When it comes to Easter Sunday, if you’re eating at the house of any Italian, you can expect two things:
- Italian food
- Traditional easter recipes
Italian Easter dishes have transcended generations, and have become a major pillar of the holiday.
Regardless of all of the different ways that one might enjoy all of their Easter celebrations, one thing’s for sure—a traditional Italian Easter dinner isn’t complete without loads and loads of freshly made Italian food.
Here are some of our favorites, many of which originate directly from Italy itself, and aren’t necessarily the typical easter dish.
Other recipes have more of a modern spin on them, but that’s okay—you will certainly enjoy them regardless.
Roast Beef
When it comes to different kinds of Italian Easter meats, my favorite is always this roast beef.
This roast beef recipe is perfect for any special occasion, but also makes for one of the most traditional Easter recipes you can find. All you have to do is gather some olive oil and a few high quality seasonings, and you’ll be ready to outshine the rest of the Italian table.
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The Best Easy Roast Beef Recipe For Easter Dinner
Description
- 1 bottom round roast
- 1-2 cloves garlic, more garlic if your roast is bigger for a larger group
- 1 tbsp thyme
- 1 tbsp rosemary
- 1-2 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp coarse ground pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Ingredients
- Preheat your oven to 350°.
- Right as your oven preheats, take out your roast and let it sit uncovered on the counter for about a half hour.
- Tie your roast with cooking twine, if need be. After it’s tied, make a slit in the roast and stuff your garlic right inside of it.
- Taking your olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme, rub everything around the roast until the entire surface area is completely covered.
- Put your roast in a cast iron pan or deep baking dish.
- Cook, uncovered, using the following directions:
- 18 minutes/lb for rare
- 20 minutes/lb for medium
- 25 minutes/lb for well done
- Once your roast has reached its desired temperature, remove from the oven and loosely cover with foil.
- Let the roast rest for 10-15 minutes, absorbing all of the juices.
- Untie, slice thin, and enjoy this delicious recipe right from your easter table!
Lemon Bars
This isn’t the most traditional Italian recipe, but adding lemon curd to shortbread dates back to the Renaissance.
This recipe is more or less found on the American Easter table, but has been present in any Italian Easter gathering that I have ever attended.
All it requires is a delicious shortbread base, some homemade lemon curd, and a bit of time to set up. You’re going to love it!
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Easter Lemon Bars
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- A pinch of salt
For the Lemon Filling:
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Zest of 2 lemons
- Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×9-inch baking pan.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, softened butter, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt.
- Mix until the dough comes together.
- Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the greased baking pan.
- Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until it’s lightly golden.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together granulated sugar and flour.
- Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition.
- Stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest until the mixture is smooth.
- Pour the lemon filling over the baked crust.
- Bake in the preheated oven for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the edges are set, and the center is slightly firm.
- Let it cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
- Once cooled, refrigerate the lemon bars for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight, to allow them to set.
- Once chilled, cut into squares or bars.
- Dust the tops with powdered sugar before serving.
Easter Asparagus
To me, Easter is all about the asparagus.
Especially this asparagus.
This is the recipe that has been passed down in my Italian family for generations, and is on the table at all of our Easter celebrations.
It has lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, and is served cold. And you will love every bit of it.
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Easy Easter Asparagus Recipe: The Best For Spring
Ingredients
- 1 lb asparagus spears, rinsed and trimmed
- Water for steaming
- 1–2 tbsp olive oil
- 1–2 tbsp lemon juice, depending on how strong you want it to be.
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut off the woody ends on each stalk of asparagus and season with a bit of salt and pepper.
- In a metal steaming basket over a pot or in a frying pan, add a bit of cold water, cover with a lid. and steam your asparagus over low heat until fork tender.
- Once you have fork tender stalks, place your asparagus in a large bowl. Season with more salt and pepper, olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice.
- Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Place your asparagus in the refrigerator for 30 minutes-1 hour, or until ready to serve.
Ricotta Pie
You can’t get any more traditional Italian Easter recipe than a nice, savory pie.
