6 top keto Italian food recipes

If you want to eat traditional Italian food, you can’t go wrong with any of the following: pasta, pizza, lasagna, or meatballs. Unfortunately, many of the tastiest dishes contain a lot of sugar, flour, or starchy ingredients. If you’re following a ketogenic diet, this may knock you out of ketosis!

However, in reality, you can prepare a complete Italian supper that tastes authentic and aids in your weight loss goals with a few easy ingredient swaps and keto-friendly recipes. Here we’ll have a look at just a few of them, and you can check which foods are keto here. Buon appetito!

Chicken parmesan 

Ingredients: 

✔ 3 medium chicken breasts 
✔ Salt and pepper 
✔ 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 
✔ 2.5 ounces bread crumbs
✔ ¼ cup flaxseed meal 
✔ ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese 
✔ 1 tsp oregano 
✔ ¼ tsp red pepper flakes 
✔ ½ tsp garlic powder 
✔ 2 tsp paprika 
✔ 1 large egg 
✔ 1 ½ tsp chicken broth 
✔ ¼ cup olive oil 
✔ 1 cup tomato sauce 
✔ ½ tsp garlic 
✔ 1 cup Rao’s Tomato Sauce 

Preparation: 

1. Grind the spices, parmesan cheese, flaxseed meal, and bread crumbs in a food processor. 
2. Cut chicken breasts in half or thirds and shape them into cutlets by pounding them. 
3. Crack an egg and combine it with 1 ½ teaspoon of chicken broth in a separate bowl from the coating.
4. Place all sauce components in a pot and stir to mix. 
5. While cooking the chicken, let the sauce simmer for at least 20 minutes. 
6. Dip each chicken cutlet into the egg mixture, then into the coating mixture, bread them on a piece of foil, and set aside.
7. Fry the pieces of chicken two at a time in a skillet heated with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. 8. Arrange the chicken pieces in a casserole dish, fill it with sauce, and top with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.  
9. Bake for 10 minutes at 400°F or until the cheese is nicely melted. 
10. Place some broccoli and olives on the side before serving. 
11. There are 6 portions of Chicken Parmesan in this recipe. 

Nutrition (per serving):

Italian meatballs 

Ingredients: 

✔ 2 tbsp olive oil 
✔ 1 small finely chopped onion 
✔ 3 minced garlic cloves  
✔ 1 cup Italian-style panko bread crumbs  
✔ 2 large eggs  
✔ ½ cup grated parmesan cheese 
✔ ½ cup minced fresh parsley 
✔ ¼ cup water  
✔ ¼ cup minced fresh basil 
✔ 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
✔ 4 cups spaghetti sauce 
✔ ½ pound ground veal 
✔ ½ pound ground pork 
✔ 1 pound ground beef 
✔ ½ tsp pepper and salt  
✔ Minced fresh parsley 

Preparation: 

1. Set oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Oil should be heated in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic;  simmer for 5 to 9 minutes or until the onion is soft and golden brown.  
3. Cool a little. 
4. Combine the bread crumbs, eggs, cheese, parsley, basil, water, Worcestershire sauce,  salt, and pepper in a large basin.  
5. Add the ground meats and stir well but gently.  
6. Form into 1-inch balls.  
7. Place in shallow baking pans on oiled racks.  
8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden. 
9. Insert a 4- or 5-qt—slow cooker with the meatballs inside. Over the top, pour spaghetti sauce.  
10. Cook the meatballs on low, covered, for 3 to 4 hours or until thoroughly heated.  11. Serve with finely chopped parsley. 

Nutrition (one meatball): 

Italian roast 

Ingredients: 

✔ 1 beef rump roast or bottom round roast (3 pounds) 
✔ ½ tsp salt 
✔ ½ tsp garlic powder 
✔ ¼ teaspoon pepper 
✔ 1 jar of sliced mushrooms, drained 
✔ 1 medium onion, diced 
✔ 1 jar spaghetti sauce 
✔ ½ cup beef broth 
✔ Hot cooked pasta 

Preparation: 

1. Rub the roast with a mixture of salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  
2. In a 5-qt. slow cooker, add onions and mushrooms to the top.  
3. Pour the spaghetti sauce and beef broth into a bowl and top with the meat and vegetables. 
4. Cook the beef on low for 8 to 10 hours, covered, or until it is soft. 
5. Serve spaghetti and pan juices with the sliced roast. 

Nutrition (4 ounces of cooked beef): 

Chicken piccata 

Ingredients:

✔ 4 skinless and boneless chicken thighs 
✔ Salt and pepper 
✔ ¼ cup olive oil 
✔ 1½ sticks butter 
✔ ¼ cup white wine 
✔ ¼ cup lemon juice 
✔ ½ cup chicken stock 
✔ ¼ cup brined capers 
✔ ¼ cup heavy cream 
✔ ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped 

Preparation: 

1. Liberally sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. 
2. In a pan over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and olive oil.  
3. Add the chicken to the pan when it begins to sizzle, and cook for about 5 minutes on each side. Take out and place on a plate. 
4. Pour in the white wine and allow it to reduce by half. Stock, capers, and lemon juice should all be added to the pan.  
5. Return the chicken to the pan and cook for 5 minutes after bringing it to a boil. Scrape any browned pieces from the bottom of the pan.  
6. Transfer the chicken to the dish with the pan still on the burner.  
7. Add the remaining butter and heavy cream for whisking.  
8. Pour the sauce over the chicken after adding another pinch of salt and pepper to taste. 9. Parsley is used as a garnish.

