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Make a delicious, Italian-inspired dinner with these healthy recipes. These recipes take classic Italian flavors like bruschetta, caprese and more, and put a fun twist on them. Each dinner also takes 30 minutes or less to make, which is perfect for weeknights. Recipes like Shrimp Scampi and Chicken & Mushroom Marsala are satisfying and flavorful.
01of 18Bruschetta Chicken PastaView RecipeThis healthy chicken pasta recipe is jazzed up with traditional bruschetta toppers, including cherry tomatoes, garlic and basil. Multicolored cherry tomatoes look pretty, but you can use all one color of tomato too. Either way, you’ve got an easy weeknight dinner that’s ready in 25 minutes. We’ve called for spaghettini (thin spaghetti) in this recipe, but feel free to use your favorite shape of pasta.
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Bruschetta Chicken Pasta
View Recipe
This healthy chicken pasta recipe is jazzed up with traditional bruschetta toppers, including cherry tomatoes, garlic and basil. Multicolored cherry tomatoes look pretty, but you can use all one color of tomato too. Either way, you’ve got an easy weeknight dinner that’s ready in 25 minutes. We’ve called for spaghettini (thin spaghetti) in this recipe, but feel free to use your favorite shape of pasta.
02of 18Italian Wedding SoupView RecipeForget the marble-size meatballs you find in many versions of this soup. In this easy recipe, they’re full-size, full-flavored and plenty filling.
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Italian Wedding Soup
Forget the marble-size meatballs you find in many versions of this soup. In this easy recipe, they’re full-size, full-flavored and plenty filling.
03of 18Grilled Chicken Breasts with Tomato-Caper SauceView RecipeThis healthy grilled chicken breast recipe–a twist on chicken piccata–features a creamy white-wine-and-caper pan sauce that gets a burst of summer flavor from fresh grape tomatoes and basil. Pounding the chicken prior to grilling ensures even cooking and makes this easy dinner even faster. The piccata sauce would also be great with shrimp, firm white fish or pork.
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Grilled Chicken Breasts with Tomato-Caper Sauce
This healthy grilled chicken breast recipe–a twist on chicken piccata–features a creamy white-wine-and-caper pan sauce that gets a burst of summer flavor from fresh grape tomatoes and basil. Pounding the chicken prior to grilling ensures even cooking and makes this easy dinner even faster. The piccata sauce would also be great with shrimp, firm white fish or pork.
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Caprese Turkey Burgers
05of 18One-Pot Tomato Basil PastaView RecipeThis one-pot pasta with tangy tomato-basil sauce is a simple, fast and easy weeknight dinner. All of your ingredients go into one pot, and with a bit of stirring and about 25 minutes of cook time, you’ll have a healthy dinner the whole family will enjoy.
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One-Pot Tomato Basil Pasta
This one-pot pasta with tangy tomato-basil sauce is a simple, fast and easy weeknight dinner. All of your ingredients go into one pot, and with a bit of stirring and about 25 minutes of cook time, you’ll have a healthy dinner the whole family will enjoy.
06of 18Spaghetti & Chicken Meatballs with No-Cook Tomato SauceView RecipeThis crowd-pleasing and easy dinner recipe takes just 20 minutes to make, start to finish, so it’s perfect for weeknights! When tomatoes are at their in-season best, just a quick chop and a few ingredients are all you need to make a spaghetti sauce in minutes. Store-bought chicken meatballs keep the low-effort theme going all the way to the table.
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Spaghetti & Chicken Meatballs with No-Cook Tomato Sauce
This crowd-pleasing and easy dinner recipe takes just 20 minutes to make, start to finish, so it’s perfect for weeknights! When tomatoes are at their in-season best, just a quick chop and a few ingredients are all you need to make a spaghetti sauce in minutes. Store-bought chicken meatballs keep the low-effort theme going all the way to the table.
07of 18Shrimp ScampiView RecipeShrimp scampi is a favorite dish at many Italian restaurants but our version takes just 20 minutes to prepare, so it’s perfect for a weeknight dinner at home. Large shrimp are cooked with garlic and then served over linguine pasta with a buttery-wine sauce–it’s so good your family may think you ordered takeout!
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Shrimp Scampi
Shrimp scampi is a favorite dish at many Italian restaurants but our version takes just 20 minutes to prepare, so it’s perfect for a weeknight dinner at home. Large shrimp are cooked with garlic and then served over linguine pasta with a buttery-wine sauce–it’s so good your family may think you ordered takeout!
08of 18Chicken-&-Mushroom MarsalaView RecipeFor the best flavor in this classic one-pan chicken dinner recipe use real Marsala wine, not the cooking-wine kind. Serve with mashed potatoes.
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Chicken-&-Mushroom Marsala
For the best flavor in this classic one-pan chicken dinner recipe use real Marsala wine, not the cooking-wine kind. Serve with mashed potatoes.
09of 18Whole-Grain Spaghetti with Italian Turkey Sausage, Arugula & Balsamic Tomato SauceView RecipeTotal happiness in a bowl: pasta, sausage, tomatoes and herbs. The tomatoes get sweet and tender and turn into sauce with the stock and the pasta. Without ever adding any butter, the spaghetti sauce is rich and silky. Adding the herbs at the end gives the dish a fresh pop of color and flavor. This is one healthy pasta recipe we can definitely get behind!
