I Can't Afford A Trip To Italy So I'm Making These Tuscan-Inspired Recipes Instead

If you're looking to add a flavor-booster to your table, then this homemade Tuscan butter will be a game-changer. There are no limits when it comes to using this Tuscan butter. We love it spread on homemade potato rolls, added on top of our steak dinner, or even dolloped on top of our mashed potatoes. Looking to make it dippable? Melt it down, and start dunking shrimp, veggies, or roast potatoes—the options are endless.

Get the Tuscan Butter recipe.

When it comes to chicken breast recipes, it's hard to beat this one. The sauce is simple but so flavorful thanks to garlic, tomatoes, and most importantly, cream. It's bright and easy and just as good in the summer as it is in the winter, whether you're craving comfort food or a dinner fancy enough for guests.

Get the Creamy Tuscan Chicken recipe.

For this recipe, we decided to skip the protein and turn this creamy tomato-and-basil sauce into a pasta dinner by adding one of our favorite power ingredients: gnocchi. The rich and creamy sauce pairs perfectly with the hearty bites of gnocchi, making this a stick-to-your-ribs comfort meal to come back to again and again.

Get the Tuscan Butter Gnocchi recipe.

Here, we tossed crispy bacon, spinach, chicken breasts, and spaghetti in our creamy Tuscan-inspired sauce for a hearty chicken pasta dinner that's just as perfect for date night as it is for a simple and quick weeknight dinner.

Get the Tuscan Chicken Pasta recipe.

Tortellini is a game-changer when added to soup, and the same goes for this Tuscan-inspired recipe. With chicken sausage, crushed tomatoes, spinach, and white beans, this soup is less creamy than some of our other Tuscan variations, but packed with hearty ingredients.

Get the Tuscan Tortellini Soup recipe.

We switched up our creamy Tuscan chicken—one of our most popular chicken dinners—by swapping out the chicken for buttery, delicate scallops and keeping the well-loved iconic flavors.

Get the Tuscan Butter Scallops recipe.

One-pot meals are true dinner goals. Case in point: This Tuscan butter-chicken and orzo dish is as easy as can be and ready in no time, while still packing in some serious flavor. The power move that makes it possible? Cooking the chicken from frozen means no more stress about forgetting to thaw it out—and no more waiting for it to defrost, period.

Get the Creamy Tuscan Butter Chicken & Orzo recipe.

If you're as obsessed with our creamy Tuscan chicken as we are, you've gotta try this dreamy mac & cheese next. All that's missing is a bottle of red!

Get the Tuscan Mac & Cheese recipe.

While a steamy bowl of classic chicken soup will always be a go-to, sometimes a few upgrades are needed to switch up the staple soup. Here, we upgrade the classic with a creamy broth infused with Italian ingredients inspired by Tuscany: pasta, Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, kale, and basil.

Get the Creamy Tuscan Chicken Soup recipe.

This easy tortellini salad is ALWAYS a fave at picnics. It's also super adaptable—feel free to swap the sun-dried tomatoes here for fresh cherry tomatoes, use kale instead of spinach or bacon instead of salami, or replace the Parmesan with Pecorino or mozzarella.

Get the Tuscan Tortellini Salad recipe.

Savory pancetta gets paired with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and oregano, then simmered with heavy cream and finished with grated Parmesan and fresh spinach. It’s tossed with cooked tortellini, topped with fresh mozzarella, and broiled to creamy, melty, just-slightly-browned perfection.

Get the Tuscan Tortellini Skillet Bake recipe.

Far too often, we've tried vegan sauces that just don’t quite get the creaminess down right, so we decided to solve this problem outright with this instant classic: creamy Tuscan vegan pasta. This recipe takes a note from our classic creamy Tuscan chicken, but made vegan-friendly while still maintaining the creaminess you know and love.

Get the Creamy Tuscan Vegan Pasta recipe.

If you love creamy risotto, but not the time it takes to make it, this Italian-inspired orzo recipe is for you. It all comes together in one pot, with starch from the miniature pasta helping to thicken the sauce to great effect. The prep here is minimal and cleanup is easy, but the payoff makes this dish totally dinner party-worthy, all year round. Best part? It only takes about half an hour to cook from start to finish.

Get the Creamy Tuscan Orzo recipe.

The tomato-and-basil cream sauce with a healthy dose of Parmesan hits all the right flavor notes—rich and decadent, slightly sweet, and with a punch of umami—and pairs perfectly with the rich, buttery salmon.You won’t want to miss any drop of the sauce, so I recommend serving this with crusty bread or garlic mashed potatoes to soak up every last bite.

Get the Tuscan Butter Salmon recipe.

This time, we’re doubling down on the comfort by giving meatballs and gnocchi the Tuscan treatment, in one dish. What makes this even better? It all comes together in the slow cooker.

Get the Slow-Cooker Tuscan Chicken Meatballs With Gnocchi recipe.

Creamy Tuscan anything is a cult classic here at Delish, but this vegetarian version might be our new favorite. Featuring white beans and spinach swimming in a luxurious tomato cream sauce, this hearty skillet dinner is so comforting and satisfying, you’ll never miss the chicken.

Get the Creamy Tuscan White Bean Skillet recipe.

Is there anything *authentically* Italian about this recipe? Nope. Is it delicious? 100%. In fact, this Tuscan butter sauce is so good, you'll be tempted to eat it straight out of the pan. (And we wouldn't blame you!)

Get the Tuscan Butter Shrimp recipe.

These mushrooms are a weeknight dinner star—they're rich and creamy with extra pops of brightness from the cherry tomatoes.

Get the Tuscan Butter Mushrooms recipe.

Take inspiration from our Tuscan chicken pasta or our creamy Tuscan sausage pasta, and add your favorite protein to this low-carb Italian dinner.

Get the Cheesy Tuscan Spaghetti Squash recipe.

This has everything you love about our OG Tuscan butter shrimp (and creamy Tuscan chicken, Tuscan butter salmon...) recipe, but made on the grill! Bonus: They only take 10 minutes.

Get the Tuscan Butter Shrimp Foil Packs recipe.