Italian food is one of the most popular cuisines in America, while pizza and pasta rank among the world’s favorite dishes. Though Italian fare varies across the country’s 20 geographical regions and throughout American interpretations, the myriad combinations of iconic ingredients like garlic, olive oil, rich tomatoes, fresh cheeses, pasta, and wine are infinitely compelling. Get inspired by the flavors of Italy with these delicious main dishes, from buttery Florentine chicken to Tuscan risotto with shrimp and Piedmontese agnolotti. Here’s how to re-create some of your favorite meals from Italy, as well as beloved Italian American staples.
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Chicken Vesuvio
Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
For this essential Italian American dish, created at the Vesuvio restaurant in Chicago, crispy bone-in chicken thighs, peas, and potatoes are braised in a lemony garlic-wine sauce. Here, F&W recipe developer Craig Ruff freshens up the standby with bright herbs like oregano and thyme.
Penne All’Arrabbiata
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
All’Arrabbiata means “in an angry style” in Italian, but since this fiery dish takes just 15 minutes to make, it’s sure to quickly mitigate any hangry bellies. Plus, it comes together largely from pantry staples.
Porchetta
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
For this savory Italian showstopper, tender pork shoulder is rolled around a filling of kale, fennel, garlic, and lemons. A fatty exterior crisps up beautifully in the oven.
Grandma’s Lasagna
Cara Cormack
In 2003, when the F&W Test Kitchen was running through lasagna recipes, senior editor Grace Parisi noted that the definitive lasagna had to have tomato sauce, chunks of meat, shredded mozzarella, and creamy ricotta cheese. A couple decades later, we’re sticking with that assessment.
Braciole
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Braciole is an Italian-style roulade, a rolled and stuffed meat that’s a staple at Italian family gatherings. For this cozy version, fill rolled flank steaks with prosciutto, panko, pine nuts, and a blend of Parmesan and pecorino cheeses, then bake in a garlicky tomato sauce.
Skirt Steak Saltimbocca
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Justin Chapple’s take on saltimbocca replaces the traditional veal with thinly pounded skirt steak for a delicious variation of the classic Italian dish. Crispy, salty prosciutto is an excellent complement to the tender, juicy steak; fried sage leaves provide an earthy crunch to contrast with the creamy white wine sauce.
Gnocchi Asparagi e Pancetta (Tuscan Gnocchi with Asparagus and Pancetta)
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Shell Royster
The key to good gnocchi is good potatoes, and in Tuscany, that means ones from the Bolgheri area. In a celebration of the region’s trademark simplicity, we use Yukon Gold potatoes, tossed with delicate springtime asparagus and a savory, emulsified, pancetta-flavored pan sauce.
Zucchini Risotto with Shrimp
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Shell Royster
To make this velvety risotto, arborio rice cooks slowly in a flavorful shrimp shell-infused broth. It’s combined with tender zucchini and nutty Parmesan, then topped with lightly sautéed shrimp for a stunning dish.
Chicken Scarpariello
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Shell Royster
Scarpariello — chicken sautéed in a tangy lemon glaze with bell pepper — is traditionally made with a whole chicken cut into pieces, then cooked on the stove for hours. To speed things up, we opt for faster-cooking boneless thighs and skip the bell pepper in favor of jarred Peppadews, a sweet-spicy pickled pepper.
Pasta ’Ncasciata (Sicilian Baked Pasta)
Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
This classic Sicilian baked pasta has many variations; here, 2016 F&W Best New Chef Michael Gulotta layers tender eggplant, buttery caciocavallo cheese, and crushed tomatoes with al dente rigatoni for an especially hearty, satisfying dish.
Italian Baked Rice and Clams
Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Victoria Granof / Prop Styling by Thom Driver
In this traditional casserole from Puglia, layers of thinly sliced potatoes, steamed clams, cherry tomatoes, a salty blend of Parmesan and pecorino, fish broth, and arborio rice are baked until the rice is tender and creamy. If you have a mandoline, you’ll want to use it for the most consistent, evenly cooked potato slices.
Florentine Butter Chicken
Greg DuPree
Traditionally, lightly floured skin-on chicken breasts are gently pan-fried in warm, melted butter and finished with a splash of fresh lemon juice. Inspired by the famous version served at Trattoria Sostanza in Florence, Italy, F&W editor in chief Hunter Lewis’ rich and nutty version uses cultured butter and skinless chicken breast.
Agnolotti del Plin
Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Agnolotti del Plin (meaning “with the pinch”) originated as a means of using up braised meat in Piedmont. At Casa di Langa’s Fàula Ristorante, the small pasta pockets are filled with a savory mixture of pork, chicken, veal, and vegetables, all held together with butter and cheese.
Pork Chop Milanese
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Jillian Knox
Coated with herbs, Parmesan, and breadcrumbs, these crunchy pork chops are rich in umami. They pair beautifully with a simple arugula salad for an easy weeknight dinner.
Osso Buco with Red Wine
Food & Wine / Photo by Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Breanna Ghazali
Created in Milan, this Italian classic features veal shanks braised in red wine and is typically served with risotto alla Milanese. In order to stick to the custom of the dish’s namesake, offer guests small spoons to scoop and enjoy the fatty marrow from the bones
Ricotta and Parmesan Gnudi
Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Kathleen Cook Varner
These savory, cheesy, herb-flecked Italian dumplings are a terrific use for homemade ricotta. Mix the dough, pipe it into logs, and use scissors to snip into individual dumplings a day in advance, so they have time to firm up and develop a thin skin in the fridge before you boil and serve them.
