30 Easy Italian Recipes - The Plant Based School (2024)

1. Spaghetti aglio e olio

We start this list with a 15–minute pasta and a “low-budget” meal that is famous all over the world. Simply use plenty of extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, chili peppers or red pepper flakes, and a sprinkle of finely chopped parsley on top.

2. Italian bean stew

This rich and tomato-packed Italian bean stew is asimple and flavorful recipeyou can make inone potin half an hour. Serve it as a weeknight dinner withrice, couscous, polenta, or a slice of crusty bread.

3. Easy tomato risotto

This recipe isso easy to put together, with simplepantry staplesyou probably already have at home. This risotto will beloved by adults and kids alike, and in justabout 30 minutes, you’ll have a delicious Italian dinner on the table.

4. Italian rice balls

Like theItalian tradition, we make rice balls, or to be more precise,risotto balls. We take leftover risotto andshape it into small ballswithout filling them (my Italian nonna never did). Then, we coat the rice balls in atasty breadcrumb mixtureandfry them in oil.

5. Carciofi alla romana (braised artichokes)

Carciofi alla Romanais an Italian artichoke recipe of braised artichokes simmered in a pot with water, olive oil, and herbs like mint and parsley. They are primarily served in central Italy,in and around Rome, but the recipe isnow famous worldwide.

6. Panzanella salad with bread

Panzanellais anItalian bread saladoriginating in the centenary peasant traditions of central Italy, especially in theUmbria, Tuscany, Lazio, and Marche regions. It’s a naturally vegan, zero-waste recipe and agreat way to reuse stale bread.

7. Spaghetti Pomodoro

“Pomodoro” in Italian meanstomato.So when Italians say pasta al Pomodoro, they mean pasta with tomato. In 20 minutes flat, and with simple ingredients, you’ll be able to prepare an authentic Italian pasta dish that will leave everyonebegging for more.

8. Tofu cacciatore

You probably heard ofchicken cacciatore. Cacciatore, which means“hunter” in Italian, is a cooking style often used by Italian hunters to cook poultry and game, like chicken. We use tofu instead of chicken to create a plant–based and delicious Italian meal.

You can serve it onpasta,rice, or withflatbreadand a side ofgreens. This is anexcellent make-aheadrecipe as it keeps well for a few days.

9. Italian salsa verde dressing

This sauce, sometimes known as bagnet verd or bagnet Piemontese, was invented in the 19th century in thenorthern Italian region ofPiedmontand quickly spread down through the Italian peninsula. It’s perfect with fresh vegetables, potatoes, salads, and bruschetta.

10. Potato gnocchi

Make gnocchi with white potatoes, sweet potatoes, or pumpkin, the result is a family-friendly dinner that is absolutely restaurant–worthy.

Here we’ll show youhow to make gnocchiwiththree simple ingredientsand shape them with a fork. Our recipe is theoriginal Italianone without eggs.

11. Lentil pasta

Lentils are the oldest legumedomesticated by humans and are anutrition powerhouse. They are an inexpensive way ofgetting all the nutrientsyou need to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Combined with pasta, they make atasty and nutritious meal, especially if, like in this recipe, you cook them together in the same pot.

13. Tomato or eggplant bruschetta

Bruschetta, pronounced “bruˈsketta,” is a humble yet incredibly delicious meal made fromthick grilled slices of stale breadrubbed with garlic and topped with a mix of good quality olive oil, salt, and tomatoes or roasted eggplant.

14. Eggplant Pizza

From this eggplant pizza recipe, you can expect afamiliar, cozy flavor, similar toItalian eggplant parmigiana, sometimes known as eggplant parmesan. The crust is not crunchy like baked pizza dough, but it’s delicious, tender, and a wonderful dish for sharing.

15. Italian flatbread (piadina)

Piadina is a very popular type of Italian flatbread that is surprisingly similar to aMexican tortilla. It’sa thin, flat, circularunleavenedflatbreadmade with wheat flour that is versatile and can be eaten as a snack like a sandwich, or as a main dish for a quick lunch or dinner.

16. Sauteed eggplant

This sauteed eggplant recipe is a lot easier than caponata as it’s done in 20 minutes on a pan. Theeggplant dice soak in the tomato juicesandgarlic aroma, becoming incredibly flavorful, juicy, and tender.

17. Chickpea farinata

Chickpea farinata or soccais an easy recipe made by mixingchickpea flour and extra virginolive oil, then baking it in the oven for about 20 minutes. Serve it as an appetizer with pesto, olive tapenade and roasted vegetable for an authentic Italian antipasto.

