Italian Side Dishes : View Recipes

Arborio rice simmered with onion, bell pepper, garlic and fresh herbs like mint and rosemary. 

My husband begs me to make this dish. It is a surprisingly great mixture of flavors. You'll love it! Feel free to tailor the ingredient amounts to your taste. This is how we like it, but it is quite flexible. 

I used to work in a fabulous Italian restaurant, and the cooks taught me how to make this dish. I have modified it a bit, but it's very similar, and incredibly delicious. 

Steamed asparagus gets dressed with sauteed mushrooms and pecans, then dusted with Parmesan cheese for this elegant side dish. 

This is a great quick version of an Italian traditional side dish in our family all the way from Italy. You can use fresh tomatoes and basil. However, as a mother of four, I opt for the quick method as I'm sure other parents of small ones can appreciate. The kids really love this dish too. Buon Appetito! 

A very simple but totally delicious dish. Fennel is baked with cream, creme fraiche and parmesan cheese. An ideal accompaniment to many tomato based italian dishes as the creaminess balances nicely with the tomato. 

Quick cooking polenta is baked with Parmesan, basil and tomatoes for this colorful and flavorful sidedish. This baked polenta is a lovely way to show off tomatoes from the local farmers' market or your garden. It is a great side dish for grilled meat and vegetables. 

Ripe tomatoes are baked with Romano cheese, fresh bread crumbs, garlic and herbs. 

Cornmeal is transformed in the all-so-versatile polenta when it's boiled and then chilled. Parmesan cheese gives this polenta a nice, subtle cheese flavor. 

If all the stirring, and stirring and stirring has discouraged you from making creamy risotto, then read on. This simple recipe cooks up in the microwave all by itself in about 20 minutes. You can add different ingredients to the basic recipe, and still 

Simmer leafy green kale, canned tomatoes with chile peppers, onions, garlic, spices, and fresh herbs with plump, white canned cannellini beans to make this savory, Italian-inspired ragu or vegetable stew. 

The freshest tips of broccoli are blanched and quickly sauteed in olive oil and garlic, then tossed with hot pasta and seasoned with salt and red pepper flakes. A bit of Parmesan cheese is all you need to bring out the bright, crisp flavors. 

This rich, cheesy polenta is the perfect foil for pork, chicken, beef, or fish dishes. 

A zesty pasta salad with pepperoni, mushrooms, green olives, and tomatoes. Ready to eat right away, or even better marinated overnight. 

Great colorful side dish that's easy to make and bursting with flavor. You can also sprinkle some of your favorite Italian cheese on top when finished. 

Cream of mushroom soup lends this porcini mushroom risotto a creamy taste without actually using heavy cream. If you like, stir in freshly grated parmesan cheese before serving. 

My italian grandmother makes these every year when the zucchini in her garden start to blossom. She is Sicilian and calls them 'cripelli' Its sort of like a fritter and so yummy. As an alternative, you could also chop up the blossoms and mix them up in the batter and drop by teaspoons into the hot oil 

Polenta slices are topped with a deliciously seasoned mixture of diced Roma tomatoes and seedless cucumber, then sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and broiled until golden and delicious! 

If you love creamy risotto, but can't stand the fuss behind making it, this is a great and creamy and easy alternative! A fantastic side dish that goes great with your favorite chicken recipe. 

My entire family loves this recipe. A quick baked polenta topped with red sauce. Very easy to make and great the next day too (and the day after that!) Top with additional Parmesan cheese if you like.