43 Delicious Italian Main Dishes Everyone Will Crave

Italy is famed for its delicious cuisine and there are so many classic dishes to choose from. This collection of Italian main dishes will bring out your inner chef, whether you want something fancy for a dinner party, a family-style feast, or a new recipe to explore. After all, there are plenty of wonderful dishes from the heart of Italy that will have everyone licking their lips!

Italian Beef Braciole Stuffed Beef Roll

Italian rolled beef in butcher’s twine is an Italian favourite made with thin slices of beef and boasting a rich tomato sauce. This authentic beef braciole recipe is a dish from southern Italy and makes a hearty Sunday dinner. You’ll find it a flavourful, filling and really tasty example of Italian cuisine.
Get the Recipe: Italian Beef Braciole Stuffed Beef Roll

Pesto Fettuccini with Bolognese Sauce

Indulge in a delicious homemade Italian pasta dinner with pesto fettuccini and Bolognese sauce, bursting with fresh veggies in every bite. This hearty dish, featuring a homemade beef Bolognese meat sauce and fettuccine pasta, will satisfy your cravings for a flavorful Italian meal.
Get the Recipe: Pesto Fettuccini with Bolognese Sauce

Italian Penne Rosa Pasta

If you’re looking for a quick and easy weeknight dinner, try making this one-pot Penne Rosa Pasta with a creamy tomato sauce. This comforting and filling Italian dish is both tasty and satisfying and perfect for those who love a little spice in their meal.
Get the Recipe: Italian Penne Rosa Pasta

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Transform traditional Italian comfort food with this homemade sweet potato gnocchi recipe with roasted garlic sauce. The perfect vegetarian main course or flavorful side dish, this dish is easy to make with just a few simple ingredients and a little bit of patience.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Roasted Cauliflower Carbonara

This delicious Italian recipe is ideal for any pasta lover, combining roasted cauliflower florets with a creamy sauce that includes bacon, pancetta, and parmesan cheese. It comes out of the oven perfectly golden brown and caramelized and is sure to impress.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower Carbonara

Italian Tuna White Bean Salad

Simple ingredients combine to make this Tuscan classic. Juicy fresh tuna pairs with beans for a Tuscan tuna white bean salad everyone will enjoy. It makes a tasty meal, whatever the season.
Get the Recipe: Italian Tuna White Bean Salad

Ham Provolone Rosettes

If you’re looking for an easy and aesthetically pleasing dish, try making Italian baked ham provolone rosettes. These adorable little pasta pinwheels, filled with ham, provolone, and parmesan, are easy to assemble and delicious, making them a crowd-pleasing favorite.
Get the Recipe: Ham Provolone Rosettes

Italian Frittata Recipe

Straightforward to make and a treat to eat, this Italian vegetable frittata recipe is definitely a winning recipe. It’s simple to prepare, and you can mix and match the fillings depending on what you have in the refrigerator. It’s the perfect way to use up any vegetables or cooked meats you need to use up.
Get the Recipe: Italian Frittata Recipe

Meatball Marinara Subs

Savor the juicy homemade meatballs, tangy marinara sauce, and fluffy brioche buns in Italian meatball marinara subs – a satisfying comfort food that’s perfect for lunch or busy weeknights. These sandwiches are far tastier than the fast-food version and are sure to please anyone, regardless of their Italian heritage.
Get the Recipe: Meatball Marinara Subs

Italian Beef

You won’t be able to resist making slow cooker Italian beef again and again once you try it. This hearty and filling dish is perfect on toasted rolls or hoagie buns, and the slow-cooked beef is incredibly tender and flavorful.
Get the Recipe: Italian Beef

Mushroom Ragu

Elevate your pasta game with this delicious and flavorful mushroom ragu vegan pasta sauce made with garlic, wine, herbs, and various fresh vegetables. This homemade spaghetti sauce is perfect for vegans or anyone who loves a hearty and healthy meal and is sure to become your new favorite meatless ragu recipe.
Get the Recipe: Mushroom Ragu

Lasagna Soup

This slow cooker lasagna soup recipe is the best you’ll ever try, with a hearty and delicious flavor that will satisfy you. Although there are quite a few ingredients, it’s an easy crockpot Italian dinner that is perfect for any night of the week.
Get the Recipe: Lasagna Soup

Italian Stromboli Recipe

Experience the taste of true Italian flavors with this authentic stromboli recipe from South Philly, where Italian immigrants first created this Italian-American dish. With its combination of deli meats, cheese, and rich Italian flavors rolled into a delicious sandwich, this easy-to-make stromboli is a great way to spice up any pizza night.

