when I make my homemade Spaghetti Sauce and Mighty Meatballs. The sauce cooks long and slow and fills the kitchen with such a delightful aroma it makes everyone hungry.
Our family loves lasagna and this is a made with homemade lasagna noodles, meat sauce, and lots of cheese. So yummy. Plus it feeds a large family. Serve this up with a nice salad and a hard, crusty bread, and you have a winner for dinner!
Cabbage and Sausage Rigatoni is comfort food, perfect for weeknight dinners. Packed with Italian sausage, cabbage, cannellini beans, and wonderful flavor, it’s a new favorite I will be making often.
Our family loves Italian Meatloaf with Mozzarella so much, it's requested on a regular basis and ranks right up there with grilled steaks. It's much more than your average meatloaf, loaded with herbs and cheese and topped with a homemade marinara sauce.
This dish was one of the first Italian meals that I made. It's still one of our favorites, with thin servings of chicken in a red sauce and topped with lots of mozzarella. Then served over a bed of homemade linguine. Yum!
When I first started making Chicken Alfredo, I used Bertolli Alfredo Sauce. And then I made the alfredo sauce from scratch. Which was amazingly simple. And so very delicious. I encourage you…no, I challenge you to try making your own. I think you'll love it. Add in some frozen cauliflower and broccoli for a little color and some added vegetables. So good.
Some nights I just want something creamy and easy for supper. This Creamy Garlic Chicken Recipe hits the spot with butter, garlic, and heavy cream, plus Parmesan cheese. So, yummy.
Side dishes (Contorni) are often served with the main entrée (Secondo). Pick one of the recipes below to go with a meat dish.
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Skillet Gnocchi and Brussels Sprouts
I’ve recently become a fan of homemade Gnocchi and this Skillet Gnocchi and Brussels Sprouts is so easy and delicious to make, you’ll be coming up with all kinds of meals to serve it with!
This is a delicious way to serve fresh asparagus, either as an appetizer or side dish. It’s also a fun recipe to make with children, as they love to help with the breading process.
Spinach Salad with Fig Dressing is a wonderful addition to your next Italian dinner. Fresh baby spinach with English walnuts, dried figs, and sliced Parmesan, dressed in a homemade Fig dressing.
Pizza, pizza, pizza. Americans love pizza. They tend to load their pizza with a bit more toppings than our Italian friends across the water, such as the Chicago Style Stuffed Pizza below.
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Chicago-Style Stuffed Pizza
Here’s my take on Chicago-Style Stuffed Pizza, loaded with three types of meat, a mix of vegetables, and lots of cheese, stuffed between two flavorful crusts. This pizza is massive and perfect for a large family gathering.
Classic Italian Stromboli is made with a homemade pizza crust and then loaded with Canadian bacon, pepperoni, onions, green bell peppers, black olives, and plenty of cheese. It's seasoned with a creamy Italian dressing that easily leaves you wanting another piece.
If we include a recipe for Stromboli, we have to include one for Thin and Crispy Pizza. A staple at our house. The secret to this crust is 00 Italian Flour, which you can purchase online, and which is worth every penny!
Italians like to end their meals with a light dessert and a cup of espresso. This could be as simple as a cookie, fruit and cheese, or maybe a dish of frozen gelato. The serving of espresso helps aid digestion after a big meal. Here in America, as I’m sure you can guess, desserts tend to be a bit larger. Think Cheesecake or a Rustic Crostata. Here are a few ideas to tempt you.
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Tiramisu with Cream Cheese
Tiramisu with Cream Cheese is a delicious recipe to try the next time you serve an Italian dinner for your family! Filled with coffee-flavored custard cream and freshly whipped cream layered between ladyfinger cookies and topped with a heavy sprinkling of baking cocoa. So yummy.
Ricotta Cheesecake is so easy to make–compared to the traditional baked cheesecake. It's light and airy, and so very delicious. We love this fall version of this dessert with added apple topping, English walnuts, and caramel sauce.
This recipe for Hazelnut Chocolate Espresso Gelato is one of my favorite frozen desserts. So creamy and delicious. Flavored with hazelnut chocolate and a touch of espresso. It’s so much better than anything you can buy in the store.
The first time I tasted a Pizzelle, I fell in love with the light, crispy cookie. They have a lovely design, practically melt in your mouth, and are perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.
I would be remiss if I failed to include chocolate in this list of desserts. Double Chocolate Biscotti with Almonds is delicious and earned a thumbs up from my family. Perfect as a simple dessert after a yummy meal.
Cannoli, cannoli, cannoli. These delicious Italian treats are worth every little effort to make. First you make the fried shell, decorate them in chocolate and chopped pistachios. Then you fill them with this amazing creamy ricotta filling. This recipe makes 16 but they will be gone before you can say Cannnoli, Cannoli, Cannoli!
Okay, so now that I’ve shown you some of our favorite Italian dishes, it’s time to talk just a bit about wine. The Italians enjoy their wine, as do Americans. And there are plenty of wonderful wines being made in the US.
Some of my favorite wines to go with Italian foods are Chianti, Barolo, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, or Sauvignon Blanc. As with any wine selection, choose one that goes well with what you are serving. Many of my recipes above have wine suggestions to pick from.
I hope you have enjoyed this post on some of my favorite Italian-style recipes.
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