Top 10 Best Italian Recipes

Italian cuisine is one of the most well known cuisines in the world. You can sample some great Italian food in just about every single country around the globe from Asia to Africa. All those mouthwatering pizza and pasta dishes! There are endless varieties, and the unforgettable melting taste is something that you can even get addicted to! In this post we have collected 10 of the most delicious Italian recipes!

Four Cheese Baked Skillet Rigatoni

Ingredients:

Instructions

Grilled Chicken Caprese Pasta With Garlic, Romano, Mozzarella And Fresh Basil

Ingredients

• 2 medium chicken breast halves (about 1/2 kg), grilled and diced
• 250 g pasta Rigatoni or Penne
• 2 cups roasted tomato pasta sauce
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup grated Romano Cheese
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• red pepper flakes
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced into halves
• 350 g mozzarella, grated
• 16 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 190 C. Cook pasta to al dente.
• In a separate saucepan heat tomato pasta sauce, heavy cream, Romano cheese, garlic, red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until cheese melts.
• Drain cooked pasta well, return pasta to pot. Add in diced chicken, grape tomatoes, half of the mozzarella and half of the basil, then pour warm sauce over mixture. Toss to evenly coat.
• Pour mixture into a greased baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and cook pasta uncovered for about 20 – 25 minutes until cheese is golden. Serve warm sprinkled with remaining fresh basil.

Amaretto Lace Cannoli

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 stick butter (salted)
• 1 cup almonds, roasted, salted (chopped)
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 16 ounces ricotta (drained)
• 1 tsp Amaretto, or almond extract
• 1-2 tsp heavy cream
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Intructions

• Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). In a saucepan melt brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and Amaretto (or almond extract) over medium heat.
•  In a large bowl combine flour, chopped almonds, oats. Pour the sugar/butter/corn syrup mixture over dry ingredients and thoroughly combine with a wooden spoon.
• Line a large baking sheet with baking paper and scoop 1-inch sized dough balls on sheet. (Spread dough about 4 inches apart, as they will spread about 4 inches.) Bake for about 6-8 minutes.
• In a large bowl combine drained ricotta, sugar, chocolate chips, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. If mixture is too thick, add 1-2 tsp of heavy cream. Transfer ricotta mixture to a pastry bag, using a large star tip for piping.
• Remove the almond lace cookies from the oven to cool for 1-2 minutes. Working one at a time, rip the parchment around one of the cookies. Begin to form the cookie around the cannoli tube. ( If you do not have cannoli forms, you may use any other kitchen tool that is tubular and has 1/2 inch diameter, such as a large wooden spoon, etc.) Rest the cannoli shell with the seam down while it fully cools and sets. Continue in same fashion with all cannoli shells.
• When cannoli shells have cooled, slide off cannoli form, and pipe cannoli filling in one side first, then turn cannoli around and fill in other side until entire cannoli is filled

Great Grandma’s Pasta Sauce

Stromboli Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb pizza dough
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce
• 1-1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese, grated
• 6 thin slices of hard salami
• 4 thin slices of deli honey ham
• 1 egg, beaten
• Dried parsley & Parmesan cheese

Istructions

• Preheat oven to 500 F and line a large rimmed cookie sheet with baking paper.
• Spread pizza dough out on baking sheet. Spread pizza sauce over 2/3′s of the dough lengthwise, leaving a 3×16 rectangle of plain dough along one of the edges. Top sauce with the grated cheese, salami and ham.
• Brush the plain strip of dough with the egg. Fold in the other sides about an inch and brush them with egg. Roll up lengthwise starting along the long edge of dough topped with all the fillings and ending with the plain strip of dough on the bottom of the roll.
• Brush the entire stromboli with the beaten egg and gently cut slats in the top of the dough every 1-2 inches. Sprinkle with parsley and cheese. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven, cool 5 minutes and slice into pieces. Serve with more pizza sauce.

