This is the ultimate guide to the gastronomic pleasures of Maggiano’s Little Italy, so celebrate your taste buds! We have put together a list of the greatest Maggiano’s menu items that are sure to improve your dining experience, ranging from traditional Italian classics to modern surprises. Savor the mouthwatering flavors of their specialty pasta meals, which are skillfully prepared using only the best ingredients. Our selection includes options for every taste, whether you enjoy savory classics like Chicken Parmesan or are in the mood for a more contemporary dish like Pesto Perlini Mozzarella. Come along on a culinary adventure with us as we investigate the must-try meals to make sure your next visit to Maggiano’s is a harmonious blend of mouthwatering flavors and remarkable experiences. Prepare to taste the very best that Italian food has to offer!
Tomato, Balsamic & Garlic Bruschetta
Bruschetta is a light and refreshing appetizer that delivers a decadent combination of flavors. The tomato, balsamic, and garlic bruschetta at Maggiano’s Little Italy strikes the perfect balance between the sweet, juicy tomatoes and the savory flavor of the balsamic drizzle. The garlic is roasted until wonderfully aromatic and seeps into the crunchy bread. I loved this dish as a start to my meal. My biggest complaint is that they don’t give you enough! An order comes with a few small pieces, but I could eat a truckload of their bruschetta.
Lasagna
Since this is an Italian restaurant, I had to try their lasagna. On the menu, it is called ‘Mom’s Lasagna’, and tastes like it was made with the maternal love and care one would expect. The layers of ricotta are generous, creamy, and perfectly seasoned. You can taste the presence of parmesan cheese mixed in with the ricotta, making the flavor even cheesier and saltier. The meat filling combines crumbled meatballs, sausage, and a thick marinara sauce to soak everything with flavor. The lasagna comes with four layers perfectly balanced and evenly dispersed. You’ll get a sturdy square of the baked pasta, rather than a sloppy mess. The garlic flavor comes through just enough, giving the dish a warm and comforting feeling, perfect for the middle of winter when you want something hearty to warm your belly.
Maggiano’s Rigatoni D
Maggiano’s Little Italy has a stellar rigatoni dish that comes with chicken, mushrooms, onions, and a delicious Marsala cream sauce. Everything about this dish is perfect. The pasta is cooked al dente and covered with caramelized onions that bring a strong and slightly sweet flavor to the dish. For me, the star of this rigatoni was the herb-roasted chicken. It had a beautiful amalgamation of Italian flavors, hitting all the right spots with my tastebuds. The chicken is juicy and fresh with the right amount of sear on the outside, balancing out the richness of the pasta perfectly.
Chicken Spinach Manicotti
As much as I love a sweet marinara sauce, nothing beats a rich cream sauce. The Italians certainly know what they’re with sauces like these. The chicken spinach manicotti was one of my favorite menu items. It’s hard to imagine the dish without the delectable sauteed spinach that brings a lightness to the heavy cream sauce. The sauce uses Asiago and three other Italian kinds of cheese to create a thick sauce that coats every inch of your pasta and chicken. The chicken spinach manicotti is one of those dishes that makes you actively refrain from licking the plate clean because the sauce is just that good.
Mushroom Ravioli
Who doesn’t love a good ravioli? One of my favorite kinds of ravioli is mushroom, because why stick with traditional cheese ravioli when the options are practically endless? Maggiano’s Little Italy’s mushroom ravioli are large and stuffed with a variety of minced mushrooms and cheese. These ravioli are rather special, as they combine the deep, earthy taste of mushrooms with the chewiness of pasta and the decadence of an Alfredo sauce. I think this dish would work beautifully with their tasty marinara, but using Alfredo was a stroke of genius as it rounds out the dish perfectly.
Spaghetti with Marinara
From the ‘Classics’ section of their menu, Maggiano’s Little Italy has a simple spaghetti plate, offered with marinara or meat sauce. As I’ve mentioned, their marinara is a wonderful combination of fresh, juicy tomatoes, roasted garlic, and has a slight sweetness. That’s the sauce I chose to go with their spaghetti, and I wasn’t disappointed. While some of the plates at Maggiano’s Little Italy are small, their spaghetti plate is not. They give you a massive pile of long strands of spaghetti that gets your tummy rumbling immediately. Everything was piping hot and generously served. A sprinkle of parmesan and red pepper flakes if you like heat as much as I do, and this is a cozy and inviting dish. It’s also big enough to share, so if you have a child who is a little picky about their Italian food, you can split it with them. After all, what kid doesn’t love spaghetti?
Lighter Take Shrimp Fra Diavolo
If you’re looking for something a bit lighter for dinner, the shrimp Fra Diavlo is an excellent dish that’s rich in flavor but low in calories. The Fra Diavlo is in the seafood section but is the simplest dish under this heading. The shrimp are lightly pan-seared, so they’re still juicy and plump when they are drenched in the Diavlo sauce. Mixed with linguine pasta is roasted garlic and pulp diced tomatoes to add some color and freshness to the dish. I squeezed a bit of lemon over the shrimp, and I think it brought out the seasoning and made the sauce more vibrant.
Cup of Manhattan Clam Chowder
Manhattan clam chowder is a great soup, but I’m going to be upfront and tell you I would always choose New England clam chowder over Manhattan. With that said, Maggiano’s Little Italy makes a great cup of Manhattan chowder. When I have Manhattan clam chowders, I often feel they are overly acidic and don’t do the clams justice as the cream-based New England chowder does. However, I enjoyed the chowder at Maggiano’s Little Italy. The cup was a generous serving, and the soup was extra hot, which is always important. It was also stuffed with tasty clams and a rich garlic taste that was unexpected but quite pleasant. If there was ever a Manhattan clam chowder that could compete with my New England favorite, this would be it.
Eggplant Parmesan
I love eggplant parmesan, and Maggiano’s Little Italy has an exceptional version of this dish. They use provolone cheese which reduces the salt in the dish and makes it taste more homey and comforting. The provolone melts perfectly between the layers of eggplant, making for a gooey and delicious taste in every bite. Topped with a savory tomato ragu and served beside a heap of spaghetti Aglio Olio, it’s hard to find something to complain about with this plate. But I will praise the heck out of their eggplant breading. If you’ve ever undercooked eggplant, you know it can leave a bad taste in your mouth! It’s also very easy to burn a dish like this when frying in hot oil. But, Maggiano’s Little Italy nails its eggplant on every level. The breading is thick and full of Italian seasonings like basil, oregano, and more. The eggplant is super soft and squishy when you cut into it – just how it should be!
Lobster Carbonara
I am in love with lobster, so if you love seafood the way I do, you have to try Maggiano’s Little Italy lobster Carbonara. It comes with fat, juicy pieces of lobster claws and tails that you can see, so you know you’re getting the good stuff. Carbonara is made with spaghetti, and for those of you that aren’t familiar with the dish, it’s a cheese and egg-based sauce flavored with pepper. To add to the luxury of this dish, there is smoked bacon, sugar snap peas, and a truffle cream sauce that left me at a loss for words. Once again, hard to find something to complain about here other than that I want two extra servings.