Italian food inspires strong opinions, so asking Serious Eats editors to pick a single favorite recipe wasn’t easy. Some of us chose long-simmered weekend projects, while others picked the pantry pastas and comforting soups we make on repeat. Together, these picks show what Italian cooking does best: turning a few simple ingredients into an amazing and impressive dish. These are the Italian recipes our editors come back to again and again—the ones we cook, recommend, and proudly play favorites with.
01 of 07
Credit: Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
“I loooooveeeeeee spinach, so I do think I have to be controversial here and pick Daniel’s malfatti instead of a pasta. (I was going to say my favorite Italian dish is an Aperol spritz, but I’ll be serious for once, I suppose.) These fluffy, easy Northern Italian spinach dumplings are so comforting. It was stiff competition with canederli di pane, but ultimately, my love of spinach pushed malfatti to the top. You can’t go wrong with either, however, as both include a sizzled sage sauce I think about often. “- Amanda Suarez, associate director, visuals
Get Recipe: Malfatti (Northern Italian Spinach Dumplings)
02 of 07
Credit: Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
“I love this pesto recipe because Daniel makes such a strong argument for the mortar-and-pestle method. The pesto ends up silkier and creamier, while pesto made in a food processor stays a little choppier. Even when the pesto is tossed with pasta, the difference is obvious: One coats like a sauce, while the other clings in little bits.” -Laila Ibrahim, associate culinary editor
Get Recipe: The Best Pesto alla Genovese (Classic Basil Pesto Sauce)
03 of 07
Credit: Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
“Of course, it’s impossible to choose just one favorite Italian recipe, but Daniel’s Neapolitan escarole and bean soup is the perfect illustration of how many Italian dishes do so much with very few ingredients. This soup is deeply satisfying and feels so nourishing.”- Megan O. Steintrager, associate editorial director
Get Recipe: Neapolitan Escarole Bean Soup
04 of 07
Credit: Vicky Wasik
“Time is precious to me, but I still want excellent from-scratch meals, which is why Daniel’s Roman-style fettuccine Alfredo is now a staple in my kitchen. Unlike the rich, cream-heavy American version, this Roman-style recipe is wonderfully simple, made with just a handful of ingredients I already keep on hand. After hearing my tour guide in Rome insist no one makes pasta better than Romans, I had to try it for myself, and honestly, it surpassed many Alfredo variations I’ve had in the US. It comes together in just 15 minutes, is simple enough that I’ve memorized the steps, and fits perfectly with the minimalist cooking approach I’m trying to embrace: few ingredients, less ultra-processed food, and satisfying flavor.”–Anna Basel, newsletter editor
Get Recipe: Roman-Style Fettuccine With Alfredo Sauce Recipe
05 of 07
Credit: Serious Eats / Lorena Masso
“I became fascinated with Sardinia after reading Letitia Clark’s cookbook Bitter Honey, which is an ode to the island’s unique food culture. This is a place where bottarga (cured fish roe) is grated on dishes like Parmesan and where saffron shows up in unexpected places, like the ragu in this hearty country pasta dish. Malloreddus are little semolina nuggets akin to cavatelli, and the “alla campidanese” refers to a sausage, saffron, tomato, and wine sauce. The wine, vernaccia di Oristano, has nutty, raisin-y notes—and since it’s hard to find, sherry is a great substitute. This recipe is hardly a “weeknight wonder,” but I take great pleasure in kneading the semolina dough, rolling pieces across a gnocchi board to get its signature ridges, and perfuming my house with the saffron-scented sugo. While we’re cantering at a clip into warmer weather, the cool evenings still have me reaching for rich, warming dishes like this one.” – Grace Kelly, senior editor
Get Recipe: Malloreddus Alla Campidanese (Sardinian Ridged Pasta With Saffron and Pork Ragù)
06 of 07
Credit: Sasha Marx
“There are too many great Italian recipes on Serious Eats for me to choose a favorite, but what I can easily do is choose the one I make the most. That is Sasha Marx’s easy recipe for pasta al tonno, a perfect weeknight meal that slips tender flakes of tuna into a bright tomato sauce. It is my go-to pantry pasta, and I never tire of it.” – Daniel Gritzer, editorial director
Get Recipe: Pasta al Tonno (Pasta With Tomatoes and Tuna)
07 of 07
Credit: Andrew Janjigian
“I’ve cooked a lot of Italian recipes from Serious Eats over the years, but this humble pot of pasta e ceci is the one I come back to most often. It uses pantry staples I almost always already have on hand, comes together quickly, and is comforting and satisfying every single time. I love how the chickpeas cook down into a creamy, stew-like sauce that clings to the pasta, turning a few inexpensive ingredients into something far greater than the sum of their parts. It may not be the flashiest Italian recipe on the site, but to me, it captures the best part of Italian cooking: simple ingredients treated with care, becoming a meal you want week after week.” -Leah Colins, senior culinary editor
Get Recipe: Pasta e Ceci (Pasta With Chickpeas)
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