Italian Side Dish Recipes

This mushroom sauce is a quick sauce of dried porcini, fresh mushrooms, garlic and rosemary in olive oil, ready in about 1 hour 5 minutes. It serves 4, and one base gives you two sauces: a white one with butter, or a red one with tomato. Why This Recipe Works Dried porcini are soaked in …

Brussels sprouts with pancetta is a roasted side dish of halved sprouts, red onion and crisp diced pancetta, ready in about 50 minutes. It feeds 6 and fits next to a roast, a pasta or a simple weeknight chicken. Why This Recipe Works The pancetta cooks first in a skillet, and its drippings go on …

Parmesan mashed potatoes are small potatoes boiled, smashed flat and roasted until crisp, then topped with Parmesan and parsley, ready in about 1 hour 15 minutes. It feeds 4 and gives you a crunchy golden edge with a soft middle, so it works as a side for almost any main dish. Why This Recipe Works …

Garlic rosemary potatoes are halved red baby potatoes tossed in olive oil, dried herbs, garlic and Parmesan, then roasted until golden, ready in about 50 minutes. They feed 4 as a side, and the whole thing comes together on one baking sheet. Why This Recipe Works Cut the potatoes in half and lay them cut …

Creamy polenta is a spoonable Italian side of cornmeal cooked in broth, then stirred with butter, Parmesan and mozzarella, ready in about 40 minutes. It serves 4 and goes with almost any braise, roast or sauce. Why This Recipe Works Pour the polenta into the pot slowly while you whisk. Each handful gets coated before …

Italian sausage stuffing is a savory side of toasted bread, browned sausage, onion, celery and herbs, ready in 1 hour 25 minutes. It feeds 8 and suits a holiday table or a Sunday dinner. Why This Recipe Works Drying the bread in a low oven first gives the cubes a firm, toasted crumb. They soak …

Easy mascarpone is a thick Italian cheese made from just heavy cream and lemon juice, ready in about 12 hours 20 minutes, mostly hands-off chilling. It makes about 1 cup, enough to fill a tiramisu or swirl into pasta sauce. Why This Recipe Works Heating the cream to 195°F (90°C) is what turns it into …

This pumpkin risotto is a creamy arborio rice dish made with roasted butternut squash purée, shallots and Asiago cheese, ready in about 1 hour 25 minutes. It serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as a first course, and it turns out silky, with crisp sage and toasted pine nuts on top. Why This …

These Italian meatballs with simple tomato sauce are meatless, made from lentils, oats and tomato paste, and ready in about 1 hour 10 minutes. The recipe makes 22 meatballs, enough for 4 people, and it works as a weeknight dinner or a meatless dish for guests. Why This Recipe Works The lentils are boiled until …

This lentil shepherd’s pie is a hearty vegan dinner of green lentils, mushrooms, carrots and celery under creamy mashed potatoes, ready in about 1 hour 20 minutes. It feeds 6, holds together when you slice it, and tastes just as good the next day. Why This Recipe Works The filling gets its savory taste from …