39 Italian Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas (with American Favorites!)

In my family, this is our go-to holiday soup. You can serve it with the pasta or add escarole with the broth and meatballs instead. Enjoy this very special recipe from my Nonna!

If you like the idea of including chicken soup on Thanksgiving but want to make something relatively quick, this Chicken Pastina Soup is perfect! You could even make it with turkey breast tenderloins, which will cook faster than thick chicken breasts.

It's easier than you think to make homemade crepes for manicotti! These are thicky, study and pasta-like and will take your Thanksgiving meal to the next level!

My favorite dish ever is over-the-top delicious! My family's lasagna is a meal in itself, so you might want to cut smaller portions to make room for the rest of the Thanksgiving food.

I always make Mom's Thanksgiving Turkey, and you should too! It's stuffed with citrus, onions and garlic, basted with a butter and wine sauce and topped with gravy!

If you don't need an entire turkey and want a no-fuss, healthy option, consider turkey breast tenderloins, which are ready in just over 30 minutes. Slice up the leftovers for sandwiches!

My family's go-to dish for gatherings is delicious! It's made from scratch with Pecorino Romano and Parmesan. Slice it into little squares for appetizer portions.

A delicious vegetarian option, these buttery mushrooms are stuffed with a mixture of cream cheese, Parmesan, mozzarella, lemon, basil and garlic! They're gluten free too!

Looking for a spinach appetizer for Thanksgiving? This creamy, cheesy Asiago Spinach and Artichoke Dip features red onions and a touch of spicy heat. So addictive!

A Thanksgiving tradition in my hubby's family, these stuffed dates are irresistible! They're so easy to make and fun for kids to help assemble. This is a great gluten-free appetizer.

These buttery jalapeño poppers have a crispy Parmesan crust on top and are filled with cream cheese and cubes of prosciutto. Make them as spicy or mild as you like!

These are my absolute favorite mashed potatoes! They're mixed with cream cheese and garlic, then topped with brown butter instead of gravy. So good!

These buttery roasted potatoes are seasoned with a blend of sea salt, rosemary, garlic, sage and pepper. They're crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Yum!

You'll love Mom's green beans with cheesy, buttery, Italian bread crumbs! Make these on the stove and save oven space for something else!

This is a family favorite for Thanksgiving! Creamed spinach, artichokes, Parmesan and garlic go so well together.

Featuring creamy, cheesy broccoli with crispy homemade bread crumbs, what's not to love? I've been making this for decades.

These Italian peas are delicious, with or without the bacon! Think smoky flavor, golden onions, olive oil, salt, peppery heat...yum! This is a vegan side dish if you exclude the meat.

If you want a low-carb alternative to mashed potatoes, make these turnips for Thanksgiving! They’ve got a lightly sweet, savory and smoky vibe, thanks to the brown sugar, brown butter and bacon. Yum!

This fabulous Spinach-Ricotta Pie is perfect as a vegetable side dish or vegetarian entrée! You can even cut it into small squares for an appetizer.

You love this sautéed broccoli mixed with olive oil, lemon zest, fresh parsley and garlic! This is my go-to vegan side dish for Thanksgiving.

Roasted with olive oil and accented with my favorite seasoning from Italy, these butternut squash cubes are my favorite winter side dish! They're so easy and more than perfect for Thanksgiving!

In my family, these slightly bitter Italian greens are synonymous with the holidays. Enjoy the rapini with a chunk of Homemade Italian Bread to sop up the olive oil!

Served at room temperature, this Italian Carrot Salad is so refreshing and delicious! Its beautiful colors will add a festive flair to your Thanksgiving table.

This vegan, sweet-and-savory dish from Naples is one of my absolute favorites! Even children love it! We have this on Christmas Eve, but it's also the perfect Italian side dish for Thanksgiving.

My family makes the best Italian Green Salad with Homemade Dressing! This is our go-to salad for every occasion.

This is such a festive and delicious option for Thanksgiving. You'll love the refreshing orange vinaigrette!

Refreshing and slightly sweet, this Fall salad goes so well with Thanksgiving fare. You can even add leftover turkey to it and eat it for lunch the next day!

Is it even Thanksgiving without Apple Pie Moonshine?! My hubby's recipe is so easy and tastes incredible. Everybody waits for it!

Use frozen, pitted cherries for this delicious Cherry Amaretto cocktail! It's colorful and festive and puts everyone in a holiday mood!

Coquito is my favorite drink ever! My friend gave me the recipe for this Puerto Rican holiday drink, and if you love coconut, you have to try it!

You need this Chocolate Liqueur to pour over cheesecake, ice cream and add it to coffee for dessert time! Don't miss this recipe that came straight from Italy.

Accented with orange, this Cranberry Pie is so delicious! It's a great way to incorporate cranberries if you're not a fan of cranberry sauce. Serve it with whipped cream!

My favorite cheesecake ever happens to be gluten free! It's become a Thanksgiving tradition for so many Cooking with Mamma C readers. Top it with chocolate liqueur, amaretto or some Italian Strawberries!

After one bite, people will swoon and tell you this is the best carrot cake they've ever had! Might as well get some veggies in with our dessert, right?!

Pizzelle Cookies are perfect for any occasion! Make these with almond extract or traditional anise and enjoy with coffee.

You always need something chocolate for dessert, right? This chocolate pudding pie is ridiculously good and is one of my most popular recipes!

Tiramisu means "pick me up," and we all know we could use that after eating turkey! This is my favorite dessert!

You will never taste a better apple cake, period. I make mine with olive oil (obviously) and this is the most beloved dessert in my family!

This is perfect if you have a small celebration with up to eight people. This pear cake is so easy and really hits the spot!