3 Easy Italian Recipes to Eat Your Way Around the World

Enjoy the flavours of Italy with our three italian recipes, brought to you with the help of Mindful Chef. We are passionate about making healthy eating easier, which is why we showcase some of our favourite healthy and delicious recipes each month. Doing this shows the nation you can eat better without sacrificing on flavour. Read on to find out what italian recipes we’ve chosen, what health benefits they have, and how to make them.

Lemon Marinated Salmon & Puttanesca

Experience the flavours of Italy with this tomato puttanesca topped with a juicy baked salmon fillet. This italian fish recipe is quick and easy to make, which is perfect for those mid week meals. At Mindful Chef we like to finish this dish off with green beans and a scattering of parsley and chilli.

• Cook time: 15 mins
• Allergens: Fish, Sulphites
• Cuisine: Italian
• Key ingredient: Omega-3-rich sustainably sourced fish

Nutritional Information

• Calories: 723
• Protein: 37g
• Carbs: 57g
• Fat: 37g

The portioning of this italian recipe is perfect for couples or individuals who like to batch prepare a few meals at a time. To cater for more people, simply double the ingredients so the whole family can enjoy it! For more delicious dishes, discover our whole range of healthy recipes now.

Why We Love This Italian Recipe

Fish is packed full of omega-3 fatty acids as well as vitamins such as D and B2, making it the perfect companion to a healthy balanced diet. Incorporating these vitamins and acids can not only be beneficial to your diet but are vital for brain and eye development. Eye health is something that can deteriorate as we get older. To protect it and slow this process, it has been suggested that ensuring you receive enough omega-3 and vitamin D through our diet can help.

Ingredients

Creating this delicious masterpiece you’ll want to enjoy again and again is simple. You just need good, easy to find ingredients and those rich italian flavours.To russell up your dish, here’s what you’ll need:

• 20g capers
• ½ tsp red chilli flakes
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 3 garlic clove
• 30g Belazu pitted black olives
• 1 handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 90g baby plum tomatoes
• 120g brown rice penne
• 90g green beans
• 2 lemon & chive flavoured salmon fillet

Cooking Instructions

An Italian recipe which is quick and simple, what's not to love? Here are the simple steps you need to take in order to create this scrumptious dish full of Italian flavours.

1. Preheat the oven to 240C / fan 220C / gas mark 8. Heat a small frying pan on a medium heat. Add the salmon fillets and cook for 3 mins on each side. Transfer to an ovenproof dish (skin-side down) and bake for 7-8 mins or until cooked through.
2. Meanwhile, boil a kettle. Cut the beans into thirds. Half-fill a medium saucepan with lightly salted boiling water. Add the penne and boil for 7-8 mins, adding the beans to the pan for the final 3 mins of cooking. Boil together until cooked, then drain.
3. Finely chop or crush the garlic. Roughly chop the parsley. Halve the olives.
4. Make the puttanesca sauce; heat a large saucepan on a medium heat with 1/2 tsp oil. Add the garlic and half the parsley, cook for 1 min, then add the chopped tomatoes, capers, olives and a splash of water. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Place a lid on and simmer for 6 mins, until thickening.
5. Halve the fresh tomatoes. Add to the puttanesca with the penne and beans; gently mix.
6. Serve the pasta topped with the salmon. Garnish with the remaining parsley and chilli flakes.

If you try this Italian recipe we’d love to hear from you! Tag us in your social media posts and show us your healthy creations. Be sure to keep up to date with our blog post too, which showcases our latest ranges for you to try, including our new BBQ range.

Italian Meatballs & Courgetti

Cook an easy and traditional Italian recipe with a twist in the comfort of your home. This Italian meat recipe is delicious and simple to make for the whole family. We have added a twist to a classic dish by using vitamin-rich courgetti instead of pasta!

• Cook time: 35 mins
• Allergens: Sulphites
• Cuisine: Italian
• Key ingredient: Rich grass-fed British beef

Nutritional Information

• Calories: 563
• Protein: 40g
• Carbs: 23g
• Fat: 33g

Cooking something the whole family will like can often be easier said than done, but with this Italian recipe, bursting with flavour, we are sure there will be empty plates all round. For a family of four, double the ingredients to ensure there is enough to go round!

Why We Love This Italian Recipe

Courgettes provide our diets with potassium, vitamin C and folic acid. All these minerals and vitamins are essential to helping keep our body's functioning properly. Specifically, potassium is beneficial to our muscles, as it helps to keep them working properly so we can move freely. Half a courgette also counts as one of your five a-day! Which is why including courgetti into your meals is the perfect way to hit your daily target.

Beef is naturally rich in protein. Protein is essential in our diets, which helps muscles to grow as well as supporting muscle mass too. Beef also provides iron and vitamins such as B6 and B12. These vitamins and minerals contribute to our bodies functioning by helping to reduce tiredness and fatigue, as well as our overall well being.

