Italy
61 recipes to explore
Authentic Roman Pasta Carbonara
The real deal from Rome — silky spaghetti tossed with crispy guanciale, sharp Pecorino Romano, egg yolks, and a generous crack of black pepper. No cream, no shortcuts, just pure tradition.
Classic Tiramisu
Italy's most loved dessert: coffee-soaked savoiardi biscuits layered with a cloud-light mascarpone cream and finished with a dusting of bitter cocoa. No oven needed — just a few hours in the fridge to set.
Lasagne alla Bolognese
Bologna's Sunday showpiece: thin sheets of pasta layered with a slow, milk-enriched beef and pork ragù, silky béchamel and Parmigiano Reggiano, baked until the edges crisp and the top turns golden.
Osso Buco alla Milanese
Thick cross-cut veal shanks braised slowly in white wine, stock and a little tomato until the meat falls from the bone, finished with a bright gremolata of lemon zest, garlic and parsley. Serve with saffron risotto or polenta.
Ribollita (Tuscan Bread and Bean Soup)
Tuscany's thrifty, deeply satisfying soup: cannellini beans, cavolo nero and vegetables simmered with stale bread until thick enough to stand a spoon in, finished with a generous pour of peppery olive oil.
Penne all'Arrabbiata
Rome's fiery "angry" pasta: penne tossed in a quick tomato sauce made punchy with garlic, dried chilli and good olive oil, finished with fresh parsley. Ready in the time it takes to boil the pasta.
Pizza Margherita
The Neapolitan classic: a slow-proved dough stretched by hand, topped with crushed tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and olive oil, and baked as hot as your oven will go until blistered and puffed. Start the dough the day before for the best flavour.
Wild Mushroom Risotto with Crispy Garlic
A silky, deeply savoury risotto made creamy without butter or cheese: porcini stock, golden mixed mushrooms and a spoon of nutritional yeast, finished with crispy garlic chips and peppery rocket.
Mini Veggie Frittata Muffins
Fluffy egg muffins packed with spinach, sweet pepper, corn and cheese, baked in a muffin tin. They hold their shape cold, so they're perfect for lunchboxes.
Cheesy Pizza Scrolls
Soft no-yeast scone dough rolled up with tomato sauce, ham, veggies and melty cheese, sliced and baked into golden spirals. Everything kids love about pizza, made for the lunchbox.
Rainbow Pasta Salad
Pasta shapes tossed with cherry tomatoes, sweetcorn, cucumber, peas, sweet pepper and little cubes of cheese in a mild lemon and olive oil dressing. Bright, crunchy and happy to sit in a lunchbox all morning.
Hidden-Veggie Mini Meatballs
Tender little turkey meatballs with grated carrot and courgette hidden inside, baked on a tray, then simmered in a quick tomato sauce. Lovely warm in a thermos with pasta, or cold on a skewer.
Vanilla Panna Cotta with Berry Sauce
Silky, just-set vanilla cream that trembles on the plate, topped with a bright mixed-berry sauce. Only a few ingredients, no oven, and it's made the day before.
Torta Caprese (Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake)
A rich, fudgy chocolate cake from Capri made with ground almonds instead of flour. Crisp, crackly top, soft inside, and naturally gluten-free.
Cacio e Pepe (Cheese and Pepper Pasta)
A Roman classic of just three ingredients — pasta, Pecorino Romano and black pepper — turned into a glossy, peppery, cheese-coated sauce with nothing but starchy pasta water. Simple, but there is a real technique to get it silky instead of clumpy.
Milanese Saffron Risotto (Risotto alla Milanese)
A rich, buttery risotto from Milan, slowly simmered in beef broth and tinted gold with saffron. Creamy, slightly loose and glossy, it's the classic partner to osso buco but wonderful on its own.
Caprese Salad (Insalata Caprese)
Thick slices of ripe, sun-warmed tomatoes layered with creamy fresh mozzarella and fragrant basil, finished simply with good olive oil, salt and pepper. Few dishes prove so clearly that great cooking is really about great ingredients.
Italian Vegetable Soup (Minestrone)
A thick, rustic soup built on a slow-cooked soffritto of onion, celery and carrot, simmered with seasonal vegetables, cannellini beans and small pasta. Humble, nourishing and even better the next day.
Ligurian Flatbread (Focaccia Genovese)
A soft, pillowy flatbread dimpled by hand, bathed in a salty olive oil brine before baking so the crust turns golden and glossy while the inside stays airy and moist. The true Genoese breakfast bread, best eaten warm the day it's baked.
Spaghetti with Clams (Spaghetti alle Vongole)
Spaghetti tossed in a silky, garlicky sauce of fresh clams, white wine and parsley, no cheese, no tomato, just the clean taste of the sea. A Naples classic that is simple to make but easy to get wrong, so here are the details that get it right.
Roman Veal Saltimbocca (Saltimbocca alla Romana)
Thin veal cutlets topped with prosciutto and sage, pan-fried until the prosciutto turns lightly crisp, then finished in a quick white wine and butter sauce. A classic Roman trattoria dish ready in minutes.