Nutrition (per chicken thigh): 

Eggplant lasagna 

Ingredients: 

✔ 1 eggplant, sliced thinly into 8-12 slices 
✔ 2 tsp salt  
✔ 6 tbsp olive oil 
✔ 1 pound ground Italian sausage  
✔ 2 cups ricotta cheese 
✔ 2 cups marinara sauce 
✔ 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 
✔ 2 cups grated parmesan cheese 

Preparation: 

1. Place the slices of eggplant on a chopping board or other flat surface and season with the 2 teaspoons of salt.  
2. To remove the eggplant’s moisture, wait 20 to 30 minutes.  
3. As you wait, heat the oven to 400 degrees. Paper towels can be used to dry the eggplant. 
4. Rub the eggplant with olive oil to coat both sides evenly.
5. Lay the eggplant on a sheet pan that has been greased or sprayed, and roast until tender, about 10  minutes. 
6. Cook the Italian sausage for 10 to 12 minutes over medium heat in a skillet while the eggplant roasts. Juices or extra fat should be discarded.  
7. Decrease the oven temperature to 375°F. 
8. Combine the ricotta cheese and Italian sausage in a bowl. Combine the mozzarella and  Parmesan cheeses in a separate bowl. 
9. Use pan spray to coat a 9x13-inch baking dish. Half a cup of marinara sauce should be added to the pan’s bottom.  
10. If necessary, chop the eggplant pieces in half to fit them more evenly.  
11. Next, pour one-fourth of the sausage and ricotta cheese mixture over the eggplant slices, followed by one-fourth of the mozzarella/Parmesan mixture.  
12. Repeat this process until the baking dish is full, capping it off with mozzarella/Parmesan. 13. Bake the lasagna for 30 to 40 minutes while it is covered in foil.  
14. When the top begins to brown, take the foil off and bake for 10 minutes.
15. Take the lasagna out of the oven, and let it cool for about 20 minutes before serving. 

Nutrition (per piece):

Pesto pasta 

Ingredients: 

✔ 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
✔ 2 tbsp olive oil 
✔ Salt and pepper 
✔ 10 cherry tomatoes 
✔ 2 medium zucchini 
✔ Fresh basil 
✔ ¼ cup walnuts 
✔ 1 clove garlic 
✔ ½ medium lemon, zest, and juice 
✔ ¼ cup grated parmesan 

Preparation: 

1. Turn on the oven to 400°F.  
2. Place the chicken breasts on a baking pan and brush with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.  Salt and freshly cracked black pepper should be added after.
3. Bake for fifteen minutes in the oven.
4. Remove the chicken from the oven and sprinkle more oil over it before adding the tomatoes to the pan.
5. Return the dish to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and gently browned. 
6. In the meantime, make the pesto by combining all the ingredients—aside from the olive oil—in a blender.  
7. Once a paste has formed, add the oil gradually as the blender runs, stopping when the pesto is thoroughly blended and has reached the desired consistency. 
8. To make zucchini spaghetti, spiralize the vegetable or use a vegetable peeler to form zucchini ribbons. 
9. Saute the zucchini in a skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 3 minutes or until it softens. 
10. After removing from the heat, whisk in the pesto. 
11. Put half the pesto zucchini in each bowl before assembling the dish.  
12. Add roasted tomatoes, sliced chicken, and fresh basil to the top. 
13. This makes two servings of pesto chicken pasta.

Nutrition (each serving): 

The bottom line

You can enjoy Italian food while being in ketosis and getting into shape, whether dining out, getting takeaway, cooking at home, or just looking for a fast snack. Make sure you steer clear of bread, fried foods, pasta, risotto, polenta, and sweets. 
As with any keto dinner, it’s important to consider how these foods fit your daily nutritional requirements. This is because what and how much you eat ultimately determines your results. Enjoy!

References: 
1. https://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/140-best-keto-italian-recipes-low-carb/
2. https://ketomillenial.com/keto-italian-dinner-recipes/
3. https://seekinggoodeats.com/italian-recipes-top-10-italian-dishes-low-carb-and-keto/
4. https://yummyketocooking.com/10-italian-recipes-you-can-make-on-a-keto-diet/
5. https://drdavinahseats.com/keto-blog/keto-low-carb-italian-food-recipes
6. https://www.picanos.com/what-italian-foods-can-you-eat-on-a-keto-diet
7. https://thebestketorecipes.com/low-carb-italian-recipes-keto-gluten-free/