16 Recipes For National Italian Heritage Month
16 Recipes for National Italian Heritage Month
You’re probably excited about crunchy leaves, cooler weather, and lots of football this October. But around here, this month is all about Italian heritage—and that’s the way we like it! There’s no better way to honor Italian than through some delicious home cooking, so we’ve gathered 16 must-have Italian recipes for you to make this month. Mix and match or cook them all—either way, you’ll have some tasty items on your October menu.
We make lunch look good with this Italian-style grilled cheese recipe. Gooey melty Havarti or Brie cheese meets up with tangy Italian tomato bruschetta in this easy-to-love lunchtime marvel.
Recipe: Classic Three-Cheese Lasagna
Let’s start with a classic. Our three-cheese lasagna recipe is deliciously cheesy and easy to make. Even better, it’s perfect for family dinners, serving a crowd or leftover lunch portions. This recipe does it all!
Recipe: Chicken and Veal Parmesan
Chicken Parmesan is a popular Italian dish, but you’re missing out if you’ve never tried this recipe with veal cutlets. Whether you serve it up with a side of pasta and red sauce or you add it to a soft Italian roll for a mouth-watering sandwich, this is one Italian recipe you can’t miss.
This traditional Milanese dish is so exquisite that it can be intimidating to make. But if you follow our instructions all you need is good homemade broth, plenty of time to slowly braise the veal and a little bit of know-how in the kitchen.
This Sicilian street food makes a perfect appetizer or afternoon snack. While traditional Arancini di Riso involves a time-consuming recipe, our version is so easy you can make them on a weeknight—and you won’t regret it.
In Italian, Chicken Saltimbocca means “jump in your mouth”—and we couldn’t agree more. Tenderized chicken breasts, salty prosciutto, and fresh mozzarella come together for big flavor in this easy weeknight dish.
Given enough time and the right ingredients, this recipe transforms a tough pork shoulder into fall-apart goodness and a perfectly silky sauce for pasta and polenta. You’ll want to save this recipe for a slow weekend afternoon, but it’s sure to impress everyone at your table.
Recipe: Pasta Fagioli
This classic Italian bean soup is hearty enough to warm up any crowd. We recommend serving it with a gigantic loaf of crusty Italian bread and butter.
Everybody needs a good Italian meatball recipe in their back pocket. This one yields dozens of tender, flavorful meatballs that are best served with tomato sauce and a pile of al dente spaghetti.
This recipe encompasses what is truly special about Italian cuisine. It only requires a few simple ingredients, but it requires several hours of cooking to develop a thick, complex and rich sauce of beef and onions. Serve it up with rigatoni, as it’s one of the only pasta shapes strong enough to hold this hearty sauce.
You can’t beat a classic Bolognese sauce. It’s rich and meaty, making it the ultimate comfort food when served with wide ribbons of pappardelle pasta and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Pro tip: Keep a container on hand in the freezer so you can whip up a batch of lasagna for the crew at a moment’s notice.
Recipe: Pizza Margherita
This classic thin-crust pizza originated in Naples, Italy, and it honors the Italian flag: Red from imported San Marzano tomatoes, green from fresh basil and white from gooey rounds of fresh mozzarella. This simple pizza recipe is a must-have during National Italian Heritage month.
We like to think that this recipe features rustic Italian cooking at its best. Mashed chickpeas make the hearty base for this soup and the pasta is cooked right in the same pot. Straddling the line between a soup and a pasta, this dish definitely requires some slurping.
This traditional seafood stew features buttery, tangy tomato flavors with a kiss of garlic and fresh herbs. Make sure you serve this stew with a loaf of crusty Italian bread, so you can sop up each tasty drop.
Torrone, a sweet toasted-almond candy, is usually made around Christmastime. But we think it’s the perfect dessert for National Italian Heritage month. Our torrone is simple and sweet with lemon and orange zest for extra flavor.
Recipe: Tiramisu
You can’t honor Italy without making a decadent tray of tiramisu. With the accent of chocolate and coffee, this famous dessert can be enjoyed with or without the preceding plate of pasta. Besides being a creamy, rich follow-up, this sweet treat can be presented at any occasion. Impress your guests!