16 Italian Dinners That Aren’t Pasta

When you think about Italian food, some of the first dishes that probably pop into your head are the pasta classics. From pasta pomodoro to pasta puttanesca, carbonara to cacio e pepe, there are so many delicious Italian pastas, but the cuisine has much more to offer.

These 16 recipes showcase some of the other Italian dishes we should all get acquainted with. Some of these dishes do pair well with pasta, naturally, but are equally great with creamy polenta, steamed rice, a big salad, or a generous hunk of crusty bread or focaccia. So dive right in to find some new Italian favorites and leave the pasta behind, if just for tonight.