Ingredients

Cooking a delicious homemade Italian has never been easier. To create a family favourite dish they will want again and again, you will need:

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 300g beef mince
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 300g courgette
• 2 garlic clove
• 120g chestnut mushrooms
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 red pepper
• 2 tbsp basil pesto
• 40g sundried tomatoes

Cooking Instructions

In less than ten steps you will have made a traditional Italian recipe with a Mindful Chef twist. To get started, follow these simple instructions:

1. Finely chop or crush the garlic. Heat a medium saucepan with 1 tsp oil on a medium heat. Add the garlic, cook for 1 min, then add the chopped tomatoes and oregano. Simmer for 10 mins.
2. Finely dice the pepper. Thinly slice the mushrooms. Roughly chop the sundried tomatoes. Heat a large frying pan with 1 tsp oil on a medium heat. Add the pepper and mushrooms; season with sea salt and black pepper. Cook for 5 mins, stirring occasionally, until soft.
3. Meanwhile, make the meatballs. Place the mince and pesto in a bowl. Season with sea salt and black pepper and mix to combine. Use wet hands to form into 10 equal-sized meatballs.
4. Add the softened veg and sundried tomatoes to the tomato sauce; continue to simmer. Reheat the frying pan with 1 tsp oil on a medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and fry for 8 mins, turning frequently, until golden brown.
5. Make the courgetti; trim the courgettes and use a peeler to slice into long, thin strips (use a julienne peeler or spiralizer, if you have one).
6. Transfer the meatballs to the tomato sauce, then simmer for a further 8 mins. Keep the frying pan on the heat and cook the courgetti for 1 min, stirring frequently, until slightly softened.
7. Stir the vinegar through the meatball sauce; season with sea salt and black pepper. Serve the courgetti topped with the meatballs and sauce.

Tried making this italian recipe? We’d love to hear from you! Tag us in your social media posts to present us with your healthy masterpieces. Be sure to keep up to date with our blog post too. On our blog we showcase our latest tips and tricks from the experts including our post on 5 foods that can promote healthy skin.

Steak with Italian-Style Sundried Tomato Beans

Dish up a warm Italian salad recipe which is perfect for the summer months. Using Grass-fed British beef on top of a bed of peppery rocket, we finish this mouthwatering dish off with a balsamic drizzle.

• Cook time: 20 mins
• Allergens: Sulphites
• Cuisine: Italian
• Key ingredient: Flavourful grass-fed British beef

Nutritional Information

• Calories: 579
• Protein: 45g
• Carbs: 32g
• Fat: 30g

If you are inviting guests over to enjoy the warm weather, simply double up the recipe to serve up a portion big enough for a family of four. Enjoying your own company? Either half the recipe for an individual portion or keep the leftovers ready to be enjoyed for the following day!

Why We Love This Italian Dish

Steak is a great source of protein, which is a vital nutrient across the whole body. The benefits of having protein in a healthy diet means your muscles can function properly, as well as being able to help repair tissue damage. Steak is also rich in iron which helps to deliver oxygen to your body through your red blood cells.

All of our recipes at Mindful Chef have one vision, to make healthy eating and nutritious meals as easy as possible. Discover more of our healthy recipes that you can wow your friends with at home.

Ingredients

Serve up a scrumptious italian recipe that will have your family asking for seconds. The ingredients you will need to produce this dish are:

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 240g butter beans (drained)
• 150g courgette
• 2 garlic clove
• 30g Belazu pitted black olives
• 40g rocket
• 2 flat iron steaks
• 2 tbsp Belazu sundried tomato paste
• 120g baby plum tomatoes
• 2 tsp dried basil

Cooking Instructions

A warm salad that can fill your hunger but incorporates the vibrant flavours of Italy is only a few steps away. Here’s what you need to do to create this healthy meat dish you’ll never forget.

1. Preheat the oven to 220C / fan 200C / gas mark 7. Boil a kettle.
2. Heat a frying pan with 1/2 tbsp oil on a medium heat. Season the steaks with sea salt and place in the pan. Cook for 2 mins on each side, until golden, then transfer to an ovenproof dish. Finish cooking in the oven for 3-4 mins (for medium-rare) or 5-6 mins (for medium). Remove the steaks from the oven and leave to rest on a plate. Keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, finely chop or crush the garlic. Thinly slice the courgette into half-moons. Halve the olives and tomatoes. Drain the beans and rinse.
4. Reheat the frying pan with 1/2 tbsp oil on a medium heat. Add the garlic, courgette, basil and beans. Cook for 2 mins, then add the olives, tomato paste, tomatoes and 80ml hot water. Simmer for 4 mins, until thickening, then turn off the heat.
5. Thinly slice the steaks and serve with the rocket and tomato beans. Drizzle all with the balsamic vinegar.

Made this italian recipe at home? We’d love to hear from you! Tag us in your social media posts to wow us with your healthy masterpieces. Keep up to date with our blog post too. On our blog we present our latest tips and tricks from the experts including our post with Rituals on 4 simple steps to reset your sleep routine.

More from Mindful Chef

Enjoying the taste of Italy and craving your next healthy cuisine? We have over 1000 healthy, delicious recipes for you to choose from. From favourite vegan recipes, to staple fish and meat recipes, there is a choice for everyone. Take a look around to discover your next signature dish today.

Enjoy the thrill of cooking but hate the hassle? We offer a healthy recipe box service that gets delivered straight to your door. Inside you will find fresh, responsibly sourced ingredients with an easy recipe to go with it. Simply choose your dishes, pick a delivery date, and we’ll do the rest. All that’s left to do is follow the steps of the recipe and start your healthy food journey!

Don't forget to also take a look at the Mindful Chef shop where you can buy a variety of smoothies, soups & frozen meals including our healthy Italian ready meals.