Christmas lunch in Italy 🇮🇹
An Italian Christmas lunch is a multi-course feast featuring regional specialties, often starting with antipasti and first courses like baked pasta or tortellini in broth, followed by a main meat dish and sides, and ending with regional sweets and panettone.
While Christmas Eve might focus on seafood, Christmas Day is typically a meat-centric celebration that can last for many hours.
Typical courses and dishes
Antipasti (Appetizers): A selection of cured meats, cheeses, olives, and artichokes is common.
Primo (First Course): This varies by region and can include
Northern Italy: Lasagne Bolognese or filled pastas like ravioli.
Central and Southern Italy: Baked pasta dishes, cannelloni, or stracciatella soup.
General: Tortellini in broth is a popular choice across many regions.
Secondo (Main Course): The focus shifts to meat, such as
Roasted veal or pork
Braised beef
Sausages
Contorni (Side Dishes): Served alongside the main course, these might include various vegetables or salads, such as puntarelle salad or peppery stuffed peppers.
Dolce (Dessert): The meal concludes with regional sweets and is always accompanied by panettone, a sweet bread. Other common desserts include Struffoli (small fried dough balls in honey) and Panforte (a dense, chewy nougat tart).
Regional variations
Northern Italy: Tends to feature rich meat dishes and filled pasta like ravioli. Dishes like Zampone (pig's trotter stuffed with mincemeat) are more common here.
Central and Southern Italy: Seafood dishes like baccalà (salt cod) or zuppa di pesce (fish soup) are more prominent, especially on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day often includes baked pasta and roasted meats.
While Christmas Eve might focus on seafood, Christmas Day is typically a meat-centric celebration that can last for many hours.
Typical courses and dishes
Antipasti (Appetizers): A selection of cured meats, cheeses, olives, and artichokes is common.
Primo (First Course): This varies by region and can include
Northern Italy: Lasagne Bolognese or filled pastas like ravioli.
Central and Southern Italy: Baked pasta dishes, cannelloni, or stracciatella soup.
General: Tortellini in broth is a popular choice across many regions.
Secondo (Main Course): The focus shifts to meat, such as
Roasted veal or pork
Braised beef
Sausages
Contorni (Side Dishes): Served alongside the main course, these might include various vegetables or salads, such as puntarelle salad or peppery stuffed peppers.
Dolce (Dessert): The meal concludes with regional sweets and is always accompanied by panettone, a sweet bread. Other common desserts include Struffoli (small fried dough balls in honey) and Panforte (a dense, chewy nougat tart).
Regional variations
Northern Italy: Tends to feature rich meat dishes and filled pasta like ravioli. Dishes like Zampone (pig's trotter stuffed with mincemeat) are more common here.
Central and Southern Italy: Seafood dishes like baccalà (salt cod) or zuppa di pesce (fish soup) are more prominent, especially on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day often includes baked pasta and roasted meats.
26-30, F
