9 Easy Italian Recipes Your Family Will Love

Everyone loves Italian. From homemade pasta sauces to homemade bread, these recipes are serious family pleasers. It's hard to improve on sweet summer tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, but a drizzle of balsamic glaze adds a pop of tangy-sweet flavor to every bite.
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

Everyone loves Italian. From homemade pasta sauces to homemade bread, these recipes are serious family pleasers.

2015-08-02-1438516589-5800587-PlumTomatoSauce.jpg

Jarred tomato sauce is fine in a pinch, but if you've got a little extra time, this homemade sauce is totally worth it. GET THE RECIPE

2015-06-04-1433376331-6523250-parmesanchicken.jpg

This is a great chicken dish to add to your repertoire. It's easy enough for a quick weeknight dinner but also elegant enough for company. Even kids love it -- partly because it bears some resemblance to chicken fingers. GET THE RECIPE

2015-07-31-1438309280-8367931-bigitaliansalad.jpg

This is the perfect salad to serve with spaghetti and meatballs or anything else in that Italian comfort food realm. The homemade vinaigrette puts all those store-bought Italian dressings to shame. GET THE RECIPE

2015-08-02-1438515709-3781775-SummerVegetableSoupwithPesto.jpg

This summer soup is healthy and satisfying. Serve it as a meal unto itself with fresh bread or as a side to gooey grilled cheese sandwiches. GET THE RECIPE

2015-06-04-1433376081-733854-fettuccinibolognesethumb.jpg

This pasta in a richly flavored meat sauce is perfect for Sunday night dinner. The sauce simmers on the stove for several hours, making the house smell delicious and inviting. GET THE RECIPE

2015-08-02-1438515066-3010667-CaesarSalad.jpg

Caesar salad dressing is incredibly easy to make and tastes so much better than store-bought. There are many variations but this is the one my whole family loves. It's not too garlicky and not too fishy -- it's just right. GET THE RECIPE

2015-07-31-1438308659-8167588-RosemaryFoccacia575x380.jpg

Focaccia is a flavorful and easy-to-make Italian flat bread that feeds a crowd. This classic version is topped with coarse salt and fresh rosemary, but feel free to add any other toppings that you like. GET THE RECIPE

2015-06-04-1433382982-8279745-OrecchietewithSausageandBroccoli1575x381.jpg

This one-dish dinner is quick and easy to make (25 minutes tops) and the whole family eats it up, broccoli and all. GET THE RECIPE

2015-08-02-1438514247-3024367-Capresesalad.jpg

It's hard to improve on sweet summer tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, but a drizzle of balsamic glaze adds a pop of tangy-sweet flavor to every bite. GET THE RECIPE

Popular in the Community

Close

HuffPost Shopping’s Best Finds

MORE IN LIFE