There’s something absolutely perfect about a red sauce restaurant: The checkered tablecloths, the enormous portions, decor that hasn’t changed since 1973, the fact that the room is full of regulars. It’s so perfect, in fact, that you can expect to find a similar kind of experience walking into any joint, no matter where you are in America. (Read up on all of our favorites here.)

But sometimes, you just want to bring that vibe—that “muzzadelle feeling,” as author Emma Straub describes it—home, and not just because of leftovers. From buttery, lemony chicken piccata to cheese-stuffed shells drenched in marinara, we’ve got 14 iconic Italian-American classics to satisfy that need.