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Whole-Grain Spaghetti with Italian Turkey Sausage, Arugula & Balsamic Tomato Sauce
Total happiness in a bowl: pasta, sausage, tomatoes and herbs. The tomatoes get sweet and tender and turn into sauce with the stock and the pasta. Without ever adding any butter, the spaghetti sauce is rich and silky. Adding the herbs at the end gives the dish a fresh pop of color and flavor. This is one healthy pasta recipe we can definitely get behind!
10of 18Cacio e Pepe Pasta with PeasView RecipeThe sauce for this pasta dish is just cheese and pepper (aka cacio e pepe in Italian). Try this with kids as a simple yet sophisticated alternative to standard mac and cheese. Lots of black pepper adds a touch of heat, priming picky palates for spicier food.
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Cacio e Pepe Pasta with Peas
The sauce for this pasta dish is just cheese and pepper (aka cacio e pepe in Italian). Try this with kids as a simple yet sophisticated alternative to standard mac and cheese. Lots of black pepper adds a touch of heat, priming picky palates for spicier food.
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Penne with Tuna & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
12of 18Shrimp Oreganata Cauliflower GnocchiView RecipeThis cauliflower gnocchi dinner is ready in just minutes on busy nights. A simple flavor-packed sauce marries the tender pasta with cooked shrimp. If you don’t eat shrimp, use rotisserie chicken instead.
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Shrimp Oreganata Cauliflower Gnocchi
This cauliflower gnocchi dinner is ready in just minutes on busy nights. A simple flavor-packed sauce marries the tender pasta with cooked shrimp. If you don’t eat shrimp, use rotisserie chicken instead.
13of 18Easy Pea & Spinach CarbonaraView RecipeFresh pasta cooks up faster than dried, making it a must-have for fast weeknight dinners like this luscious yet healthy meal. Eggs are the base of the creamy sauce. They don’t get fully cooked, so use pasteurized-in-the-shell eggs if you prefer.
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Easy Pea & Spinach Carbonara
Fresh pasta cooks up faster than dried, making it a must-have for fast weeknight dinners like this luscious yet healthy meal. Eggs are the base of the creamy sauce. They don’t get fully cooked, so use pasteurized-in-the-shell eggs if you prefer.
14of 18White Bean-Sausage SoupView RecipeMake this heart-healthy main-dish white bean and sausage soup with fresh onions. If you’re really pressed for time, look for frozen chopped onions, which can be added to soups and stews in seconds.
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White Bean-Sausage Soup
Make this heart-healthy main-dish white bean and sausage soup with fresh onions. If you’re really pressed for time, look for frozen chopped onions, which can be added to soups and stews in seconds.
15of 18Chicken Pesto Pasta with AsparagusView RecipeThis healthy chicken pesto pasta is easy to make thanks to convenience ingredients like rotisserie chicken and store-bought pesto. The addition of fresh asparagus–which is cooked in the same pot as the pasta–brightens up the look and the flavors of this family-friendly and easy one-pot dinner. Fresh basil, if you have it on hand, is a nice finishing touch.
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Chicken Pesto Pasta with Asparagus
This healthy chicken pesto pasta is easy to make thanks to convenience ingredients like rotisserie chicken and store-bought pesto. The addition of fresh asparagus–which is cooked in the same pot as the pasta–brightens up the look and the flavors of this family-friendly and easy one-pot dinner. Fresh basil, if you have it on hand, is a nice finishing touch.
16of 18Quick Shrimp PuttanescaView RecipeBecause refrigerated fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried pasta, this Italian pasta dish will be on the table lickety-split! Puttanesca, traditionally made with tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies and garlic, gets a makeover with shrimp for extra protein and artichoke hearts to boost the vegetable servings (and the fiber!). If you can’t find frozen artichoke hearts, sub in drained canned artichoke hearts.
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Quick Shrimp Puttanesca
Because refrigerated fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried pasta, this Italian pasta dish will be on the table lickety-split! Puttanesca, traditionally made with tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies and garlic, gets a makeover with shrimp for extra protein and artichoke hearts to boost the vegetable servings (and the fiber!). If you can’t find frozen artichoke hearts, sub in drained canned artichoke hearts.
17of 18Chicken FlorentineView RecipeClassic chicken Florentine–creamy spinach served atop sautéed chicken cutlets–is a fast and easy meal. To keep calories lower, this recipe uses cornstarch to thicken the cream instead of cheese. This chicken recipe is simple enough for weekdays but also elegant enough for a dinner party.
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Chicken Florentine
Classic chicken Florentine–creamy spinach served atop sautéed chicken cutlets–is a fast and easy meal. To keep calories lower, this recipe uses cornstarch to thicken the cream instead of cheese. This chicken recipe is simple enough for weekdays but also elegant enough for a dinner party.
18of 18Spaghetti Squash Shrimp ScampiView RecipeGive buttery shrimp scampi a healthy update with delicately sweet spaghetti squash. The parsley-flecked squash “noodles” slash calories, add fiber and leave this classic dish still plenty decadent.
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Spaghetti Squash Shrimp Scampi
Give buttery shrimp scampi a healthy update with delicately sweet spaghetti squash. The parsley-flecked squash “noodles” slash calories, add fiber and leave this classic dish still plenty decadent.
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