What sides goes with Italian food? We’re glad you asked!
There are so many different great Italian side dishes for you to choose from. That’s why we’ve compiled this great list of easy Italian Side Dishes for you to try.
You’ll find a huge variety of Italian side dishes, from salads to pasta, soups to breads, and so much more.
Go through all of these great Italian sides, you’re in for some great flavors!
The Best Italian Side Dishes:
1. Caponata – Sicilian Eggplant Relish
This Caponata is a super trendy Sicilian dish that will win everyone’s hearts and taste buds.
You will love the perfect combination of sweet, sour, and fresh ingredients that are just too good with each other.
A delicious eggplant side dish that is great with any hearty weekend meal.
2. Tortellini Pasta Salad with Prosciutto
Elevate your beloved pasta salad with our awesome Tortellini Pasta Salad with Prosciutto recipe!
This extremely gorgeous and delicious pasta salad is all about the colorful ingredients that taste just divine.
So for your future get-togethers, enjoy this outstanding Italian delight with your loved ones.
3. Antipasto Salad
Impress your family and friends with this spectacular Antipasto Salad!
This no-cook recipe is loaded with excellent ingredients which go beautifully together, and the homemade Italian vinaigrette ties it all together.
A sure shot Italian treat for your guests.
4. Cucumber Avocado Tomato Salad with Pesto
Are you looking for easy summer salad recipes? Then look no further than this scrumptious Cucumber Avocado Tomato Salad with Pesto recipe!
It’s the ultimate Italian side dish, loaded with refreshing and light ingredients. The basil pesto dressing binds everything together just beautifully.
This flavorful salad can make any of your favorite meals even better.
5. Ribollita (Tuscan White Bean Soup)
Get ready for an incredibly cozy soup, know. as Ribolliti. It’s perfect for the winter season.
This super comforting and rustic soup is made with white beans, veggies, and some leftover bread. A must-try soup for any cold night.
6. Sicilian Pasta
Try out our mouth-watering Sicilian Pasta, and become a fan of this easy and flavor-packed dish.
This pasta side dish is brimming with delicious flavors that include mixed olives, capers, artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, and other delicious fixings.
It’s one of our favorite Italian side dishes.
7. Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Give your favorite portobello mushrooms a fancy Italian makeover and make the most elegant side dish, Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms.
A delicious mixture of Caprese stuffed inside fresh and tender mushrooms is just epic, and the best part it gets ready in minutes. Try it, and we bet you’re gonna love it!
8. Pesto Pasta
Make classy Pesto Pasta and wow everyone. It’s loaded with wonderfully delicious flavors.
The homemade fresh basil pesto sauce with parmesan and pine nuts coats the spaghetti deliciously. Give this awesome recipe a sure try.
9. The BEST Cannellini Beans
Yet another smashing side dish that will become your new family favorite is this Cannellini Beans recipe!
It’s made with creamy, buttery beans with lots of herbs, garlic, tomatoes, and parmesan, and is simply busting with delicious flavors. So good!
10. Mediterranean Pasta
This Mediterranean Pasta goes great with a variety of mains. You will love this recipe as it’s amazingly customizable and gets ready in no time.
Give it a try, we’re sure you’ll come back to this yummy Italian dish.
11. Rainbow Pasta Salad
Rainbow Pasta Salad is a delicious dish that will be a hit at your summer parties.
This colorful and tasty treat is super simple to make, with great flavors and textures. All pasta lovers, give this fabulous Italian side dish recipe a sure try.
12. Miracle No-Knead Bread
This wonderful Miracle No Knead Brad is actually a miracle recipe!
It’s made using only 4 easy ingredients, but it delivers the best crispy golden exterior and soft chewy center, with hardly any effort to make.
So what are you waiting for? Make this artisan-style bread at home today.
13. Fettuccine Alfredo
This Fettuccine Alfredo is the BEST, hands down! It’s pure creamy Italian bliss that you won’t be able to get enough of.
Forget the jarred stuff, this homemade alfredo is super quick and easy to make with basic ingredients. And it tastes even better than any restaurant.
14. Italian Green Beans
Make the most magical Italian side dish with this Italian Green Beans recipe!
These flavorful and fresh beans are perfectly coated with breadcrumbs, parmesan, and other mixings, and gets ready in just 15 minutes.
It’s too yummy…
15. Risotto
Learn how to make the perfect Italian delicacy, Risotto with this exceptional recipe!
You will relish each and every bite of this deliciously creamy risotto, which is totally restaurant quality.
It’s one of the most famous Italian side dishes for good reason!
16. Lemon Butter Orzo
Tired of your regular pasta? Try this Lemon Butter Orzo pasta, and see it become your new favorite go-to side dish.
This recipe is amazingly easy to make, and takes only 15 minutes to get on the table. It’s a perfect dish to serve on your busy weeknights.
Get the Recipe @ theendlessmeal
17. Grilled Eggplant with Gremolata and Tomatoes
Yet another dazzling Italian side dish to impress your family and friend is this Grilled Eggplant with Gremolata and Tomatoes!
