Italian Dinners Everyone Will Enjoy
When it comes to world cuisines, we can’t pick a favorite. We truly love them all. But we will make a case for this: When you need a no-brainer, no-sweat, no-drama crowdpleaser, you could do much worse than to opt for Italian. It’s just so easy to like—kids, adults, picky eaters and adventure-seekers. When you want a home run, look no further than Italy, or even closer, to Italian-American dishes, to get everyone in a festive spirit.
If you ever travel to Rome, do yourself a favor and order this dish on the very first day, because you will want to eat it every day after that. Named lovingly for every woman from the nearby town of Amatrice who has ever cooked it, Amatriciana is now nearly synonymous with Rome (along with other sauces that use guanciale, cured pork cheek: Carbonara (guanciale and egg) and gricia (guanciale drippings—heaven!). This one marries the bitter-salty pork with tomato sauce for a zesty depth that fills you immediately with a melancholy that you will eventually hit the bottom of your bowl. While it’s worth seeking out real guanciale, pancetta is a fine stand-in if you have trouble finding it.