Easy Italian Recipes – Quick and Delicious for the Whole Family

Do you need easy Italian recipes that you can cook fast that are delicious and cheap? Below are three very simple Italian recipes that do not require a lot of time to prepare and only use various ingredients that you may even have on hand.

This is the beauty of Italian cooking. You don’t need a ton of ingredients to make a delicious meal. The key to cooking great Italian food is to use fresh, quality ingredients, like fresh herbs and fine olive oil. And the number one most important ingredient in any type of cooking is, of course, Love!

Enjoy it and Good Appetite!

EASY ITALIAN MARINARA SAUCE RECIPE

Here is a great marinara sauce recipe with canned tomatoes. This marinara sauce is delicious over your favorite pasta, over pizza, and over mussels and shrimp. The beauty of this sauce is that it can be used with so many other recipes, making it a great starting point in Italian cooking, and it’s so easy to make.

You can use fresh or canned plum tomatoes for this recipe, however using fresh tomatoes requires more time and preparation, so I prefer using canned. If you plan to use fresh tomatoes, make sure they are ripe and in season.

For canned tomatoes, I prefer Rienzi brand tomatoes. I have tried several different brands of canned tomatoes and Rienzi has the best flavor of the supermarket brands in my opinion.

Marinara Sauce Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (More or less depending on how much you like garlic)

1 35-ounce can whole plum tomatoes with liquid

Salt to taste

Crushed red pepper to taste (You can use black pepper if you wish)

10 – 12 fresh basil leaves, torn

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Addresses:

1) Open your can of tomatoes and mash them by hand in a bowl and set aside.

2) Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic to the oil and cook until soft and lightly golden. Be sure to watch the garlic to make sure it doesn’t burn.

4) Carefully add the tomatoes along with their liquid into the pan with the garlic and oil. Be careful when adding the tomatoes to the hot oil. Oil may splash. Add the oregano.

5) Stir the mixture and bring to a boil. Season with a little salt and red or black pepper. Lower the heat so that the sauce is reduced to a simmer. Break up the tomatoes while cooking with a spoon until the sauce is lumpy. You want the sauce to simmer until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes.

6) Add your fresh basil a few minutes before the sauce is ready. Taste the sauce and add more salt or pepper if needed.

7) Serve over your favorite pasta.

EASY ITALIAN PESTO SAUCE RECIPE

Let’s learn how to make pesto sauce.

This is another very easy and delicious recipe that can be served over your favorite pasta, grilled chicken, mussels, or as a topping for pizza. For those of you who want your basil pesto sauce without the pine nuts, you can leave them out or substitute walnuts for the pine nuts.

For a nice variation on this recipe, try adding sun-dried tomatoes to the pesto mixture before blending for a delicious tomato pesto sauce.

This recipe should only be used as a guide. Not everyone has the same preferences. Some do not really like the taste of garlic or olive oil, for example, so it is recommended to experiment until you find the right recipe.

Pesto Sauce Ingredients:

4 cups fresh basil leaves

3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pine nuts (the walnuts can be lightly toasted in a dry skillet before blending for added flavor)

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (more or less depending on your taste)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Addresses:

Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender, except the olive oil. Add oil a little at a time and process until sauce reaches desired consistency. Ready to serve in your favorite dish.

EASY PASTA WITH GARLIC, OIL AND FRESH HERBS

This is another quick and easy Italian recipe with just a few ingredients. It is important that you do not burn the garlic with this recipe, otherwise it will become bitter.

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti

3-4 garlic cloves, minced (more or less depending on how you like garlic)

1/2 cup reserved pasta water

1/4 cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Salt to taste

A pinch of red pepper flakes (more or less depending on how spicy you like it)

Addresses:

1) In a large pot, bring about 6 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until al dente. Drain, but be sure to reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

2) While pasta is cooking, heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the garlic and sauté until light brown. Remember to pay close attention to the garlic to make sure it doesn’t burn. Take it off the heat.

3) Add the fresh herbs, red pepper flakes and a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water. Mix until combined.

4) Transfer the drained pasta to a large serving bowl and mix in the remaining olive oil and pasta water.

5) Add the garlic and herb mixture to the pasta and mix well.

6) Taste and add salt and red pepper if desired.

7) Serve immediately. Top with grated cheese if desired.

There you go. Three great easy Italian recipes that you can whip up in no time and please everyone. I hope you enjoy these easy Italian recipes. Happy cooking!