Gremolata is a delicious and vibrant Italian dressing that uplifts the perfectly grilled eggplant and tomatoes to another level of goodness.
It’s a beautiful Italian side dish to celebrate your summer cookouts.
Get the Recipe @ feastingathome
18. Tomato and Basil Bake
Guys, do you like cherry tomatoes? Then you are going to love this irresistible Tomato and Basil Bake recipe!
It will be a super hit dish at any summer event. This is the simplest and the most delicious side dish you will ever make.
Get the Recipe @ tasteandtellblog
19. Focaccia Bread
Make Italian classic Focaccia Bread at home with this superb recipe!
Just follow some tips and tricks and make the most perfect light and airy herbed focaccia bread, which is great as a side dish, or to make a delicious sandwich.
20. Italian Roasted Mushrooms and Veggies
This Italian Roasted Mushrooms and Veggies recipe is the most effortless recipe you will ever make in your kitchen, but it tastes simply out of this world delicious!
Pair it with your favorite main for a delightful Italian meal.
21. Garlic Knots
Everyone loves garlic bread, but these garlic Knots are very special and truly heavenly!
They’re made with basic pantry staples and are super easy to make. These Garlic Knots are going to be a winner in your family.
Serve with your favorite pasta, and enjoy.
Get the Recipe @ bakerbynature
22. Italian Baked Asparagus
Jazz up your beloved asparagus in Italian style with this Italian Baked asparagus recipe.
You will love the creamy, cheesy goodness in every bite. Make it perfectly every time by following simple tips and tricks. Enjoy…
Get the Recipe @ willcookforsmiles
23. Easy Garlic Bread
Another popular Italian side dish that is loved by all is Garlic Bread. Make it amazingly delicious with this easy recipe!
The fresh garlic flavor and perfectly baked golden crispy bread are just delightful. You will definitely keep this recipe in your back pocket.
Get the Recipe @ littlesunnykitchen
24. Italian Potato Salad
Give your basic potato salad some Italian fair with this impressive Italian Potato Salad recipe!
It’s an amazing dish to take to your potlucks or summer cookouts, loaded with savory fresh ingredients along with tasty Italian vinaigrette.
It will be one of your favorite Italian side dishes.
Get the Recipe @ gimmesomeoven
25. Panzanella Salad
Have you made Panzanella Salad at home yet? If not, you all are in a delicious treat with this remarkable recipe!
This colorful bowl is packed with fresh juicy tomatoes, crusty bread, onions, basil, and a tangy vinaigrette that combines this salad amazingly.
Get the Recipe @ loveandlemons
26. Pesto Dinner Rolls
Try these tasty Pesto Dinner Rolls, and give a break to your regular rolls. They’re just too good to be true.
They are super simple to make with delicious pesto flavors which taste super yummy.
Get the Recipe @ cloudykitchen
27. Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio is one of the easiest and tastiest Italian side dishes you will ever make at home!
You only need 4 basic ingredients to make this classic dish, which gets ready in no time.
Get the Recipe @ gimmesomeoven
28. Tomato Mozzarella Salad
Are you planning an Italian themed dinner party? Then you have to include this classic and super delicious Tomato Mozzarella Salad to your menu.
It makes a perfect side dish for the night, with vine tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, and zesty vinaigrette dressing. It will definitely be a super hit dish.
Get the Recipe @ dinnerthendessert
29. Fried Butter Gnocchi
Make your comfort food fancy and elegant with this Fried Butter Gnocchi recipe!
This one-skillet dish is all about perfectly fried gnocchi with a crispy outside and soft fluffy inside.
It’s infused with butter, garlic, and parmesan, which taste just excellent together.
30. Italian Roasted Potatoes
Yet another potato recipe that makes an amazing side for your meal is this Italian Roasted Potatoes!
It’s made with perfectly seasoned potatoes with Italian seasonings, garlic, paprika, and parmesan, then gets is oven roasted to perfection. Just too good!
So there you go, thirty great Italian side dishes. The only question now is, which will you try first?
Check out these other great recipe collections:
Italian Recipes
Italian Appetizers
Italian Desserts
Pasta Recipes
Orzo Recipes
Gnocchi Recipes
Salad Recipes
30 BEST Italian Side Dishes
This collection of easy Italian Side Dishes has all your favorite classic sides, plus some tasty new ideas. We love this tasty pesto salad:
Ingredients
Salad
- 1lb cherry or grape tomatoes (multi colored), halved
- 2 avocados, diced
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1/4- 1/3 cup red onion, sliced
- 8oz small fresh mozzarella balls
Salad Dressing
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine cherry or grape tomatoes halves, diced avocado, diced cucumber, diced red onion, mozzarella cheese balls.
- Mix all the salad dressing ingredients in a bowl, then toss it with the salad. You can serve this at room temperature or refrigerated. (In case you are making it ahead of time, add in avocado to the salad just before serving to preserve the fresh green color)
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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