25 Best Ever Italian Dinner Recipes

Italian Dinner Recipes are one of our favorites to make! We’ve rounded up our top 25 all-time favorites out of hundreds on our site! Whether you’re looking for something quick or have hours to spend in the kitchen, you’ll find plenty of Italian dinner ideas to choose from!

Italian Dinner Recipes

With well over 1,500 recipes on the blog, you can imagine a good portion of those are Italian dishes for dinner. This is The Slow Roasted Italian, after all!!

Since so many of you ask which ones are our favorites, we thought we’d gather them all in one place to save you some scrolling.

One pot meals and skillets, comforting soups, casseroles and bakes… you name it, we have it!

These easy Italian dinners are grouped by category to make it easier to find what you’re looking for. And there are vegetarian options sprinkled throughout!

Once you find something that looks tantalizingly delicious, click on the title below the image and you’ll be taken straight to the recipe post.

Italian Skillets and One-Pot Meals

There’s nothing better than easy Italian dinner recipes that don’t require piles of dishes!

Even if there’s pasta involved, you can add everything to one pot or skillet and have it cooked in no time.

One Pot Cheesy Pasta and Sausage features a spectacular creamy cheesy tomato basil sauce cooked right into the linguine. In 20 minutes, this recipe just about cooks itself. Now that’s my kind of meal!

Skillet Ravioli with Sausage tastes like a fine Italian restaurant meal, but you can make it in one skillet — and in under half an hour. Cheesy and oh so delish!  We have had this 5 times in the last 2 months… it’s that good.

This Italian Sausage and Potatoes Recipe is made with whole food ingredients from the market and the garden. One of the easiest Italian dinner ideas that even your picky eaters will love.

This Cheesy Skillet Gnocchi features a garlicky cream sauce that is both comforting and satisfying. With a handful of ingredients and plenty of seasonings, it’s ready in just 20 minutes!

Cheese Stuffed Manicotti cooks right in the sauce, without needing to pre-cook anything or use your oven! Better yet, it’s ready in just 30 minutes so you can have dinner on the table fast.

Cheesy Lasagna is one of the best Italian dishes for dinner, and you can make it right on the stovetop with this easy skillet recipe! Combine your favorite noodles with 3 types of cheese and a meaty tomato sauce. Yum!!

This Chicken Linguine Recipe combines classic Italian flavors in an easy 25-minute skillet meal. Tender chicken and pasta coated in a tangy, savory sauce — what’s not to love?

Fabulous Bruschetta Chicken transforms the popular appetizer into a heart pasta dish! Ready in 30 minutes with simple ingredients, this recipe is easy to customize too.

Hearty Soups and Chili

When the weather turns cold, nothing warms you up like a comforting bowl of soup!

Find everything from a simple bisque to a hearty chili, vegetarian recipes to ones loaded with different types of meat — there’s something for everyone!

Plus, they’re some of the best Italian dinner ideas for leftovers and meal prep too!

Italian Meatball Soup combines pasta, veggies, and tender meatballs in a flavorful tomato broth. Even better, you can cook everything in the same pot in 30 minutes!

This copycat recipe for Olive Garden Minestrone Soup is hearty and filling so there’s no reason to order takeout. Make it on the stovetop or find instructions for my crockpot recipe too.

Creamy Tomato Bisque is a step up from the traditional can of soup. It’s luxuriously thick and creamy with subtle peppery heat. Perfect alone or with a grilled cheese sandwich!

This hearty Italian Beef Soup features melt-in-your-mouth pieces of meat and tender veggies — just like your favorite stew, but with loads of Italian flavor! One of my favorite easy Italian dinner recipes for wintertime.

Italian Sausage Soup is loaded with white beans and pasta for the perfect meal at the end of a long day. Make this one pot meal in just 30 minutes!

My Italian Lentil Soup Recipe makes a hearty vegetarian and vegan meal that is budget friendly too. Just as hearty and satisfying as any other soup, with plenty of flavor and texture to go around!

Alfredo Chicken Tortellini Soup is like your favorite creamy pasta dish, but in comforting soup form! There’s plenty of cheesy goodness too, between loads of fresh Parmesan and the stuffed pasta.

This Italian Chili combines an American classic with Mediterranean flavors. Perfect for weeknight dinner or game day feasts, serve it with all your favorite toppings!

Baked Italian Dishes for Dinner

Now, we’re getting to the good stuff! These are Italian dinner recipes you’re probably more familiar with, and they’re perfect for when you’re feeling a bit nostalgic.

That’s why I’ve included a family dish that’s near and dear to my heart — because nothing says home like Nana’s recipes!

Cheesy Pesto & Chicken Pasta Bake combines all your favorite Italian flavors into one incredible dish! Think of it as an elevated baked ziti that is the perfect balance of light and hearty. One of my top Italian dinner recipes!

Baked Ziti is another tried and true family recipe — it’s easy, cheesy, and oh-so flavorful! Simple enough for weeknights but delicious enough for guests, you’ll want to have this one in regular rotation.

My Easy to Make Meat Lasagna features layer after layer of flavorful Italian sausage, noodles, and cheese — and it comes together in just 15 minutes! After that, all you have to do is wait for it to bake.

Italian Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with roasted veggies is another one of those Italian dinner recipes that can feed a crowd — or make enough leftovers for meal prep! Everything cooks together for maximum flavor.

Enjoy Italian Baked Eggs with Sausage for a hearty breakfast or brunch! Pair with plenty of cheesy toast and some fresh fruit for a delicious change of pace to the standard morning fare.

Nana’s Eggplant Parmesan is a delicious taste of home, and it’s easy enough for anyone to make — no matter their cooking experience! Crispy rounds of fried eggplant smothered in tomato sauce and gooey cheese… it doesn’t get better than that!

Tired of the same ol’ pizza? Try Pizza Stuffed Chicken Breast instead! It’s got all the flavor without the bread, but you can certainly serve it over pasta… there’s plenty of cheesy goodness to go around!!

Lemon Rosemary Chicken is incredibly simple — just 5 ingredients! — but still packed with loads of flavor. From prep to plate, it’s ready in 30 minutes.

Cheesy Italian Stuffed Peppers are loaded with spicy Italian sausage, tomatoes, garlic, and orzo pasta instead of rice. No pre-baking required, so you can go from prep to plate in 30 minutes!

Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.

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Originally published December 2013, updated and republished October 2024.

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