Pressed Italian Picnic Sandwiches

Transport your taste buds to Italy with these amazing pressed Italian picnic sandwiches! Perfect for lunch or a summer picnic, these sandwiches are bursting with authentic flavors that will have you coming back for more.
Get the Recipe: Pressed Italian Picnic Sandwiches

Roasted Tomato and Meatball Polenta

Meatballs and polenta with garlic roasted tomatoes is a simple-to-make, hearty meal. Easy, comforting weeknight meals like this are perfect for the colder months when you crave something tasty and satisfying.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Tomato and Meatball Polenta

Heart Shaped Pizza

Indulge in a delightful homemade heart-shaped pizza with a crisp, golden crust, gooey cheese, and your favorite toppings. This simple recipe will win over your loved one’s heart with its delicious flavors and charming presentation.
Get the Recipe: Heart Shaped Pizza

Chopped Italian Sandwich

A chopped Italian sub is sure to satisfy even the strongest hunger pangs. This Italian bread sub with deli meats, cheese, pepperoncini peppers, red onion, and more make a great lunch.
Get the Recipe: Chopped Italian Sandwich

Chicken Piccata with Angel Hair Pasta

Indulge in the deliciousness of garlic chicken piccata with angel hair pasta – a flavorful and easy chicken and pasta meal. With juicy chicken, garlic, lemon, and pasta, this dish is a true delight that will satisfy your cravings for a scrumptious Italian-inspired dinner.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Piccata with Angel Hair Pasta

Hot Italian Sliders

Spice up your next gathering with hot Italian sliders – the perfect appetizer for tailgating or backyard picnics! Made with slider rolls, deli meats, and cheeses, these mini sandwiches are a crowd-pleaser. Don’t forget the marinara dipping sauce for an extra kick of flavor!
Get the Recipe: Hot Italian Sliders

Eggplant Parmigiana

Try this authentic Italian recipe for eggplant parmigiana, which is a comfort food favourite. Baked with a flavorful tomato and vodka sauce, this delicious vegetarian dinner idea is a hearty and satisfying meal bursting with tasty flavors.
Get the Recipe: Eggplant Parmigiana

Chicken Pesto Sandwich

Italian chicken pesto sandwich is easy and quick to make for dinner or lunch. Made with tender grilled chicken, creamy pesto sauce, fresh mozzarella, and tomato, this sandwich is sure to satisfy your taste buds when served on ciabatta rolls or focaccia bread.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Pesto Sandwich

Pizza Giana Rustica

Looking for a unique brunch or dinner dish? Look no further than pizza giana rustica, an authentic and classic Italian savory pie filled with a delicious blend of meats and cheeses. This dish, also known as pizza ripiena or pizza chiena, is the perfect way to use up leftover ham and is sure to impress your guests with its tasty combination of egg, cheese, and meat.
Get the Recipe: Pizza Giana Rustica

Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

This Gnocchi alla Sorrentina recipe is packed with Italian flavors and easy to make! Serve for a quick dinner any day of the week. What is more heartwarming than a plate of homemade, fresh gnocchi tossed in tomato sauce and topped with melted stringy mozzarella cheese and basil?
Get the Recipe: Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

Creamy Sausage Pasta With Bell Peppers

This creamy sausage pasta is a delicious, comforting and full of flavor recipe that you can make in just 20 minutes! A hearty pasta recipe to enjoy for dinner or lunch any day of the week.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Sausage Pasta With Bell Peppers

Pasta alla Boscaiola

Pasta alla Boscaiola might sound fancy, but trust me, it’s a down-to-earth, hearty meal you’ll want to dive into. It features delicious Italian sausage, earthy mushrooms, and fresh rosemary. An authentic dish perfect as a pick-me-up meal!
Get the Recipe: Pasta alla Boscaiola

Pasta Peperonata

Pasta peperonata is an Italian summer classic. This recipe features a flavored tomato sauce made with sweet bell peppers and other mediterranean favorites like olives and capers. Definitely something to try and enjoy any weeknight dinner.
Get the Recipe: Pasta Peperonata

Pasta Alla Checca

Pasta Alla Checca is an authentic and traditional dish from Rome. It features fresh and simple ingredients, something you will find often in Italian cuisine.
Get the Recipe: Pasta Alla Checca

Viral Gigi Hadid Pasta Recipe

When I saw that spicy vodka pasta was trending, you know I had to give you the recipe. So here it is – my take on the viral Gigi Hadid vodka pasta.
Get the Recipe: Viral Gigi Hadid Pasta Recipe

