Easy Italian Recipes for Kids to Cook
These simple Italian dinner recipes will inspire kids to run their own Italian restaurant at home for their family. Inspired by our favorite Olive Garden menu items, this is a fun dinner for kids to make for their family.
The best family dinner we have ever had started with a jar of tomato sauce and ended with a full blown Italian restaurant in my kitchen.
It was a crazy busy night. I hadn't been to the grocery store but I needed to get dinner on the table fast.
I rummaged around our pantry looking for anything that might work.
I found:
- a box of pasta
- a jar of sauce
- some frozen peas in the freezer
Done! Spaghetti is one of Little Pea's favorite meals.
When she saw the pasta, she got excited and asked if she could help make dinner.
While we got the water boiling, my sweetie asked me how to say "Hello" in Italian.
She was intrigued by the word "Ciao," which somehow lead me to playing Andrea Bocelli's Time to Say Goodbye on our kitchen speaker.
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The next thing I knew, we had:
- homemade paper menus at the table
- place cards that said "Ciao" at each plate
- lit candles and pretty paper napkins
- a sign that said "Little Pea's Restaurant" on the front door for Tim to see when he got home
- and my pint-sized chef was reviewing her big sister's resume as she applied to work as hostess at her pretend restaurant!
It all happened so fast and was so utterly unplanned but it was the most fun our family had at dinner together in ages.
My kids think about cooking like they do playing.
It's not something they do every single day, but when they do get in the kitchen, our focus is on fun.
Inspire Your Kids to Cook
Want to encourage your kids to set up an Italian restaurant at your kitchen table?
There's nothing wrong with letting them cook the same jar of sauce + box of pasta that we did, but today I'm sharing a few super-fun Italian recipes that involve a few more steps so they can channel their inner Italian chef.
Just like the real family dinners I feature in my cookbook The Totally Awesome Ultimate Kids' Cookbook, these are dishes the kids will love to make but YOU'LL love to eat!
Give your kids some ownership and control over producing this Italian dinner menu and watch them glow with pride.
Simple Italian Recipes for Kids
Since that first dinner, my girls have cooked special Italian meals for us for anniversaries and birthdays. Pasta is such a perfect dinner idea because it is easy for them to cook, feels grown-up and elegant, and they love eating it, too.
Here are a few of my girls' favorite pasta recipes and Italian dinner side dishes for when they cook for us:
Pasta Rosa
This easy pasta rosa with sausage was a special anniversary dinner one year. It was a huge hit with every member of the family.
Baked Spaghetti
If you'd like to avoid boiling water and draining noodles, this easy baked spaghetti would be an excellent option for the kids to bake.
Cheese Tortelloni with Pesto
Just 3 ingredients and a few minutes to make, this quick cheese tortelloni with pesto is a big family favorite.
Easy Alfredo
This homemade alfredo sauce takes just a few minutes and is delicious all by itself. You could ask the kids to stir in some shredded chicken or even add a baked chicken breast to the side.
Easy Garlic Bread
My homemade garlic bread just needs some softened butter and seasonings. This would be really easy for the kids to prep.
Garden Salad
Pretend you're eating at Olive Garden and toss together this quick garden salad with a bottle of their prepared dressing.
Caprese Salad
If they can slice a tomato, they can prepare a caprese salad platter and feel like the world's best chef.
Best Recipes for Kids
Get all the best tips for cooking with kids here.
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