7 Traditional Italian Easter Dishes
Easter is coming and we have to think about the delicious dishes of traditional Italian cuisine. In Italy, the traditional Easter dishes are not lacking and, from year to year, from generation to generation, are handed down and re-proposed, often with some variations.
In this article we have selected the top 7 traditional Italian Easter dishes to tell you about the Italian food tradition and bring you the genuineness of the Italian cuisine.
1. CASATIELLO (NEAPOLITAN CASATIELLO)
The Casatiello Napoletano (Easter Bread from Naples) is a bakery product of the Neapolitan culinary tradition, with ancient origins. With its filling rich in cheese and sausages, it was a special dish, which was prepared only during celebrations, required a long leavening and was cooked in a wood-fired oven. Over time it has become one of the symbolic dishes of Easter Week in Campania region. Discover the recipe here.
2. TORTA PASQUALINA (ITALIAN EASTER PIE)
The Torta Pasqualina (Italian Pasqualina Easter Pie) comes directly from the ancient Ligurian culinary tradition. This rustic cake is easy to prepare and is usually cooked for Easter. We know that the recipe for this savory pie dates back to the Middle Ages, although the first mention is from the Sixteenth Century, by Ortensio Lando, who calls it “gattafura”. According to tradition, the Ligurian women were able to prepare and overlap one another up to 33 sheets, one for each year of Jesus, just to associate the kitchen with the religious sentiment that marks Easter. Discover the recipe here.
3. PASTIERA (NEAPOLITAN EASTER CAKE)
Pastiera is a typical Neapolitan cake, one of the most loved both in Italy and abroad. There are many versions of this delicious cake, but the most famous is definitely the Neapolitan one. The pastry is crumbly and elastic and the cream inside is a perfect balance of sweetness and aromas; indeed for the preparation of the Neapolitan Pastiera you always need lemon and orange peel, and a pinch of cinnamon. Discover the recipe here.
The Casatiello Dolce (Sweet Casatiello) is a cake symbol of the Easter tradition together with the Neapolitan pastiera. It has the same name of Casatiello Napoletano but it’s a totally different dish. Nothing to do with the beloved and well-known salted casatiello, the dough is completely different. It is in fact prepared with mother yeast or, as they say in Naples, ‘o criscit. The Sweet Casatiello is a cake with a very complex flavor: one loves it or hates it, there are no means. Discover the recipe here.
5. BAKED LAMB
The most devoted to traditions will not fail to bring to the Easter table a typical dish based on lamb. The lamb carries with it suggestions and Christian symbols that are still alive and honored. Its unique taste with wild notes makes it much loved among Easter second courses, for this reason it is the protagonist of many regional recipes. With baked lamb with potatoes we want to celebrate this typical preparation with a simple and rustic recipe, affordable for everyone. Discover the recipe here.
6. ERBAZZONE
The Erbazzone (also known as Scarpazzone) is a savory pie typical of Emilia Romagna, more specifically of Reggio Emilia. It is composed of two discs of puff pastry stuffed with chard (sometimes mixed with spinach), eggs, onion, bacon and Parmigiano Reggiano. Discover the recipe here.
Cassata is one of the symbols of Sicilian pastry, together with Cannoli, and one of the most popular and well-known desserts in the World. It is a rich, irresistible sweet that tells centuries of history. The first version of Sicilian Cassata is baked, with a pastry enriched with sweetened ricotta. The present day version, with a base of sponge cake, ricotta cream, chocolate drops, royal dough (marzipan), icing and candied fruit, will only be established from the end of the 19th Century. Discover the recipe here.
