While we love Italian pizza and pasta, there’s tons more Italian-inspired dinner ideas that’ll have you feeling like you have your own Italian nonna on-call to teach you how to make all the classics. These 75 Italian dinner recipes will help you venture outside the Olive Garden and highlight some of the many diverse flavors in Italian cuisine. Our traditional recipes for Sunday sauce, chicken Parm, the best homemade lasagna ever, and more will have you feeling like you’re running your own Roman trattoria in no time.

Think outside the pasta box with our favorite homemade Italian classics that will make any weeknight feel like a special occasion. Our dream Italian feast? We love pairing a hearty main like osso buco or chicken scallopini with a decadent pasta side, like our orzo al limone, our spaghetti all’assassina, or our creamy risotto. Add a Caprese salad, our sheet-pan panzanella, or our antipasto salad on the side, and you’ll be sure to get more than few chef’s kisses. Okay, maybe add a glass of vino or a negroni for good measure too.

There’s no coincidence that the “eat” portion of Eat, Pray, Love took place in Rome, and we’ve got plenty of Italian pasta recipes to prove it. And we’re not just talking about spaghetti & meatballs either. There are actually four classic Roman pasta dishes: pasta alla gricia, bucatini all’amatriciana, spaghetti carbonara, and cacio e pepe. No surprise: They’re all wildly good. But don’t stop there! Try our recipe for homemade pasta dough, homemade cavatelli, and ricotta gnudi for the most authentic pasta night ever.

Cooking Italian food for dinner is one of the better decisions to be made all week long. The absolute best idea? Pair a fun Italian dessert to go with this feast—but hey, it’s your party! Mangia!

delish!