Delicious first courses: 10 quick and easy recipes not to be missed!

First courses are the symbol of Italianness: here are 10 delicious, easy to make and quick first courses that will inspire you to get behind the stove!

Today we're talking about first courses, perhaps the most important course for the Italian culinary tradition. A plate of pasta, a delicious risotto or a fragrant soup represent much more than the main course of a meal. The first courses are poetry, in particular the pasta, which represents sustenance and is the symbol of our country. At the base of very quick first courses for a light and tasty lunch or for something more complex and substantial , it is essential for the nutrition of all of us.

The origins of pasta are very ancient. It has been present in its simplest and most primordial forms since ancient times on the Eurasian continent. At the same time it developed independently and diversified, from the Chinese valleys of the Far East to the Mediterranean areas of the Italian peninsula. For this reason, China and Italy still dispute its paternity today. Ultimately it doesn't matter how it got there, just never forget to celebrate this delicious food !

But in addition to pasta, there are also many other dishes that we can prepare, from gnocchi to risottos, passing through fabulous creams and soups. Let's see together many easy , light or more substantial recipes to satisfy everyone's tastes!

Quick and tasty first course recipes

Soup, fresh pasta, dried pasta, rice, gnocchi and so on and so forth. The tasty first courses of traditional Italian cuisine are many and all delicious. Today we will see ten wonderful recipes : choose the one you like most and include it in your menu. You are ready? Then follow us into the kitchen!

• Lasagna Bolognese
• Pasta with garlic, oil and chilli pepper
• Bacon and egg
• Cheese and black pepper
• Shrimp and courgette pasta
• Gorgonzola gnocchi
• Leek cream soup
• Lentil soup
• Saffron risotto
• Gorgonzola and walnut risotto

1. Lasagna Bolognese

Let's start with a dish that smells like home: lasagna Bolognese . This traditional first course from Emilia Romagna has spread from Bologna throughout the country, becoming one of the most popular first courses in the world. The components are layers of fresh pasta, filled with Bolognese sauce, béchamel and cheese, a mix of flavors that will make your mouth water.

If you want, you can prepare everything at home, even the pasta! But if you want to make a quick dish , you can buy some sheets, prepare a quick ragù by reducing cooking times… and that's it! The béchamel sauce is also not too complex a preparation, but if you want it you can get it ready-made.

2. Pasta with garlic, oil and chilli pepper

Pasta with garlic, oil and chilli pepper is one of the most popular first courses in Italy, a famous companion for late-night binges and beyond, but contrary to what you might think, it is anything but a simple dish! To prepare a delicious spaghetti , in fact, you need to create a sauce that binds well with the pasta, and the secret… is the cooking water!

Heat some oil, flavoring it with chilli pepper and garlic, then when the pasta is almost cooked, cook it in the pan, emulsifying it with the cooking water. You can finish with fresh parsley for an extra note of flavor.

3. Carbonara

Here we are at one of the most delicious first courses ever: carbonara . Contrary to what some purists claim, there is no real original recipe, and therefore this pasta can be interpreted according to different tastes and traditions . One thing, however, cannot be discussed: the ingredients!

This pasta is prepared strictly with bacon (not packaged bacon!), pecorino, pepper and eggs. Go wild in the kitchen with this delicious pasta that will make everyone go crazy with joy … and remember: don't cook the egg giving rise to that annoying omelette effect!

4. Pasta with cheese and pepper

Let's stay in Rome and see another of the typical dishes of the Lazio tradition : cacio e pepe . The name speaks for itself: the ingredients for this first course are pepper, which in some recipes is even toasted in a pan, and cacio , which is nothing other than pecorino romano. If you prepare it following the recipe, the result should be creamy and fantastic: a quick but tasty first course more than ever!

5. Shrimp and courgette pasta

Shrimps and courgettes, as we know, are a very good combination. So what better way to celebrate this perfect wedding than with a first course? So here is the shrimp and courgette pasta , a triumph of flavors that can be prepared in a short time. Get some fresh, meaty prawns and then prepare the sauce: you can choose to cook the courgettes in a pan or make a creamy and delicate courgette pesto .

6. Gorgonzola gnocchi

We had to choose a dish of gnocchi, and we couldn't help but include this little indulgence: gorgonzola gnocchi ! For those who love this cheese, this dish represents a real paradise, and what's more, by preparing them you can bring a simple and quick dish to the table.

Make the gorgonzola cream and then stir in the gnocchi. You can also add a touch of flavor with other ingredients such as speck , walnuts, radicchio and so on and so forth!

7. Leek cream soup

Leeks are a vegetable that lends itself to many preparations , especially first courses. Risottos, pasta, fillings… but also delicious creams ! In short, as you may have understood, leek cream soup is one of our favorite dishes, and therefore we couldn't not offer it to you today: to prepare it you can use potatoes to soften the taste and give the cream a more velvety consistency.

Enjoy it with crunchy bread croutons during the colder evenings, perhaps in the company of your family. This is a simple and quick dish, but at the same time really rich in flavor!

8. Lentil soup

If you love soups and are looking for a hot, inviting and fragrant dish, but at the same time substantial and rich in flavours, lentil soup is for you. Preparing it is very simple and fun, because you can add all the ingredients you want : lentils are the protagonists, and you can use canned ones, already cooked and ready to use.

In combination we recommend celery, carrot and onion, some chopped potatoes , a spoonful of tomato paste, some aromatic herbs and some good broth. But you can also add something else, such as crispy bacon !

9. Saffron risotto

Of all the risottos we could choose, we opted for the saffron risotto not only because its preparation is quick and rather simple, but also because it is one of the most popular (and delicious) rice-based first courses in Italy. As is easy to understand, the protagonist of this dish is saffron, which you can buy and dissolve in broth or boiling water and add at the end of the preparation.

Offer it to friends or during a family lunch : you can never go wrong with this rice!

10. Gorgonzola and walnut risotto

Here's another risotto… whose flavor will make you fall in love! The gorgonzola and walnut risotto is truly spectacular , and the great thing is that it is very simple to make. In fact, in addition to the classic phases of preparing this dish, there are no particular cooking methods or other complicated steps: the only thing you will have to do is stir in the gorgonzola at the end and decorate with walnuts! We're already feeling peckish … and you?

We also leave you our best recipes for preparing many quick first courses : you will love them!