Veal with Tuna Sauce (Vitello Tonnato)
Paper-thin slices of cold poached veal draped in a creamy, briny tuna and caper sauce — a cool, elegant Piedmontese classic that's even better the next day.
Eggplant Parmesan (Parmigiana di Melanzane)
Golden fried eggplant layered with slow-cooked tomato sauce, melting mozzarella and nutty Parmesan, baked until bubbling. The great Southern Italian comfort bake — rich, soft and deeply savoury.
Sicilian Rice Balls (Arancini)
Golden, crackling-crisp rice balls stuffed with a rich meat ragù, sweet peas and melting cheese, straight from the street-food stalls of Sicily. The ultimate make-ahead party snack, best eaten hot with your hands.
Grilled Bread with Tomato (Bruschetta)
Crusty bread grilled until smoky and charred at the edges, rubbed with raw garlic, and piled high with sweet ripe tomatoes, basil and good olive oil. Simple, loud with flavour, and best eaten the moment it's assembled.
Tuscan Bread Salad (Panzanella)
A rustic Tuscan classic that turns stale bread into something wonderful: soaked until soft, then tossed with ripe tomatoes, cucumber, mellowed red onion, basil and good olive oil. Simple, juicy and endlessly refreshing.
Sicilian Sweet-Sour Eggplant (Caponata)
Golden fried eggplant simmered with celery, green olives and capers in a glossy sweet-and-sour tomato sauce. Serve at room temperature as a side or spread on crusty bread — it tastes even better the next day.
Northern Italian Cornmeal Porridge (Polenta)
Coarse cornmeal simmered low and slow in salted water until thick and creamy, then finished with butter and Parmigiano Reggiano. The classic comforting side of Northern Italy, served soft and steaming with stews, sausages, or mushrooms.
Pasta and Bean Soup (Pasta e Fagioli)
A thick, soul-warming Italian soup of creamy borlotti beans and small pasta, built on a slow-cooked bean broth and a golden vegetable soffritto. The kind of dish that tastes even better the day after.
Sicilian Cannoli (Cannoli Siciliani)
Crisp fried pastry tubes, blistered and bubbly from the hot oil, packed with a cloud of sweetened ricotta studded with chocolate chips. The crunch against the cool, creamy filling is what makes this Sicilian classic unforgettable.
Limoncello (Lemon Liqueur)
A sunny, intensely lemony liqueur from the Amalfi Coast, made simply by steeping fragrant lemon peels in pure alcohol and sweetening with syrup. Serve it ice-cold after dinner for the most refreshing finish to a meal.
Italian Breakfast Croissant (Cornetto)
A soft, lightly sweet laminated pastry with a tender, feathery crumb, filled with silky vanilla pastry cream. This is the cornetto Italians queue up for at the bar every morning, best eaten warm alongside a cappuccino.
Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce (Spaghetti al Pomodoro)
Spaghetti tossed in a bright, simple sauce of tomatoes, garlic and fresh basil. Just a handful of ingredients, handled the right way, make this one of Italy's most comforting dishes.
Pasta alla Norma
Catania's great pasta: rigatoni tossed with a quick tomato sauce, golden fried eggplant, and showers of salty ricotta salata and fresh basil. Simple ingredients, huge flavour.
Sorrento-Style Gnocchi (Gnocchi alla Sorrentina)
Pillowy potato gnocchi bathed in a bright tomato sauce, then baked under melted mozzarella until bubbling and lightly golden. A plate of pure Campanian comfort, finished with fresh basil.
Tortellini in Broth (Tortellini in Brodo)
Tiny hand-folded pasta rings filled with pork, prosciutto, mortadella and Parmigiano, simmered gently in a deep, golden homemade broth. This is the dish Emilia-Romagna serves at every holiday table.
Tuscan Tomato Bread Soup (Pappa al Pomodoro)
Stale rustic bread simmered with ripe tomatoes, garlic and olive oil until thick and spoonable, finished with a drizzle of raw oil and fresh basil. The classic Tuscan way of turning leftovers into something delicious.
Tuscan Fish Stew (Cacciucco)
A deep, spicy tomato broth loaded with squid, octopus, mussels, clams, shrimp and chunks of white fish, slow-simmered the Livorno way and ladled over garlic-rubbed bread. Rustic, warming, and worth every minute of cleaning the shellfish.
Hunter's Chicken (Pollo alla Cacciatora)
Chicken braised slowly with onions, peppers and tomatoes in white wine until the sauce turns deep and glossy and the meat falls off the bone. A true rustic Italian countryside classic, best mopped up with crusty bread.
Roman Braised Oxtail (Coda alla Vaccinara)
Oxtail slow-braised for hours with celery, tomato and white wine until the meat falls off the bone and the sauce turns deep and glossy, finished with the classic Roman touch of pine nuts, raisins and a hint of chocolate.
Milanese Breaded Veal Cutlet (Cotoletta alla Milanese)
A thin veal cutlet, breaded and fried in butter until deeply golden and shatteringly crisp outside, juicy inside. One of Milan's proudest dishes, best eaten the moment it leaves the pan with just a wedge of lemon.