Bolognese Meat Sauce
Photo and Styling by Julia Gartland
Marcella Hazan’s take on this classic long-simmered ragù calls for richly marbled ground beef chuck. Salt the meat as it sautés to extract its juices, then simmer it in milk to protect it from the acidic bite of the tomatoes and wine that get added to the pot next. Serve this sauce over fettuccine or your pasta of choice.
Cioppino (Seafood Stew)
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Kelsey Moylan / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
Bobby Flay’s version of this tomato-based Italian American stew includes a range of shellfish like Dungeness crab, squid, and mussels cooked with shallot, garlic, herbs, and a wine-spiked blend of clam juice and chicken stock. It’s customary to serve the stew with buttered sourdough toast, but it’s also tasty over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.
Stracotto di Fassona Piemontese (Piedmont Braised Beef)
Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Chef Otto Lucà, of Langotto Ristorante in Novello, deems this rustic top blade roast the most essential main course of traditional Piedmontese cuisine. The beef is marinated overnight and slow-braised in red wine until it’s falling-apart tender.
Italian Wedding Risotto
Diana Chistruga
Justin Chapple gives beloved Italian Wedding Soup the risotto treatment by studding creamy arborio rice with garlicky pork meatballs along with ribbons of baby spinach, then serving it with a drizzle of olive oil, grated Parmesan, and a shower of fresh parsley.
Veal Piccata
Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
Make a silky pan sauce with garlic, lemon juice, capers, and parsley to serve with veal, pork, or chicken cutlets for a buttery, tangy main.
Proposal Chicken Parmesan
Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Nicole Hopper / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
We took the flavors of Marry Me Chicken and applied them to a classic chicken Parmesan. Here, chicken cutlets are breaded in a panko-Parmesan coating and fried, then topped with mozzarella, broiled until golden, and served with a luscious sun-dried tomato cream sauce.
Soppressata Pizza with Calabrian Chiles and Hot Honey
Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
Top homemade pizza with Italian cured meat and fiery chiles, which add heat and a distinctly fruity flavor balanced by the sweetness of hot honey.
Farro Mafaldine with Black Truffle Butter and Mushrooms
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
You can’t go wrong with adding black truffles to any dish, but this sophisticated, mushroom-filled recipe from Boston chef Karen Akunowicz calls for truffle paste, which melts perfectly into the buttery sauce to blanket nutty farro pasta.
Tuscan Grilled Trout
Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist Lydia Pursell
Baste trout fillets with a simple oil, infused with garlic and herbs, combined with wine vinegar before grilling; the trout skin protects the flesh as it cooks, turning an appealing golden brown. To finish, pour the remaining oil mixture over the hot fish as a sauce.
Baked Stuffed Eggplant with Italian Sausage
Greg Dupree
This stunning main is a terrific way to make use of peak-season produce. Halved eggplant becomes the vessel for a hearty filling made with ripe tomatoes, feta cheese, and zesty Italian sausage. A layer of bright, lemony breadcrumbs on top provides a little toasty crunch; a drizzle of herb-laden marinara ties all the flavors together.
Bomba di Riso (Stuffed Rice Cake) with Shredded Duck
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Thom Driver
Here, a “bomb” of molded baked carnaroli rice is filled with a combo of shredded duck and earthy porcini mushrooms that have been cooked with a soffritto, dry red wine, and a touch of tomato paste for a flavorful homage to the mid-19th-century delicacy.
Tuna Steaks with Lemon Caper Sauce
Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Kelsey Moylan / Prop Styling by Addelyn Evans
In this 20-minute dish, an Italian-inflected combo of lemon and capers makes for an easy vinaigrette that balances the rich meatiness of simply seasoned grilled tuna steaks.
Pappardelle with White Bolognese
Antonis Achilleos
This cozy, meaty pasta is full of savory goodness from the blend of pork, beef, and veal, as well as cremini mushrooms and Parmesan. Give yourself the full hour and a half to reduce the white wine and the stock; it’s worth it for the super-tender meat and incredible depth of flavor.
Swordfish Sicilian-Style
Greg DuPree
A lemony, oregano-infused sauce imparts bright flavor to hot-off-the-grill steaks, permeating pricked holes in this recipe from legendary cookbook author and Italian cooking teacher Marcella Hazan.
Italian Bone-In Pork Loin
Victor Protasio
Finish the pork on a slow roast to ensure it’s thoroughly cooked but still juicy, yielding tender, gently caramelized fennel, onion, and shallots. Serve it with polenta for a magnificent meal.
Pasta Cacio e Pepe
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Don’t let the minimalism steer you away: This version of cacio e pepe doesn’t lack flavor. (In fact, with a little added butter — why not? — it’s not quite as minimal as the traditional recipe.) Starchy pasta water and very finely grated cheese make emulsification happen; make sure the water is still warm when it’s time to prepare the sauce.
Balsamic-and-Rosemary-Marinated Florentine Steak
© Marie Hennechart
When she’s in Tuscany, chef Nancy Silverton buys thick porterhouses at Antica Macelleria Cecchini, Dario Cecchini’s famous butcher shop in the town of Panzano. At Mozza, one of her restaurants in Los Angeles, chef Matt Molina marinated the meat in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and rosemary for this recipe.
Slow Cooker Sunday Sauce on Spaghetti
© Fredrika Stjärne
Since Sunday sauce typically needs to simmer for four or more hours, using your slow cooker to make it is a genius idea. This version — featuring pork shoulder, pancetta, and sweet Italian sausage — won’t spatter your stovetop, and you won’t have to babysit it, either.
Tuscan-Style Spareribs with Balsamic Glaze
© Tina Rupp
Like his favorite Tuscan cooks, pork expert Bruce Aidells finishes his ribs with a simple balsamic glaze. The meat is generously seasoned with a mix of aromatic herbs and spices before slow roasting.
Dining and Cooking