18. Pesto

Make it with basil, zucchini, or parsley, this green pesto is a fantastic pasta sauce, sandwich spread, and drizzle on pizza. Make it in 5 minutes with simple ingredients, and you’ll have a quick and easy meal at hand.

19. Pasta e fa*gioli

Pasta e fa*giolimakes thecoziest family dinner ever. You can make it with simple and affordable ingredients, yetit tastes fantastic, and it’s incrediblywarming and nourishing.

20. Easy white sauce

White sauce,also known asbéchamel sauce, is a versatile sauce you can use in many recipes, from pasta bakes to savory crepes, from lasagne to oven-baked veggies. It’s a simple recipe withfour ingredientsin its basic form, and it’sready in 10 minutes.

21. Lemon pasta with spinach

The combination of those simple ingredients – thelemon juice and zest, theoliveoil, thegarlic, and thechiliflakes– creates a meal that issimple but incredibly deliciousand satisfying.

22. Tomato salad

Tomato and onion saladis refreshing, easy to put together, and perfect tocool you downduring thosescorching summer months.

Serve it withcrusty breadtosoak up all the flavorful tomato juicesfor a simple light lunch or as a side dish.

23. Pasta Puttanesca

Originally from Naples, pasta puttanesca oraulive e chiappariellein Napolitan (olives and capers in English) is now popular throughout Italy and worldwide thanks to itssimplicity,beautiful colors, and, most importantly, itswonderfully rich and yet balanced taste.

24. Lentil Vegetable soup

This easy lentil soup iswholesome,hearty, and with a wonderfulherby flavor. The lentils make the dish nutritious and fulfilling, packing it withtexture,protein,iron, and heart andgut-healthy fiber.

25. Marinara sauce

In just about 15 minutes, you’ll have a rich and tasty homemade tomato sauce you can use with any pasta.

It’s theultimate last-minute dinner recipeand the best ace up your sleeve when you are short on time but still want to cook a delicious meal.

26. Mushroom ragu

With thismushroom ragu, we wanted to make aquick and easy saucewithout the need to simmer for a long time, like a traditional meat-based ragu. The result is a recipe you can make with affordable ingredientssuch as mushroom, olive oil, onion, celery, carrot, rosemary, tomato paste, salt, and pepper.

27. Roasted zucchini

These oven roasted zucchini are made with breadcrumbs, garlic, olive oil, and herbs, and are naturally vegan.

It is a delicious topping asit gives a lot of flavorto the zucchini (much more than the parmesan) and it gets allgolden, crisp, and crunchyas the breadcrumbs gratin in the oven.

28. Saffron risotto

Saffron risottooriginated in Milan, Italy, and it’s sometimes calledrisotto alla Milanese.

It’s probably theeasiest risotto of all, and you can make it withseven simple ingredientsfollowing a simple process.

29. No knead focaccia bread

This recipe shows youhow to make the bestandeasiest focaccia breadwithout kneading, without any fancy equipment, with just a bowl and a spoon, and inmost baking pans.

Regarding toppings, focaccia is usually topped witholiveoil,coarsesalt, andfreshrosemary.

30. Penne arrabbiata

Whether it’s made with rigatoni or penne pasta, this arrabbiata sauce is a quick and tasty family favorite that’s ready in 20 minutes.

Basic Italian pantry ingredients

Before getting started with these Italian meals, we highly recommend checking your pantry for a couple of basic but essential ingredients. We use all of these ingredients for basically any of these Italian classic dishes:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Passata and crushed canned tomatoes
• Garlic cloves
• Dried or fresh herbs, such as basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley, and thyme.
• Parmesan cheese or dairy-free alternative (if you are vegan).

How to store these Italian meals

Make Ahead:these Italian meals are excellent recipes to make ahead as you can refrigerate most of them for several days (or freeze the soups and sauces for months). Also, on the second and third days, the warm meals taste better than when freshly made because the flavors have time to meld.

Refrigerator:let the dishes cool down completely at room temperature, then transfer them into an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Reheat:you can reheat pasta, soups, and sauces in a pot on the stovetop for a few minutes or in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. Avoid reheating them multiple times.

Easy-ish Italian desserts

Pair your easy Italian dinner with a dessert “dolci” of your choice, they are inspired by Italian dessert traditions:

• Biscotti (flour, sugar, almonds, powdered sugar, lemon, almond milk, etc.)
• Apple cake (milk, vegetable oil, apples, vanilla extract, baking powder, etc.)
• Baked pears (cinnamon, walnuts, maple syrup, vanilla ice cream).
• Coffee mousse (whipped cream, espresso coffee, sugar).