Romagna Flatbread (Piadina Romagnola)
A thin, griddle-cooked flatbread with a slightly chewy, blistered surface, folded warm around creamy squacquerone cheese, silky prosciutto and peppery arugula. Simple pantry ingredients, extraordinary result.
Negroni Cocktail
Equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and Campari, stirred over ice until silky and ice-cold, finished with a twist of orange. Bitter, boozy and perfectly balanced — Italy's great aperitivo in a glass.
Spicy Tomato Spaghetti (Spaghetti alla Puttanesca)
A punchy Neapolitan classic: spaghetti tossed in a bold tomato sauce built on garlic, anchovies, olives, capers and chili. Salty, briny and fiery in all the right amounts, it comes together in under 30 minutes.
Basil Pesto Sauce (Pesto alla Genovese)
A fragrant, vivid green paste from Liguria made by crushing fresh basil with pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan and olive oil. Tossed with pasta, spread on bread or stirred into soup, it tastes like summer in a spoonful.
Roman Rice Croquettes (Supplì al Telefono)
Rice cooked right in a rich tomato and beef ragù, cooled, then wrapped around a core of mozzarella and fried until deep golden. Break one open and the cheese stretches like telephone wires — the detail that gives this Roman classic its name.
Fried Stuffed Olives (Olive all'Ascolana)
Large green olives from the Marche region, pitted in one spiral cut, stuffed with a rich seasoned meat filling, then breaded and fried until deep golden. Crisp outside, savoury and juicy inside — one of Italy's best bar snacks.
Roman Cream Bun (Maritozzo con la Panna)
A soft, lightly sweet Roman bun scented with orange zest and studded with plump raisins, split open and piled high with freshly whipped cream. The classic breakfast of Rome's old-fashioned bars, best eaten with a strong coffee.
Rum-Soaked Sponge Cake (Babà al Rum)
A featherlight Neapolitan yeast cake, baked until golden and then soaked through with a warm rum and lemon syrup until it's moist, boozy and glistening. Served with a dollop of softly whipped cream, it's one of the great desserts of southern Italy.
Honey Fried Dough Balls (Struffoli)
Tiny golden balls of soft fried dough, warmed in honey scented with orange zest and piled into a glossy mound scattered with colorful sprinkles. The centerpiece of every Neapolitan Christmas table.
Turin Coffee, Chocolate and Cream Drink (Bicerin)
A Turin café classic served warm in a small glass: rich melted chocolate on the bottom, strong espresso poured gently over it, and a cloud of softly whipped cream on top, left unstirred so each sip changes.
Lemon Sorbet Prosecco Drink (Sgroppino al Limone)
A frothy, ice-cold Venetian classic that whisks tangy lemon sorbet with chilled prosecco and a splash of vodka into something between a drink and a dessert. Light, bubbly and sharp-sweet, it is the perfect finish to a long Italian meal.
Venetian Spritz (Spritz Veneziano)
Venice's beloved bittersweet aperitif: cold prosecco, Aperol or Select, and a splash of soda water over plenty of ice, finished with an orange slice. Bright, fizzy and dangerously easy to make at home.
Warm Anchovy and Garlic Dip (Bagna Cauda)
A communal Piedmontese dip of garlic mellowed in milk, then melted slowly with anchovies into warm, golden olive oil. Kept gently hot at the table for dunking raw and lightly cooked vegetables.
Speck Bread Dumplings (Canederli allo Speck)
Soft Alpine bread dumplings studded with smoky speck and chives, simmered gently and served in clear hot broth. The classic winter dish of Alto Adige, and a wonderful way to use up stale bread.
Venetian Rice and Peas (Risi e Bisi)
A classic Venetian spring dish: tender rice simmered loosely with sweet fresh peas, pancetta and butter until it's somewhere between a soup and a risotto. Comforting, delicate and the first taste of spring on Venice's tables.
Sweet and Sour Marinated Sardines (Sarde in Saor)
Fried sardines left to marinate under a blanket of slow-cooked onions, white wine vinegar, raisins and pine nuts. A classic Venetian antipasto that tastes even better the next day.
Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce
A silky Italian-style tomato sauce where carrot and zucchini melt in completely, so even the fussiest little eaters get a double serving of vegetables without noticing. Toss it with any small pasta shape for a dinner the whole family will ask for again.
Hidden Spinach Mac and Cheese
Short pasta in a silky cheese sauce with a secret purée of spinach and pumpkin stirred in — all the creamy comfort kids love, with a sneaky serving of vegetables they'll never spot.
Broccoli Pesto Pasta
Little pasta shapes tossed in a creamy, nut-free pesto made from soft broccoli, parmesan and olive oil. Ready in 15 minutes, with no chopping of greens needed — little hands will love the bright green swirls.
Beef & Spinach Meatball Bites
Soft Italian-style meatballs with finely chopped spinach hidden inside, simmered in a bright tomato sauce. An iron-rich main that little hands can pick up and dip.