This ricotta pie recipe will be the most popular dish on your dessert table, so be sure to sneak some leftovers for yourself so you can have a sweet treat on Easter Monday.
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The Best Italian Ricotta Pie Recipe: Sweet and Easy
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons ice water
For the Filling:
- 3 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
For the Topping:
- Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
- Candied citrus peel or fresh berries for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a food processor or using an electric mixer, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse a few times to mix.
- Add the cold butter cubes and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg with ice water. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and pulse until the dough comes together.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it gently until it forms a ball.
- Flatten the ball into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- On a floured surface, roll out the chilled dough into a circle large enough to fit a 9-inch pie dish. Transfer the dough to the pie dish and press it into the bottom and sides. Trim any excess dough and crimp the edges.
- In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and flour. Mix until well combined and smooth.
- Pour the creamy ricotta filling into the prepared pie crust, spreading it evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until the filling is set and the crust is golden brown.
- Allow the pie to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
- Dust with powdered sugar over the top of the pie before serving.
- Slice and serve chilled. Enjoy your classic Italian ricotta pie
Pizza Gana
In some regions this could be referred to as Pizza Rustica, Torta al Formaggio, Casatiello Napoletano, Pane di Pasqua, Torta Pasqualina, or anything else along those lines.
Pizza Gana is a savory breakfast style cake made of whole eggs, meat, certain types of cheese, and a bit of milk.
It originates from 17th century Central Italy, and has been enjoyed by many Italians for many years. I’d be willing to bet that even if you aren’t Italian, you’ve tried this dish at least once!
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Homemade Pizza Gana Recipe
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp salt
For the filling:
- 1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 lb ricotta cheese (fresh cheese!)
- 1 lb mozzarella cheese, diced or shredded
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 lb cooked ham, diced
- 1/4 lb prosciutto, chopped
- 1/4 lb salami, chopped (turkey salami is ok too!)
- 6 large eggs
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the Crust, do this:
- In a large bowl, combine flour and salt, then add butter and work it through the flour using fingers or a pastry cutter until the mix looks like coarse crumbs.
- Knead the hand-made dough until it comes together, however, if it’s too dry, you can try to add a little cold water, a tablespoon at a time.
- Once you have a lovely, smooth dough, divide the dough, wrap each half in plastic wrap, and chill it in the fridge for at least an hour.
Tip: You can also use a food processor if you have one!
For the filling, do this:
- To prepare the filling, prepare a skillet over medium heat where you cook the sausage (previously sliced into smaller pieces) in a pan over medium heat until it is thoroughly cooked, then remove it from the heat and drain any extra grease.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. Then mix in the cooked meats like sausage, ham, prosciutto, and salami.
- Beat the 6 eggs and add them to the mixture, where you add parsley, salt, pepper, and mix it well together.
To assemble it all, do this:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Roll out one piece of dough to fit a 9-inch springform pan, ensuring it covers both the bottom and sides before pouring the filling into the crust.
- Roll out the second piece of dough and place it over the filling to create the top crust. Then simply pinch the edges to seal and make small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape – voilá!
Tip: To get a shinier finish, brush the top of the pie with a beaten egg!
Then bake it for 45 minutes to an hour in a pre-heated oven until the crust is golden brown, and the filling is set. Once done, let it cool for at least 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving – enjoy!
Ham
An Easter ham is like a rite of passage, really.
Especially on an Italian dinner table.
A lot of people will do a honey baked ham, or play around with some different fun glazes.
Personally, I like baking mine at 300° in a deep pan with a tiny bit of water, and using 15 minutes per pound of ham as a general rule of thumb.
I cover it with foil for all but the last 20 minutes, and it comes out perfectly every time.
Ham’s also delicious with wine, which is why we made a whole guide to ham and wine pairings.
Have any leftover ham?
Use it to make a delicious ham sandwich.
