5 Easy Italian Recipes Perfect for Weeknights

When you’re in the mood, that’s amore.

By
Micah Siva, RD
Micah Siva
Micah Siva, RD
Micah Siva is a trained chef, registered dietitian, recipe writer, and food photographer, specializing in modern Jewish cuisine. She runs Nosh with Micah, her personal blog.
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Published December 08, 2025
Micah Siva
Chicken cutlets topped with tomato and cheese on a white plate with Simply Weeknight Recipes logo visible

Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

When my son was 8 months old, we took an impromptu trip to Rome for a week of pasta, wine, and gelato. It was magical, tiring, and most of all, delicious. Italians know their food, and they know that food doesn’t have to be complicated or stuffy to be delish. The simplest ingredients can make something very special, especially when paired with good company and great wine.

As I look out my window and see the sun setting at 4:30pm and the backyard gathering a dusting of snow, I’m thinking back to that sweltering week of navigating Rome with a stroller and a will to eat as much as humanly possible. This means a week of Italian comfort foods will flow out of my Chicago kitchen.

Does it taste the same? Not quite, but it’s bringing me right back to simple days, when my toddler was too small to have his own opinions about what he eats (he has many), and would gobble up anything in front of him. I didn’t know it then, but ah, those were the good old days.

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  • Skillet Chicken Puttanesca

    Skillet Chicken Puttanesca

    Puttanesca is a spiced Italian tomato sauce that will warm you from the inside out. It has layers of rich umami flavors thanks to capers, olives, and anchovies with fragrant oregano and a healthy glug of olive oil. My husband loves puttanesca because he doesn’t know there are anchovies in there. It recommends using an anchovy filet, but I love having anchovy paste on hand for a mess-free option. Because I’m serving this to my toddler, I’ll hold back on the spice, adding it to our individual bowls so as to not cause a tantrum. I also plan to double the sauce portion of this recipe and freeze it for a future, tired me.

  • Vegan Cacio e Pepe

    Pot of Vegan Cacio e Pepe with Some Noodles Wrapped around a Pair of Tongs Next to a Bowl of Black Pepper on a Small Plate and Two Forks on the Counter

    Simply Recipes / Micah Siva

    Authentic? No. But when I developed this recipe, I became hooked. Impossibly creamy and full of rich flavor, you’ll never believe this is vegan. As much as I love cheese, it doesn’t really love me back, so I indulge mindfully and strategically, and on a weeknight where I can’t risk feeling less than 100%, I like to make this version. Trust me, you won’t miss the cheese thanks to nutritional yeast, cashew butter, and miso paste, made into a silky, glossy smooth sauce with a LOT of pasta water. Serve it with steamed vegetables for dinner in 30 minutes.

  • Chicken Saltimbocca

    Chicken saltimbocca plated topped with crispy prosciutto and grated cheese

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    Traditionally made with veal, saltimbocca features a prosciutto and sage wrapped cutlet in a white wine pan sauce. Are you drooling yet? Fancy enough to serve to guests, familiar enough to serve to your kids, and fast enough to be a weeknight meal, it's perfect for those nights when you want to impress (like when your mother-in-law stops by and makes a comment about another takeout dinner). Chicken cutlets are quick to cook, and I give you full permission to snack on prosciutto and white wine while you cook.

  • Italian Beans and Greens

    Bowl of Italian beans and greens next to a pot with more, a wooden board with lemon wedges, and a block of parmesan

    Simply Recipes / Laurel Randolph

    I’m a firm believer that the best Italian dishes are the humblest. With a few good quality items, you can build and develop flavor whether simmering for hours or 30 minutes. With my pantry always stocked with a plethora of canned beans and kale wilting in the crisper drawer, I can get a hearty and nourishing dinner on the table quickly and inexpensively. I love adding lemon zest and a splash of white wine to the cooking liquid for added depth and a little brightness. I’ll be serving these beans and greens with crusty sourdough bread and parmesan cheese, a simple “peasant” dinner that is my ultimate comfort food.

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  • Italian Meatball Soup

    Overhead view of a bowl of Italian meatball soup with a slice of bread and a spoon next to a plate of bread and bowl of parsley

    Simply Recipes/ Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek 

    Is there anything more cozy than a pot of soup simmering on the stove? Perhaps one that requires very little prep so you can spend that cooking time emptying the dishwasher, setting the table and answering those last few work emails after a long day. My toddler is currently in a big meatball phase. When in doubt, we meatball, so when I plan our weekly meals, there has to be a meatball on the menu... or else. While this recipe calls for homemade meatballs, I have some chicken meatballs in the freezer I’ll add to save on time and freezer space, as well as adding some extra chopped vegetables for a true one-pot meal.

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