If you’re studying abroad in Italy, chances are you don’t have much time to cook. But you probably aren’t eating out every meal either.
I have been a student in Italy several times – in high school, college and post-grad, giving me ample time to get comfortable in an Italian kitchen while on a budget.
These are my top five quick and easy meals to make as a student in Italy. All of these recipes:
- use inexpensive ingredients
- use simple ingredients you can use in many Italian recipes
- are no-cook or quick and easy to cook
At the end, you’ll find my printable or downloadable shopping list that will help you save time at the grocery store and ensure you have everything you need to cook each of these quick and easy meals.
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Italian Tuna Salad
Italian tuna salad is a cold salad made from canned tuna packed in olive oil bulked up with pre-cooked cannellini beans and flavored with herbs, capers, fennel and red onion.
Italian tuna salad has a ton of flavor and texture created by the different size and shapes of each ingredient (crunch from the fennel and onion, creaminess from the cannellini beans, richness from the tuna).
Get The Recipe: To make Italian tuna salad, be sure to follow my step-by-step instructions in Italian Tuna Salad.
What You Need
- 1 tablespoon capers
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup parsley
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ red onion
- 2 oz (200 grams) canned tuna packed in olive oil
- 1-15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed or about 1 ½ cups (250 grams) homemade cannellini beans beans
- 1 bulb of fennel
- 3 cups of lettuce or other greens for serving, optional
- salt and pepper to taste
How To Serve It
Serve Italian tuna salad room temperature or cold on a bed of greens. If you are making the tuna salad ahead of time, assemble with the greens right before serving to avoid wilting and soggy salad.
Pasta al Pesto
Pasta al pesto (serves 4) is a no-brainer dinner idea that comes together in literally the time it takes to cook pasta, around 20 minutes. Use your favorite dried pasta, fresh pasta or ribbon egg pasta and store bought pesto. I like to add halved cherry tomatoes if they are in season, giving this easy pasta color and lots of texture.
Pesto Alternative: If you are tired of regular basil pesto, check out my recipe for Italian Kale Pesto Recipe.
What You Need
- 1-500 gram package pasta of your choice
- 1 container pre-made pesto
- 250 grams cherry tomatoes, optional
How To Make Pasta Pesto
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. To learn more about how to cook pasta correctly, read How To Cook Pasta Like an Italian – Step-by-Step.
- Meanwhile, halve or quarter the cherry tomatoes, if using. Set side.
- Cook the pasta al dente according to the package instructions. Drain and dress with the pesto. Gently mix in the cherry tomatoes. Serve immediately.
How To Serve It
Serve pasta al pesto hot. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days and enjoy leftovers as a cold pasta salad later in the week.
White Beans And Sausages
White beans and sausages (serves 2-3) is a simple Italian dish made by cooking dried cannellini beans with olive oil, sage and garlic and serving with Italian sausages. I suggest using canned or packaged pre-cooked beans to speed up the cooking process and save time. If, however, you are on a tight budget, you can easily make these beans from scratch using my recipe: Homemade Tuscan White Beans Recipe (Tuscan Fagioli all’Olio) or consider my tomato version in Tuscan Cannellini Beans with Tomatoes and Garlic (Fagioli All’Uccelletto).
What You Need
- 2 cans white beans (cannellini beans)
- 4 sausages
- olive oil
- 6 leaves sage
- 2 garlic cloves
How To Make White Beans And Sausages
- Heat a medium skillet over low heat and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Crush and peel the garlic cloves and add to the olive oil. Cook for 2 minutes being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Rinse the canned beans and add to the pan with the sage leaves and ¼ cup water. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the sausages, cover and cook for 10-20 minutes until the sausages are cooked through, turning them from time to time to ensure even cooking. Should the beans start to stick to the pan, add a bit more water.
- Serve hot with a side salad or vegetable of your choice and crusty bread.
Additional Grocery Items
You don’t need these items to cook this meal but they are optional that give a bit of color to these white beans and sausages:
- fresh bread for serving
- 1/2 lb (2250 grams) seasonal vegetable of your choice such as asparagus, carrots, peas, beans, zucchini or enough lettuce for a side salad
How To Serve It
Serve white beans and sausages hot with crusty bread to mop up all the juices and a side vegetable (fresh or frozen ) or salad.
Italian Lentil Soup
Italian lentil soup (serves 6) is the ideal winter soup for serving with a crusty slice of bread and a hefty drizzle of olive oil. Make this vegan Italian lentil soup in a crockpot or on the stove top in no time. It freezes well and leftovers can be enjoyed for lunch all week long.
Get The Recipe: Learn how to make Italian lentil soup using my recipe, Italian Lentil Soup Recipe.
What You Need
- 2 cups lentils
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 14-oz can crushed or diced tomatoes
- freshly-ground pepper to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig rosemary
- chopped parsley for serving, optional
Additional Grocery Items
You don’t need these items to cook this meal but they are optional items:
- Fresh bread for serving
How To Serve It
Serve Italian lentil soup hot with fresh bread and a drizzle of olive oil.
Frittata (Italian Omelet)
A frittata (serves 2) is an Italian omelet served as a main course for dinner in Italy. It’s an extremely versatile dish that you can adapt to what you have leftover in the refrigerator or to what is in season. Make a frittata with whatever you like such as potatoes, zucchini, asparagus, or even frozen peas and prosciutto.
What You Need
- 5 eggs
- ½ lb (about 225 grams) veggies of your choice (zucchini, leeks, potatoes, asparagus work well)
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
How To Make A Frittata
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Roughly chop or thinly slice your vegetables and add to the skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute until soft and just brown (time will depend on your vegetable: zucchini around 15 minutes, asparagus 5 minutes, potatoes around 25 minutes). Remove from the skillet and let cool slightly.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with 2 tablespoons of milk. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in the vegetables.
- Wipe out the skillet and heat again over medium heat with a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the egg and vegetable mixture, cover and turn the heat down to low.
- Check on the frittata after 7 minutes. The underside should be golden brown and the middle starting to set. Once it has set enough to flip, slide the frittata onto a cutting board or flat side of a large pan lid and place the skillet on top. Flip the board or lid over so that the frittata is now face down in the pan. Cook uncovered for just a couple of minutes on the other side and serve with salad.
Additional Grocery Items
You don’t need these items to cook this meal but it’s nice to serve frittata with the following:
- 1 head lettuce or 1 bag pre-washed greens of your choice
- balsamic vinegar and olive oil to make an easy vinaigrette
How To Serve It
Serve frittata hot out of the pan or at room temperature. Leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to four days. It makes for a great no-cook lunch later in the week as well.
More cooking ideas and recipes:
Popular Tuscan Kale Recipes
Homerun Italian Cannellini Beans Recipes For Dinner
Easy Italian Dinner Ideas
Dinner Recipes Straight From Italy
Shopping List – Printable PDF
To print a high-quality PDF of the shopping list, just click on the image and a new tab will open with the PDF.