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The Best Ham and Cheese Sandwich: Step by Step Recipe
Ingredients
1 good sub roll
1 pint of mayo
3 tablespoons of crushed Calabrian chili peppers
3 tablespoons of honey
8 ounces of deli ham sliced very thin
2 ounces of provolone cheese sliced thin
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
3 slices of tomato
4–5 dill pickle chips
Salt, pepper and olive oil
Instructions
- Split sub roll into 2 halves
- Mix mayo, Calabrian chili peppers and honey together to make spicy aioli
- Spread spicy aioli on both sides of sub roll
- Add cheese to bottom half of roll
- Place ham on top of cheese
- Now place lettuce, tomato and pickles on in that order
- Season with salt and pepper
- Drizzle with olive oil
- Enjoy!
Cold Cut Platter
Get lost in other tasks and forget to make a dish to bring to Easter Sunday dinner?
Been there.
Luckily, this Italian Cold Cut Platter will save the day.
It’s traditional, can be an appetizer or main dish, and is loved by just about everyone.
Sausage Peppers And Onions
One traditional Italian combination that has never steered me wrong, especially when it comes to Easter dinner, is sausages, peppers, and onions.
They are just so versatile.
They work well in a sandwich, but also are fabulous as a standalone dish.
This can be a main course, or it can be a side dish.
Regardless, everyone will be fighting over this dinner. Italian families LOVE their sausage peppers and onions.
Here’s how you can make the best Italian sausage!
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Air Fryer Sausage
Ingredients
4 Italian sausages
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 Spanish onion or yellow onion
Kosher salt to taste
Olive oil to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Take your peppers and onions and cut them into one inch strips with a sharp knife.
- Toss your vegetables in olive oil and season them with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350 °F degrees for about 3 minutes.
- Now add the seasoned peppers and onions to the air fryer basket and cook them for about 12-15 minutes. The cooking time of this step will depend on how you like your veggies cooked. Give them a toss after about 7 minutes.
- Remove the peppers and onions from the air fryer basket and set them aside on a plate.
- Increase the temperature of the air fryer to 400 °F degrees.
- Grab your uncooked sausages and place them in a single layer in the basket. The cooking time on this step will depend on the size of the sausages you use. The bigger the thickness of the sausage, the more time in the air fryer. Adjust the time based on the size of the sausage links.
- For standard Italian sausages, cook for at least 12 minutes, and make sure you flip them at the halfway point.
- According to the USDA, the internal temperature of the sausage should be 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a digital meat thermometer to check them out if you want.
- When the sausages are done add them to the plate of peppers and onions.
Minestrone Soup
I’m not sure about your family, but in mine, we start every single holiday meal off with a nice delicious soup.
And Easter is no exception.
This minestrone soup has the most delicious flavor, and will be a hit on your table come Easter day.
Bonus points if you make this with homemade pasta!
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Best Authentic Italian Minestrone Soup Recipe | Classic
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large Onion, finely chopped
- 2 Carrots, diced
- 2 Celery stalks, diced
- 3 Garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Zucchini, chopped
- 1 cup Green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 can Canned diced tomatoes (14 oz)
- 2 tbsp Tomato paste
- 6 cups Vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 can Red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (15 oz)
- 1 can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (15 oz)
- 1 cup Small pasta shape like ditalini, macaroni, or small shells
- 1 tsp Dried Italian seasoning (basil, oregano, thyme)
- 2 Bay leaves
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cups Fresh spinach or kale, chopped
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
- Optional: Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- To achieve this robust flavor balance, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once hot and boiling over medium-high heat, add the onion, carrots, and celery; sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Then, throw in the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for another minute or until it releases its aroma.
- Once everything is mixed and soft, mix zucchini and green beans into the mix and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.
- Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, kidney beans, cannellini beans, pasta, Italian herbs, bay leaf, salt, and pepper – bring it to a boil, but then reduce it again to low heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes. You will notice the vegetables and pasta are tender when it’s ready.
- Lastly, stir spinach or kale into the mixture during the last few minutes of cooking. It’ll be ready once it’s wilted.
That’s it! Before serving the soup hot, garnish it with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley on top – enjoy!
Sauteed Green Beans
What’s a main course without the vegetables?
In my opinion, a meal is only as good as its veggies.
