16 Italian Comfort Foods That Will Wrap You in Warmth

Who among us hasn’t been hit with the sudden urge for a deep bowl of noodles, or a towering pyramid of meatballs, or a casserole full of bubbling goodness? Sometimes the comfort you crave comes with an Italian (or Italian American) accent, and there’s nothing you can do but just lean right in. You might say, pasta, stat! in which case, we’ll direct you to this list. But otherwise, we like to think we’ve anticipated exactly those dishes that might call to you in this all-purpose list of hall of famers, so that you can just get right to cooking up something that will wrap you in warmth.

Every family does it differently, and this is Valerie Bertinelli’s family recipe. They’re super flavorful meatballs, with pecorino and garlic, in her homemade tomato sauce that is plenty zesty. We’ll always welcome that particular combination of meatballs in a deeply-tomatoey sauce plus tangles of spaghetti.

If baby meatballs in a broth don’t just set a standard for comfort food, we don’t know what. Though Ina calls for homemade chicken stock, and the soup will undoubtedly be divine if you go that route, she also wisely includes some veggies to simmer with, so that even if you start with a store-bought broth, it will taste very close to homemade. The meatballs combine ground chicken but also chicken sausage, so they’re hearty and light at the same time. The pastina and spinach are a must.

Baked ziti, you have our hearts. This recipe, in particular, is our favorite because it’s easy and supremely adaptable, whether you go with meat or without, with ricotta or without, and make-ahead or cook-and-eat. Just be sure to take in the expressions on your eaters’ faces as they watch you dish up from that hot, bubbling pan.

Even a plain risotto, with butter and cheese, comforts like nobody’s business. But sometimes you also like to hit an occasional chewiness. Mushrooms fit the bill, amping up the umami of the creamy rice, without changing the character of the dish.

Homemade gnocchi, you? Absolutely, you can do it. You need no special equipment to make gnocchi, only enough flour to add until you get just the right consistency. Serve some up with tomato sauce for a stick-to-your-ribs dinner that will satisfy not only for the taste, but for the accomplishment.

Carbonara is a big yes please, and though you’ll encounter it quite often on rigatoni in Rome, where it hails from, we think that slurping it off long noodles adds something here. The sauce combines salty hits of pancetta with beaten egg — yes, it’s essentially a bacon and egg dish — in a sauce that combines beautifully with cheese and pasta water for the creamiest, most unctuous bite. Bucatini, also a favorite shape in Rome, pairs so well, the bounciest of all the long noodles adding its own main character-energy to the mix. Just keep an eye on them because they cook faster than you’d think, thanks to that hole in the middle.

Everything sounds more comforting in Italian, which is why instead of “bone with a hole,” these classic braised veal shanks are called the very sexy, “osso buco.” Cooked until falling apart, the meat’s tenderness and the natural sauce formed is ideal with crusty bread or over polenta or risotto. Be sure to also keep that bread handy for scooping out and spreading on the bone marrow from the hole — a buttery, beefy delicacy, for sure.

Once tiramisu has its hold on you, it’s unlikely to let go. Luckily, if you make a tray, you will have so many servings to share or to hoard — we won’t judge. The ladyfingers turn almost cakey after soaking in espresso, and the cold mascarpone cream just carries all the flavors with so much richness — heavenly.

When an Italian is feeling low or sick in bed, quite often it’s pastina with butter and cheese they crave. Who are we to argue with that formula? If you can’t find the tiniest size, any small pasta, like orzo or acini di pepe, will do.

Fagioli simply means “beans” in Italian, and there are so many versions (the word doesn’t specify any particular bean, after all). And beans plus pasta are so incredibly hearty and filling, which makes this an excellent vegetarian dinner if you choose to forego the pancetta (the Parmesan rind adds so much depth to the broth). And it’s just that much richer if you do, indeed, include it.

Picture it: Fifth grade, at your best friend’s brother’s fancy restaurant 16th birthday party, you were so excited to drink your Shirley Temple out of a grown-up looking hurricane glass with lots of ice. Their cousin, Vincent, had become your crush-of-the-day. Your dress was a little tight at the sleeves, that dumb bow refused to stay tied — no matter. The waiters had clearly been instructed to keep the platters mozzarella sticks and marinara sauce coming throughout the night, and truly, that night, you wished would go on forever.

This classic pasta and cheese sauce never goes out of style, and Tyler Florence is right on: The way to really lean into it is to make fresh noodles. But, we also understand that that kind of labor might not be part of your ideal comfort evening. If so, you can rely on his very classic version of the sauce, which will deliver even with store-bought noodles, quick and easy and so, so tasty.

Stuffed mushrooms are the darlings of any antipasto spread — but wouldn’t you like to treat yourself and make a meal out of them? You can’t go wrong with Ina’s take, so savory with Italian sausage. There’s no chance they’ll dry out in the oven because of another genius Italian all-star inclusion — mascarpone.

Do we even need to sell you on chicken parm? That luscious combination of breaded chicken breast, cloaked in tomato sauce and topped with melty cheese that’s just right with a side of spaghetti or linguine also makes an ideal sandwich filling on an Italian loaf. Toss yourself a salad and pour a glass of Chianti — words would only ruin the moment.

Think of polenta as everything you love about mashed potatoes — that creamy, spoonable ability to soak up butter and cheese — but, corny. (Maybe it helps more to remind of their cousinship to grits.) We love this recipe in particular because usually polenta counts on the cook standing by the stove, stirring, for almost an hour; here, you get everything together in a slow cooker, and let it fret over the polenta like a nonna.