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Introducing: My favorite Italian feast!
Featuring spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, Caesar salad, bruschetta, an antipasto platter, and pizzelle, this menu will have your grandma pronouncing it “Eye-talian” in no time. I know mine always does.
Grab some checkered napkins and a couple of red plastic Coca-cola cups, too: you might think you’re at an Italian-American restaurant in the Midwest.
Or mix and match with other Italian recipes to create the menu of your Italian dreams. There are plenty of suggestions below!
Table of Contents
Antipasto Platter
While you finish preparing your feast, welcome dinner guests or your family to the table with a hearty snack platter.
This one takes just 20 minutes to assemble, and features a variety of regional delicacies, including prosciutto, salami, ham, mozzarella, olives, stuffed cherry peppers, marinated mushrooms, fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, and toasted baguette slices.
More appetizers to share
Salad Recipes
Caprese Salad
This easy Caprese Salad recipe tastes like summer on a plate. Ready in just 7 minutes, this no-cook side dish idea asks for just 3 fresh ingredients and a couple pantry staples. Talk about a no-sweat summer recipe!
Italian Recipes
Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
Vegetable Recipes
Stuffed Artichokes
Side Dish Recipes
Marinated Mushrooms
30 Minute Meals
Cheese Tortellini in Garlic Butter Sauce
Spaghetti and Meatballs
The secret to the most tender, juicy meatballs? Starting with a panade, or a mixture of a starch and a liquid.
For my best beef meatballs, I call for luscious heavy cream and white sandwich bread, which joins grated onion, Parmesan cheese, and fresh herbs in the meatball blend.
Pan-fry in a skillet or bake in the oven, then toss into homemade marinara before spooning over spaghetti. The Godfather would be so proud of this feast!
More Italian entrées
Italian Recipes
The Best Make Ahead Lasagna
The Best Make Ahead Lasagna has three kinds of cheese, two different meats, one fantastic homemade sauce, and oodles of real noodles that require absolutely zero boiling. It all adds up to an award-winning, freezer-friendly…
Italian Recipes
One Pot Chicken Alfredo
Italian Recipes
Chicken Parmesan Recipe
Chicken and Turkey Recipes
Caprese Chicken
Italian Recipes
Baked Ziti
Italian Recipes
Spaghetti Carbonara
Italian Recipes
Eggplant Parmesan
30 Minute Meals
Chicken Piccata Recipe
Sandwich Recipes
Italian Beef Sandwich
Garlic Bread
No pasta party (or, let’s be honest, Midwestern meal) is complete without bread. And my garlic bread spread is one of the easiest ways to dress up a basic French or Italian loaf.
Be sure to make plenty, as you’ll need it to sop up all that herb-spiked marinara in your Italian entrée!
Bonus carb sides
Appetizer Recipes
Bruschetta
Bruschetta, the classic Italian appetizer featuring fresh tomatoes, basil, and garlic crostini, is a cinch to make at home in just 20 minutes. Pair this easy Bruschetta with any Italian entree and you’ll feel like…
Italian Recipes
Pesto Cheese Bread
Bread Recipes
Focaccia
Appetizer Recipes
Sausage Rolls
Bread Recipes
No-Knead Bread
Caesar Salad
As a fresh counterpart to the starchy sides and mains, add a salad on the side. My classic Caesar Salad can be on the table in just 20 minutes (yes, even with a homemade Caesar salad dressing and croutons!).
More stellar salads
Italian Recipes
Antipasto Salad
Salad Recipes
Spinach Salad with Bacon Dressing
Salad Recipes
Easy Garden Salad
Salad Recipes
Strawberry Spinach Salad
Mock Italian Cannoli with Pizzelle
Every Italian meal must include a sip and a sweet if you ask me. So uncork a bottle of Italian wine or stir together an Italian cocktail. Then cap things off with sweetened ricotta cream-stuffed cannoli or another traditional Italian dessert.
More drinks and desserts
Cake Recipes
Tiramisu
Tiramisu is a classic no-bake Italian dessert made with lady fingers, coffee, and cream. This easy version is about as luscious as it gets, and you can even make it ahead.
Cookie Recipes
Pizzelle
Cake Recipes
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Cocktail Recipes
Amaretto Sour Recipe
Cocktail Recipes
Iced Tea Berry Sangria
Whether you add one of these Italian recipes to your dinner menu for the week or sample and snack your way through them all to master all of these traditional dishes, you can’t go wrong with these restaurant-quality classic Italian recipes. Mangiamo!
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.