I know this is an unpopular take, but vegetables are just so delicious.
If the greens are good, the whole meal’s good.
Here’s our recipe for delicious green beans. You can buy them fresh or cook them from frozen, and they’ll be amazing regardless.
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Sauteed Frozen Green Beans
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
1 lb bag of frozen green beans
1 cup of cubed pancetta
½ an onion sliced thin
3 garlic cloves chopped fine
14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes or tomato sauce
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat olive oil on medium heat and add pancetta cubes.
- Allow the pancetta to become crisp, which should be about 5 minutes.
- Add the sliced onion to the same pan as the pancetta and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add garlic to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Allow the garlic to brown for about 5 minutes.
- Add the frozen green beans to the pan and turn up the stove to medium-high heat. Toss the green beans into the onions and garlic and allow to cook for about 5 more minutes or until green beans defrost
- Add the tomatoes to the pan and season again with salt and pepper. Let everything cook together for about 10 minutes. During the last 2 minutes add half of the parmesan cheese.
- Transfer the contents of the pan to a plate and finish with more grated parmesan cheese.
- Enjoy!
- Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Baked Brie Charcuterie Boards
When it comes to Easter appetizers, charcuterie boards will be your best friend.
They’re delicious, relatively easy to prepare, and can feed an entire crowd.
If you want my opinion, though, the best kind of cheese on a charcuterie board is hands down the baked brie.
Here’s how to throw together the perfect combination!
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Baked Brie Charcuterie Board | Go-To Sweet Cheese Platter
Description
This is not just a treat for cheese enthusiasts! It’s great for any major holiday or holiday season or as a perfect appetizer to a course at a dinner party – no one will be disappointed at your holiday charcuterie board, promise!
Ingredients
Here’s what ingredients you need for the baked brie:
- 1 large wheel of classic french Brie cheese
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- Optional toppings: chopped nuts (like pecans or walnuts), dried cranberries, a sprinkle of cinnamon or fresh thyme
Cheese Platter Ingredients:
- Variety of cheeses like Camembert, Blueberry vanilla goat cheese, Gouda, Truffle moliterno cheese, artisanal cheese, or a mild blue cheese (any of your favorite cheeses!)
- Assorted fresh fruits and dried fruit like grapes, sliced pears, smashed blackberry, and berries
- Fresh fruit or dried fruits such as figs & orange, grapes, cherries, apricots, and dates
- Sweet spreads like fig jam, raspberry preserves, strawberry jam, or apple butter
- Meat and cold cuts like prosciutto, Salamai, Soppressata, smoked turkey or chicken, smoked salmon
- Nuts like almonds, candied walnuts, or spiced pecans
- Variety of crackers and slices of artisanal bread
- Dark chocolate pieces or truffles
- Pickles
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Take your brie wheel and place it on a sheet pan lined with a parchment paper – scoring the top lightly in a criss-cross pattern to make serving easier before continuing.
- Drizzle some honey or maple syrup over your brie and sprinkle with your choice of chopped nuts, dried cranberries, cinnamon, and thyme over it – this will give it a nice touch and add a twist.
- Bake your sweet brie for about 10-15 minutes – by the time it’s done it should be lightly soft and gooey, just be careful not to overbake it so it won’t become runny.
- Once it’s baked, transfer it carefully to the center of a large wooden board or platter – then arrange the other cheeses (if desired) around it.
- Now add the fresh and dried fruits around the board, as well as some small bowls with nut clusters – fill some of the spaces with sweet crackers, bread slices, cold cuts like prosciutto or salami, as well as some smaller bowls or jars of sweet spreads like fig ham or apple butter.
- Scatter dark chocolate pisces of truffles for a more luxurious finish – with this, also garnish with a few sprigs of fresh herbs to give it a hint of freshness.
Try this warm brie cheese board and let us know below how you liked it!
Pan con L’uva
If you want something sweeter to add to your table that isn’t necessarily a dessert, isn’t part of your main courses, but is still quite delicious, try out this Pan con L’uva.
