20 Unexpected Italian Side Dishes You’ll Love

Indulge in the vibrant flavors of Italy with this curation of Italian side dishes. These recipes showcase the best of Italian cuisine. Whether you’re planning a festive dinner party or simply craving a taste of la dolce vita, these versatile sides are the perfect complement to any meal. Elevate your meal with these delicious Italian-inspired creations that are sure to become family favorites!

Italian Tuna Potato Salad

This delicious Italian tuna potato salad takes less than 30 minutes to make from scratch and boasts truly delicious flavors in every forkful.
Get the Recipe: Italian Tuna Potato Salad

Tomato Burrata Caprese Salad

This authentic Italian burrata caprese salad is a delicious side dish or appetizer that features heirloom tomatoes and creamy burrata cheese with balsamic vinegar and truffle salt for added flavor. With every bite, you’ll savor the delicious flavors of this simple yet impressive dish.
Get the Recipe: Tomato Burrata Caprese Salad

Italian Rice Salad

This colorful, flavorful Italian rice salad is perfect for a picnic, potluck, summer BBQ, or as a versatile side dish for a simple lunch or dinner. Every mouthful of this Mediterranean brown rice salad is bursting with fresh ingredients such as tasty salad vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Italian Rice Salad

Italian Panzanella Salad

Panzanella salad is a refreshing summer side dish that combines juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and chunks of crusty bread, all tossed in a tangy vinaigrette. It’s the perfect accompaniment to grilled meats and a delightful way to enjoy the flavors of the season.
Get the Recipe: Italian Panzanella Salad

Simple Ribollita Bean Soup

Create a delicious, healthy, and hearty white bean kale soup with Ribollita Italian bean soup featuring a variety of vegetables, beans, and seasonings. This versatile Italian soup recipe is perfect for using up any vegetables approaching the end of their prime.
Get the Recipe: Simple Ribollita Bean Soup

Antipasto Skewers

Impress your guests with easy-to-make antipasto skewers, perfect for any occasion! Made with classic Italian flavors, these crowd-pleasing bites are ideal for parties, picnics, and more.
Get the Recipe: Antipasto Skewers

Creamy Mushroom Risotto

This creamy mushroom risotto bursts with flavor and is a standout side dish for chicken, or turkey, or a satisfying standalone option for vegetarians. Made with white wine or chardonnay, shiitake, and cremini mushrooms, this Northern Italian dish is simple to make yet impressively delicious.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Mushroom Risotto

Italian White Bean Salad

A great recipe for the spring and summer months, Italian white bean salad is a simple no-cook recipe that’s nutritious as well as extremely delicious.
Get the Recipe: Italian White Bean Salad

Smoked Italian Pasta Salad

Add some smoky flavor to your favorite pasta salad with this delicious smoked Italian pasta salad recipe. Packed with pepperoni, salami, mozzarella cheese, and a pepperoncini dressing, it’s the perfect dish for your summer BBQ.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Chopped Salad

How to make the best Italian Chopped Salad made with Italian meats, cheeses, vegetables, and tossed with a homemade Italian dressing. This is the most flavor-packed salad recipe!
Get the Recipe: Italian Chopped Salad

Radicchio Salad With Pear, Walnut

My Italian radicchio salad has the perfect marriage of color, texture and flavor. Sweet, bitter and salty are paired with all the crunch you could ask for. The Gorgonzola dressing is life changing stuff and applied liberally to this amazing platter of summer goodness.
Get the Recipe: Radicchio Salad With Pear, Walnut

Zesty Italian Pasta Salad

Pasta salad packs easily for a picnic and this recipe brings plenty of zesty flavors. You will love the homemade dressing paired with creamy mozzarella pearls.
Get the Recipe: Zesty Italian Pasta Salad

Warm Gnocchi and Heirloom Tomato Salad

Just one side until it’s crispy and golden brown, but the other side and center is still delicate and soft. Then let’s toss the warm gnocchi with some heirloom cherry tomatoes, softened just to the point where their juices start to burst.
Get the Recipe: Warm Gnocchi And Heirloom Tomato Salad

Dirty Rice With Sausage

Loaded with ground sausage full of delicious flavors this Sausage Dirty Rice is one recipe you definitely want to try making! As a main or a side, this is perfect all year long!
Get the Recipe: Dirty Rice With Sausage

Verdure Gratinate Al Forno

Verdure gratinate al forno is the perfect Italian side dish for any roasted or grilled protein. The recipe features roasted fresh vegetables topped with a nice crumbly mixture of bread, Parmigiano cheese, and aromatic herbs.
Get the Recipe: Verdure Gratinate Al Forno

Italian Stuffed Mushrooms

These Italian Stuffed Mushrooms have become one of our absolute favorite appetizers!
Get the Recipe: Italian Stuffed Mushrooms

Italian Style Rice

This easy recipe for Italian Style Rice uses roasted eggplant, zucchini, onions and red peppers creating a delicious side dish or vegetarian supper anyone would enjoy.
Get the Recipe: Italian Style Rice

Red Pesto Potatoes

These extremely easy Red Pesto Potatoes make an excellent side dish for many entrees. With basically five ingredients.
Get the Recipe: Red Pesto Potatoes

Authentic Pasta Fagioli

It’s the time of year when I get the irresistible urge to throw a dutch oven on the stovetop and make a comforting soup recipe. Lucky for me, I have a very good friend with Italian heritage and years of experience in the kitchen. Not too long ago, she gave me this Authentic Pasta Fagioli Recipe, and I added it to my go-to hearty soup recipes.
Get the Recipe: Authentic Pasta Fagioli

Authentic Italian Bruschetta

Authentic Italian Bruschetta is a classic appetizer that people absolutely love. It is perfectly crispy with just the right amount of fresh tomatoes, basil, and balsamic. Learn all the little tricks for making the perfect bruschetta right at home.
Get the Recipe: Authentic Italian Bruschetta