60 flavors that taste great with italian food
..and 7 combinations to avoid.
We analyzed over 500,000 recipes to figure out which ingredients makes italian food better. On average, recipes with italian food received a 4.43⭐ review scores. However, in some combinations, review scores improved significantly. Like with heavy cream. And sometimes worse. Like with sugar.
These are the most important combinations we found:
Stand out combinations
Improved by
Improves
High potential
Spoiled by
Worse all around
Common combinations
- flat leaf parsley
- butter
- kosher salt
- tomato
- lemon juice
- water
- oregano
- mozzarella cheese
- thyme
- sea salt
- milk
- rosemary
- bay leaf
- spaghetti
- celery
- lemon zest
- shallots
- pecorino cheese
- yellow onion
- chicken stock
- spinach
- pasta
- flour
- italian seasoning
- red onion
- balsamic vinegar
- zucchini
- pancetta
- sage
- vanilla
- chicken breast
- red wine
- egg yolk
- red chili peppers
- red bell peppers
- linguine
- sundried tomato
- mushrooms
- prosciutto
- broccoli
- chicken
- red wine vinegar
- baking powder
- penne pasta
- almonds
- cannellini beans
- anchovy filets
- fennel seeds
- bacon
- pine nuts
- asparagus
- mascarpone cheese
- peas
- granulated sugar
- honey
- mint
- vegetable oil
- chives
- vegetable stock
- eggplant
- vegetable broth
- ground pork
- crimini mushrooms
- plum tomato
- green onions
- fennel
- kale
- active yeast
- romano cheese
- provolone cheese
- cream cheese
- san marzano tomato
- walnuts
- fontina cheese
- leeks
- panko crumbs
- powdered sugar
- rigatoni pasta
- lasagna noodles
- goat cheese
- butternut squash
- egg whites
- italian tomato
- cream
- chickpeas
- black olives
- white beans
- beef broth
- crusty bread
- cauliflower
- porcini mushrooms
- confectioners sugar
- fusilli
- oil
- ground turkey
- cornmeal
- orange juice
- veal
- orecchiette pasta
- ziti
- pizza dough
- orange zest
- herbs
- tarragon
- marsala wine
- kalamata olives
- potatoes
- baking soda
- roma tomato
- orzo pasta
- strawberry
- ditalini
- grape tomato
- bittersweet chocolate
- burrata cheese
- onion powder
- green beans
- semolina flour
- marjoram
- yellow bell peppers
- bucatini pasta
- parmesan rind
- white wine vinegar
- pepperoni
- coffee
- sweet onion
- brown sugar
- green olives
- cherries
- feta cheese
- angel hair pasta
- raisins
- toasted pine nuts
- green bell peppers
- canola oil
- bread flour
- paprika
- no boil lasagna noodles
- hazelnuts
- wheat flour
- raspberry
- pappardelle pasta
- pistachios
- heavy whipping cream
- russet potatoes
- beef stock
- portobello mushrooms
- crème fraîche
- cheese
- gelatin
- bread
- wild mushrooms
- shiitake mushrooms
- mayonnaise
- white peppers
- vanilla bean
- cheddar cheese
- cumin
- pesto
- cornflour
- olives
- beef
- flaky sea salt
- white bread
- broth
- lime juice
- instant yeast
- golden raisins
- sour cream
- shaved parmesan
- cucumber
- tagliatelle pasta
- swiss chard
- cilantro
- button mushrooms
- italian crumbs
- cranberry
- grapes
- ladyfingers
- stock
- fire roasted tomato
- basil pesto
- white sugar
- smoked paprika
- chicken thighs
- vodka
- green peppers
- yellow squash
- corn
- turkey
- farfalle
- chocolate
- salami
- marinara
- cottage cheese
- spaghetti squash
- italian bread
- bell peppers
- anise
- wheat pasta
- avocado
- figs
- serrano chili
- maple syrup
- hot sauce
- cashew nuts
- macaroni
- ground chicken
- pepperoncini peppers
- passata
- blue cheese
- chuck roast
- amaretto liqueur
- lasagna
- artichokes
- cheese tortellini
- buffalo mozzarella
- chicken cutlets
- greek yogurt
- sirloin steak
- clam juice
- apricots
- pasta sauce
- wheat
- red potatoes
- panko
- sausage
- berry
- rotini pasta
- coconut milk
- dark chocolate
- pecans
- baby kale
- brussel sprouts
- ham
- table salt
- lentils
- rice
- sweet potatoes
- pork shoulder
- wheat penne pasta
- soy sauce
- potato gnocchi
- pasta water
- reserved pasta water
- cavatappi
- petite tomato
- pumpkin puré
- scallops
- pork belly
- almond milk
- tofu
- meatballs
- apple cider vinegar
- apple
- italian cheese
- heirloom tomato
- sourdough bread
- vinegar
- raw cashew nuts
- bocconcini
- bowtie pasta
- peppers
- wheat pizza dough
- sherry
- plums
- chicken tenders
- italian seasoned crumbs
- fish stock
- pineapple
- salmon
- raw shrimp
- white balsamic vinegar
- chipotle peppers
- brown rice
- vegan parmesan
- milk chocolate
- green peas
- white miso
- tapioca
- whipped cream
- sesame seeds
- low moisture mozzarella cheese
- chanterelle mushrooms
Explore the stand out connections in the visual explorer 👉
Remember this is how people score them online. A bad combination might not be a bad combination. It might be hard to cook or people make poor substitutions. If you think it makes sense to use something, just pay extra attention.
Here are some great recipes we found with italian food:
Baked Rigatoni Fra Diavolo with Sausage and Zucchini
bakerbynature.com
Review: 4.43/5 Dish Dragon Score: 6.6/10
Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash Marinara
bakerbynature.com
Review: 4.43/5 Dish Dragon Score: 6.4/10
Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Pasta with Parmesan Chicken
carlsbadcravings.com
Review: 5/5 Dish Dragon Score: 6.2/10
Salmon Pasta in Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce
carlsbadcravings.com
Review: 4.43/5 Dish Dragon Score: 6.1/10
Pumpkin Ricotta Cheesecake with Brown Butter Crust and Grand Marnier Whipped Cream
bakerbynature.com
Review: 4.43/5 Dish Dragon Score: 6.1/10
Summertime Pesto Pizza (Skinny, Vegan, Dairy Free)
bakerbynature.com
Review: 4.43/5 Dish Dragon Score: 4.8/10
