Italian Dinner Party Menu Generator

Quick answer

Choose a guest count and occasion for a four-course Italian-style menu: starter, main, side and dessert. Each dish scales from its own published serving yield; seasoning without a readable quantity stays unchanged. Portions are planning assumptions, not nutrition or allergy guarantees. Review cheese rennet and all ingredient labels for a vegetarian table.

GuestsOccasion

Sunday dinner · 6 guests

A suggested menu, not a tested catering plan. One published serving per guest per course; original yield ranges use their lower stated number. Check your diners’ appetites, allergens and ingredient labels. For vegetarian guests, choose vegetarian-rennet cheese; some gelatine-based desserts are not vegetarian.

Italian antipasto board with cured meats, olives and cheese on a dark table

Starter

Bruschetta al Pomodoro

Original: 6 servings
20 min · 1.00× ingredients

Main

Lasagna alla Bolognese

Original: 8 servings
3 hr 45 min · 0.75× ingredients

Fresh Italian salad with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil in a rustic bowl

Side

Insalata Caprese

Original: 4 servings
10 min · 1.50× ingredients

Dessert

Vanilla Panna Cotta

Original: 6 servings
4 hr 25 min with chilling · 1.00× ingredients

Shopping list · 6 planned portions

Grouped by dish so ingredient differences remain visible. Combine only genuinely identical items when buying. Pack sizes and equipment capacity do not scale; unknown amounts stay unchanged.

Starter: Bruschetta al Pomodoro

1 loaf country bread, cut into 6 thick slices
1½ lbs ripe tomatoes, diced
2 garlic cloves, halved
10 basil leaves, torn
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Flaky salt and black pepper — unchanged; check amount

Main: Lasagna alla Bolognese

¾ lb ground beef chuck
⅜ lb ground pork
¾ onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery rib, finely diced
¾ cup dry white wine
¾ 28-oz can San Marzano-style tomatoes, crushed
¾ cup whole milk
3 tablespoons butter, ¼ cup flour, 4 cups milk for béchamel
Fresh nutmeg — unchanged; check amount
¾ lb lasagna sheets
1½ cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Olive oil, salt, pepper — unchanged; check amount

Side: Insalata Caprese

4½ large ripe tomatoes
15 oz mozzarella di bufala
1½ bunch basil
Extra-virgin olive oil — unchanged; check amount
Flaky salt and black pepper — unchanged; check amount

Dessert: Vanilla Panna Cotta

3 cups heavy cream
½ cup whole milk
½ cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split, or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2¼ teaspoons powdered gelatin
3 tablespoons cold water
Pinch of salt — unchanged; check amount
2 cups mixed berries plus 2 tablespoons sugar for the sauce

Before everyone arrives

Open each full recipe for its method, temperatures and preparation. Larger batches need more pans and oven space, not multiplied cooking times. USDA advises refrigerating perishables within two hours (one hour above 90°F), keeping cold food at 40°F or below, and reheating leftovers to 165°F.

USDA leftover safety

Ten sauce foundations →