Proof Italians Know How to Make Veggies Molto Bellissima!

We appreciate Italians every day for giving us the world’s best pasta recipes, but there’s something else we need to discuss: Italian-style veggies. It’s truly wondrous how simple ingredients like olive oil, Parmesan, and fresh herbs transform staple vegetables from zero to 100. See how it’s done with these mostly healthy (yet totally indulgent) sides.

Arugula Salad With Burrata, Shaved Mushrooms, and Truffle Oil: One forkful of creamy burrata, aromatic truffle oil, and earthy mushrooms with bitter greens, and you'll forget this is even a salad. (via Katie at the Kitchen Door)

Antipasto Skewers: The Italian meats and cheeses tying these veggies together make these skewers as tasty as they are pretty. (via Honey and Birch)

Roman-Style Baked Artichokes: Romans do a lot of things right — like these artichokes baked with olive oil, mint, and garlic until terrifically tender. (via An Italian in My Kitchen)

Easy Balsamic Grilled Vegetables With Goat Cheese: As if you weren't already salivating, these marinated, caramelized veggies are finished off with goat cheese and a balsamic drizzle. (via Neighbor Food)

Easy Skillet Zucchini With Balsamic Reduction: For those of us who avoid turning on the oven at all costs: zucchini that you can get just as crispy and delicious on the stovetop. (via The Mediterranean Dish)

Caponata (Sicilian Eggplant Salad): This sweet and sour relish jazzes up just about anything from toast to fish and chicken. (via No Recipes)

Classic Italian Fried Zucchini Flowers: Cut into these crispy zucchini flowers, and you'll be veeery happy to find oozing mozzarella and salty anchovy. (via Salt and Wind)

Grilled Fennel With Parmesan and Lemon: You know that cool way olive oil and Parmesan make pasta better? They do that to fennel too. (via Skinnytaste)

Roasted Potatoes With Parmesan and Italian Seasoning: Crispy outside, pillowy inside, cheesy on top. 'Nuff said. (via Rasa Malaysia)

Roasted Mushrooms With Tomatoes and Capers: Mushrooms are best brightened in flavor by lemon, parsley, and a perfectly tangy tomato sauce. (via Diethood)

Slow-Cooker Italian Chickpeas: If you like spicy arrabbiata pasta sauce, you'll love the red pepper flakes in this hearty vegan dish. (via Cookin Canuck)

Spaghetti Squash Aglio e Olio With Rainbow Chard: How do you make squash taste just like spaghetti? With a lot of sweet, sweet olive oil. (via Half Baked Harvest)

Roasted Asparagus With Cheesy Tomatoes: The only thing more satisfying than the beauty of this colorful dish is its cheesy crispiness. (via Closet Cooking)

Tusan-Style White Beans: Get your legume fix in the coziest way possible with these white beans, cooked in a light tomato sauce. (via The Hungry Bites)