The subtle sweetness from the grapes makes this a popular choice for an Easter snack among Italian families.
There are many ways to make this classic Italian recipe, but this one’s our favorite.
Here’s how we make it!
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Pan con L’Uva | Pane All’uva | Bread with Grapes
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 500 grams (4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 10 grams (2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 250 ml (1 cup) warm water
- 50 grams (1/4 cup) sugar
- 500 grams (3 cups) red or black grapes, washed and dried
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
- A pinch of salt
- Optional: 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Optional: Zest of 1 lemon
Alternative Ingredients:
- Flour – Whole wheat flour, gluten-free flour blend
- Yeast – Instant yeast, baking powder, baking soda and acid like buttermilk, sourdough starter, beer, self-rising flour
- Sweeteners – Honey, maple syrup, brown sugar
- Oil – Butter, margarine
- Fruits – Mix of red, black, and green grapes, raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dried gifs, walnuts, almonds, pine nuts
- Toppings – Demerara sugar, icing sugar, powdered sugar, stevia, fresh rosemary
Instructions
Step 1: Take a large bowl and dissolve the yeast in warm water and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes until the dissolved yeast becomes frothy – then add the flour, sugar, olive oil, and salt to the yeast mixture – mix until you have a dough formed using either your hands, a hand mixer with a dough hook, or a food processor.
Step 2: Knead the sticky dough on the surface with a little flour for about 10 minutes until it’s smooth and elastic – you want it to be elastic and not super sticky.
Step 3: Take a medium bowl and grease it with olive oil, then place the dough into it and cover it with a cloth – let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, it needs to double in size.
Step 4: While it’s rising, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
Step 5: Once the dough has risen and doubled in size, take it again and punch it down before placing it on a lightly floured surface – then roll it out into a large rectangular shape.
Step 6: Spread half of the grapes over the dough, then sprinkle half of the sugar (and cinnamon or lemon zest if you’re using it) over it as well – roll up the dough along the long side, enclosing the grapes.
Tip: If you want to save time, you don’t have to do anything else to the dough. However, if you want to braid it, you will want to give it a braided look, take a sharp knife and make the cuts from right and left to the middle until you have a braided look.
Step 7: Place the rolled dough on a rectangular baking pan or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and put the remaining grapes on top of the dough – press it lightly into the dough, so it’ll stick. If you have any leftover dough, wrap plastic wrap around it and place it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
Tip: Sprinkle rosemary or other herbs to garnish your bread.
Step 8: Bake the bread dough in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes – you want it to be golden brown and hollow when you tap it (that’s how you know it’s ready!)Once done, take it out of the oven and let it cool off at room temperature on a wire rack before you cut into it while it’s still warm to enjoy – even better, enjoy it with a glass of Italian wine or a cup of coffee.
Other Italian Easter Recipes:
Besides the ones listed above, there are plenty of other delicious and traditional Italian Easter recipes.
Let’s have a look at what they are!
- Chocolate Eggs: a famous and classic Italian Easter dessert that’s enjoyed by the whole family—not just the little ones!
- Crescia di Pasqua: A little different from pizza gana, crescia di pasqua is an Italian Easter bread mainly comprised of cheese. It’s distinctively made with a dome shape, and symbolizes the resurrection.
- Abbacchio alla Romana: A traditional Roman Easter dish, Abbacchio alla Romana is a succulent lamb preparation. This tender lamb is a staple on Roman Easter tables.
- Pastiera Napoletana: This classic Easter dessert hails from Naples, and is a take on the ever so popular ricotta pie.
- Colomba Pasquale: Directly translating to Easter Dove, this is a classic Easter cake that takes on the shape of a dove. It’s traditionally decorated with candied fruits, almonds, and can sometimes be found with a sugary glaze.
- Minestra Maritata: A.K.A. Italian wedding soup is a wonderful combination of flavors that typically feature meatballs, pasta, and some type of leafy green. I love making this with fresh escarole!
1 thought on “Traditional Italian Easter Foods And Recipes To Try”
Awesome read and wonderful recipes !! Thanks for sharing !