Garden Lasagna

Ingredients

For the basil puree:

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup spinach leaves
• 2 tsp garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• Salt and pepper
• 32 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 egg

For the vegetables:

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 cups milk
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 8-ounce jar of roasted red bell peppers
• 1 pound baby spinach
• 9 ounces of no-boil lasagna noodles
• 4,5 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions

• For the basil puree: Combine the basil, 1/2 cup spinach leaves, 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic and 1/2 cup of the olive oil, in a blender. Processing until a thick paste forms. Add Parmesan and salt and pepper (to taste). Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, and more salt and pepper. Set aside.
• To blanch the spinach:  In a large pot bring about 8 cups of water to a boil.  Add the 1-pound of spinach to the water, and stir, until the spinach turns bright green, about 30 seconds.  Immediately plunge the spinach into another bowl full of cold water to stop the spinach from cooking.  Drain the spinach and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
• For the sauce: In a pan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add the remaining minced garlic and the flour and toss to coat, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute. Slowly add the milk to the pan, and stir. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 7-10 minutes. Transfer the roux to a separate bowl, and  let cool for about 15 minutes. Once cooled, add the basil puree to the sauce and set aside.
• For the vegetables:  Return the pan to the heat and heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are lightly browned. Transfer the mushrooms to a medium bowl. Add the bell peppers, blanched spinach, and salt and pepper to taste to the mushrooms, mixing well.
• For the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 375 F.  Spray baking pan with cooking spray. Assemble the lasagna by placing about 1/2 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the pan. Layer the noodles on top of this, followed by 1/2 cup of the ricotta, 1 cup of the vegetables, 1/2 cup of the sauce, and about 1 cup of the mozzarella.  Repeat this two more times. Pour the remaining sauce over the lasagna and sprinkle with the rest of the mozzarella cheese.
• Cover the pan with foil and bake for about 45 minutes. Uncover the pan, and bake for another 15-20 minutes or so, or until the cheese is lightly browned.
• Garnish with the fresh basil and serve immediately.

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp finely chopped shallot
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter
• 10 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh sage
• 1/4 tsp  salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup flour
• 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (2 lb total)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp dry Marsala wine
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200°F. Bring broth to a boil in a saucepan, then boil, uncovered, until reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 20 minutes.
• Cook shallot in 3 tbsp butter in a heavy skillet, until shallot begins to turn golden. Add mushrooms, 1 teaspoon sage, salt, and pepper and cook until mushrooms begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Put flour in a bowl. Pound chicken to 1/4 inch thick between 2 sheets of plastic wrap using the flat side of a meat pounder or a rolling pin. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, 1 piece at a time, shaking off excess.
• Heat 1 tbsp each of oil and butter then sauté half of chicken, turning over once, until golden about 4 minutes total. Transfer cooked chicken to a large platter, arranging in 1 layer, then put platter in oven to keep warm. Cook remaining chicken in same manner, then transfer to oven, arranging in 1 layer.
• Add 1/2 cup wine to skillet and boil over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, about 30 seconds. Add reduced broth, cream, and mushrooms, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons wine and 1/2 teaspoon sage.

Strawberry Balsamic Pizza With Chicken, Sweet Onion And Applewood Bacon

Ingredients

• ½ cup strawberry jam or preserve
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha Chili Sauce
• 1 ball pizza dough
• 1 cup diced or shredded chicken breast (left over chicken)
• ½ cup applewood smoked bacon, cut in 1 inch pieces, cooked and drained
• ½ cup thin sliced sweet onion
• 12 ounces shredded Italian blend cheese
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• ¼ cup fresh strawberries, diced small

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450 F.
• Place balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 4 to 5 minutes or until mixture is thick and syrupy. Add strawberry preserves and Sriracha and mix well. Set aside to cool.
• Roll out pizza dough  to approximately a 14 inch circle. Place a piece of parchment paper, slightly larger than your dough on a pizza peel or an upside down sheet pan. Sprinkle parchment paper lightly with cornmeal. Fold dough in quarters and place on parchment paper, then unfold.
• Combine chicken with 2 tablespoons of the balsamic-strawberry mixture and mix to coat all chicken with sauce. Pour rest of sauce onto pizza dough and spread to cover. Leave a 1 inch border all around the edge. Scatter chicken evenly over the sauce.
• Place about 3/4 of the cheese on top of dough and spread to cover sauce evenly. Scatter bacon and sweet onion over cheese to distribute evenly. Scatter remaining cheese over this layer.
• Slide parchment paper with pizza onto cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly, 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and fresh diced strawberries.

Spaghetti With Chicken in White Wine Parmesan Sauce

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb dry spaghetti
• 1 1/2 cups snow peas
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cooked chicken breast, sliced

Instructions

• Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water. Add the snow peas in the last couple minutes, then drain and return it to the pot.
• Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet and cook the onion, garlic, and mushrooms for about five minutes. Add wine and chicken and simmer for a couple minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan. Pour the sauce over the spaghetti and peas and toss to coat.

Spinach Pasta Bake