Tired of the same old spaghetti on Italian night? Try some of these quick-and-easy Italian recipes to get out of the rut. From one-pot dishes to slow-cooker meals to 30-minute recipes, each of these Italian-inspired dishes are easy to pull together to give your family a delicious dinner no matter how busy your weeknight may be.
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Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
The title says it all. This recipe is simple and streamlined—and it’ll satisfy all sorts of lasagna lovers, no matter what their style is.
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Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling; Prop Stylist: Prissy Lee Montiel
Nothing says quick and easy like a one-bowl, single-layer cake. This simple recipe showcases the fruity, floral notes of olive oil, resulting in a delicate, Italian-inspired dessert that’s perfect for any occasion.
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Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Buffy Hargett
No dinner rotation is complete without a baked ziti recipe. This version uses pancetta, onion, and dry red wine to deliver one satisfying meal.
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Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
This classic Italian dish is made of pasta tubes stuffed with chicken, cream cheese, spinach, and mozzarella. It’s all topped off with a silky combination of roasted red peppers and Alfredo sauce, seasoned generously with Parmesan cheese—yum!
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Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
A staple of Italian cuisine, arancini are risotto balls that are breaded and fried. Make it for a feast or as an appetizer—and serve with delicious, classic Pomodoro sauce.
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Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
This ravioli casserole uses frozen ravioli, fresh spinach, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and hot Italian sausage for a quick, easy, but all-around-delicious weeknight dinner recipe.
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Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Chicken piccata meatballs bring a tart, buttery sauce and loads of capers to a family-friendly dinner. While a plate of meatballs might not be the classic chicken piccata you’re used to, it certainly gives puckery piccata vibes and will satisfy any craving.
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Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
All the delicious elements of lasagna—creamy ricotta, savory sausage, bright tomato sauce, and that burnished, gooey-crisp cap of mozzarella—without the fuss of layering the ingredients in a casserole dish.
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Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
This isn’t your run-of-the-mill white bean soup—this recipe calls for three cans of cannellini beans, and uses two smart techniques to make the soup extra thick and creamy: Some beans are mashed, while other beans are incorporated along with the liquid in the can.
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Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Buffy Hargett
Sneak some veggies into mealtime with this cheesy casserole that includes an entire package of spinach. To save time, this recipe uses jarred Alfredo sauce and pesto sauce, as well as a rotisserie chicken.
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Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
The delectable cream sauce in our scallopini recipe gains extra richness from 8 ounces of cremini mushrooms. You’ll want to sop up every bit with a hunk of Italian bread.
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Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox
A convenient rotisserie chicken combines with a homemade sauce for a cheesy supper that’s ready in 20 minutes. Buttermilk adds the final touch for a velvety, full-flavored Alfredo sauce.
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Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox
This versatile Italian soup comes together in under an hour and can be made in advance or even in the slow cooker. Sausage, white wine, herbs, and a cheese rind lend incredible flavor to the broth.
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Stacy Allen; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
This easy recipe starts with pan-frying breaded cutlets and ends with a few minutes under the broiler. Serve this family favorite on a bed of spaghetti or another favorite pasta.
Credit: Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
This Italian classic will be on the table in under an hour with the help of your Instant Pot. Start by browning your meatballs on the sauté setting, then toss everything else in to finish cooking in an instant.
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Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer
If you think this seafood dish is reserved for eating out at the restaurant, think again. Linguine With Clams is incredibly easy to make, and you’ll love the delicate garlic-butter sauce.
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Ready in just over an hour, this rustic, Italian-inspired dish is a weeknight winner. Red wine, chopped vegetables, and pitted olives come together to create an extremely luscious sauce.
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Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Light, refreshing, and with all the characteristics of your favorite summer salad, our Chicken Caprese Pasta is a no-brainer. You can use a jar of refrigerated pesto or blend your own with fresh basil from your garden.
Credit: Ralph Anderson
This dish looks so gorgeous on the plate, you’d never guess it takes 10 minutes to prepare. Chopped tomatoes, white wine, and fresh basil dress up a basic ravioli with jarred Alfredo sauce.
Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Fire-roasted tomatoes add a smoky undertone to this rich meat sauce. Serve it over linguine or spaghetti or stir in some penne or ziti. Ready in about 30 minutes, you can freeze extra and save it for a quick meal down the road.
Credit: Greg DuPree
Tart and tangy piccata gets its wonderful brininess from jarred capers. Use chicken cutlets, which cook up faster than breasts and brown beautifully in a cast-iron skillet.
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Greg Dupree
Get the cooked-all-day flavor without having to spend hours stirring a pot in the kitchen. This big-batch recipe can serve a dinner party of 12, and leftovers can be frozen up to three months.
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Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
This casserole brings together classic Italian flavors from sausage and spinach to tomato and ricotta. Assemble it the night before so all you have to do on busy weeknights is pop it in the oven.
Credit: Greg DuPree
While some Bolognese recipes may require all-day cooking, this sauce offers plenty of flavor in just 25 minutes. We start with a base of jarred marinara and load it with additional ingredients like Italian sausage, chopped veggies, and fresh basil.
Credit: Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Coming together in just 35 minutes, this skillet supper can be pulled together on even the busiest days. The ravioli cooks right in with a delicious homemade sauce, then gets topped with cheese and browned under the broiler.