Italian family dinner ideas!?!

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

Baked ziti..

Try a main entree like lasagna that you can cook in one big pan as opposed to having to plate each person's entree. Make a great big salad. For some appetizers try the bread with seasoned dipping oil, some cheeses, and then some canteloupe/proscuitto. For dessert do something easy and light after all that heavy food like a raspberry or lemon sorbet served with some amarreto cookies that you can buy or bake yourself. Enjoy!!

experienced home cook

Make an easy antipasto platter to nibble on
Then keep the menu simple and familiar...what your family enjoys>>

Then you can choose to cook ravioli or lasagna or any kind of pasta w/meatballs in the sauce as well as sweet (or hot) sausage links---the sausage makes the sauce sweeter. Can make manicotti, stuffed shells. (Keep in mind you won't want to have all of these...just making suggestions for your choices).

You can even make chicken parm with a side of pasta

Serve a tossed salad...Italian dressing or creamy Italian--have a shaker of fresh grated parm cheese to top the salad with.

Loaf of Italian bread and butter....can have a side dish with extra/virgin olive oil and garlic herbs for dipping or can dip in sauce.

Cannolis (from bakery dept) for dessert...or a tiramisu...or a plate of Italian cookies (get some almond paste ones in there), can have biscotti for dunking in coffee.

Wine for the adults if they like--and don't forget to toast and say "Salute!" ;)

Have a centerpiece of a bottle of Chianti wine with grapes sitting next to it....use red and white checked tablecloth...and always have cloth napkins.

many Italian meals with my family

Braciole. Basically you take a flank steak and butterfly it. Then get some italian sausage, remove it from the casing. Lay the butterflied flank steak flat, season with salt, pepper, and garlic, then spread the sausage all over the steak. Roll it up like a jellyroll and tie it so it doesn't flap open. Put in in a crock pot with some tomato sauce and cook for about 4 hours or until fully cooked. Serve slice with your favorite pasta.

try a simple always delicious, chicken parmesan, pretty much, just cook either fried or breaded chicken slices with some tomato basil sauces, and parmesan cheese sprinkled or layered on top. it goes great with spaghetti and meatballs. Hope that helped.

how about pasta with red sauce or alfredo n mozzerella chees with tamatoes n desert they hav lil italian donuts callled frepoli i think

antipasti & mini toasts

spaghetti & meatballs

gelatto & vanilla wafers

garlic bread
pizza
spaghetti w/ meatballs
french fries