Asiago Tortelloni Alfredo With Grilled Chicken

Indulge in the delectable flavors of this Asiago Tortelloni Alfredo with Grilled Chicken recipe, a mouthwatering delicious dish that will tantalize your taste buds and leave you craving for more!
Get the Recipe: Asiago Tortelloni Alfredo With Grilled Chicken

Pumpkin Carbonara Lasagna With Pancetta

Pumpkin Carbonara Lasagna with Pancetta is one of my new favorite recipes! It’s creamy, delicious, perfect for Fall. This lasagna is layered with a smoked gouda, ricotta, parmesan cheese, chili pepper paste mixture, spinach, and a yummy eggplant, mushroom, and onion layer that’s too delicious to describe!
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Carbonara Lasagna With Pancetta

Instant Pot Spaghetti

Classic spaghetti, made in the Instant Pot! My Instant Pot Spaghetti recipe is as easy as 1,2,3! Requiring simple, kitchen staple ingredients and minimal prep, you can sit back and let the instant pot do all the work for you! Perfect for busy weeknights!
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Spaghetti

Italian Mac And Cheese

Classic comfort food, with an Italian twist! This Italian Mac And Cheese is loaded with cheesy, herbaceous flavor and takes under 30 minutes to make! Penne noodles are smothered in a luscious mozzarella cheese sauce, spiked with Italian seasoning and parmesan.
Get the Recipe: Italian Mac And Cheese

Bucatini Cacio e Pepe

This bucatini cacio e pepe is a classic Italian pasta dish that’s made with thick pasta, two types of cheeses, and two other easy ingredients! Ready to enjoy in just 25 minutes from start to finish!
Get the Recipe: Bucatini Cacio e Pepe

Tortellini Alla Panna

Tortellini alla panna is a simple, mouthwatering Italian pasta dish that covers store-bought tortellini in a homemade creamy parmesan sauce! Take your first bite of this incredible dinner recipe in just over 30 minutes!
Get the Recipe: Tortellini Alla Panna

30 Minute Parmesan Pasta and Peas with Sweet Italian Sausage

This pasta and peas dish with Italian sausage is packed with lots of delicious flavor and is one the whole family will love. The quick to make recipe is ready in less 30 minutes.
Get the Recipe: 30 Minute Parmesan Pasta and Peas with Sweet Italian Sausage

Date Night Gnocchi

This date night gnocchi is a simple 30-minute meal featuring chicken, butternut squash, and kale combined in a creamy alfredo sauce and topped with grated parmesan cheese. Impress your date with this stay-at-home date night dinner winner!
Get the Recipe: Date Night Gnocchi

Cheese Stuffed Italian Meatloaf

This Italian meatloaf is brimming with the warmth of Italian spices and cheese.

With a generous topping of sauce, this recipe for Italian meatloaf is definitely going to become a favorite with your family.

It’s the ultimate comfort food that’s perfect for a cozy family dinner.

Get the Recipe: Cheese Stuffed Italian Meatloaf

Stuffed Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Stuffed Chicken Parmesan comes out crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, with a delicious basil and mozzarella filling. All cooked up in one pan – so easy!
Get the Recipe: Stuffed Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Authentic Italian Meatballs

Juicy, flavorful Italian meatballs bathed in rich marinara, smothered in mozzarella and Parmesan and baked to golden cheesy deliciousness
Get the Recipe: Authentic Italian Meatballs

Pasta e Piselli

Pasta e piselli is a classic Italian pasta dish made with peas and Pecorino cheese. It is a simple and delicious dish that is perfect for a quick weeknight meal. Add this to your list of favorite Italian dinner recipes!
Get the Recipe: Pasta e Piselli

Paccheri al Forno

Paccheri al Forno is a classic Italian pasta bake from Southern Italy. It’s a delicious and easy weeknight meal. Made with just a few simple ingredients, it’s hearty and ready in under an hour!
Get the Recipe: Paccheri al Forno

Chicken Broccoli Ziti

This easy weeknight chicken broccoli ziti recipe with crunchy bread crumbs is delicious, made with nutritious ingredients, and ready in just 30 minutes! Italian dinner recipes like this will be family favorites.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Broccoli Ziti

Easy Penne Pomodoro

This simple penne pomodoro recipe is made with just five basic ingredients and is an easy dinner that you won’t believe is ready in 30 minutes. This will become one of your top Italian dinner recipes.
Get the Recipe: Easy Penne Pomodoro