Easter is a time for celebration, family gatherings, and, of course, delicious food. As an Italian-American family, we have always blended traditional recipes into our modern celebrations. And now we want you to be able to do the same so we are sharing our best Easter meal ideas with you!
Regardless of the celebration, we always greet our guests with drinks and antipasto platters before moving on to the main event (usually built around meat in our house!) and something sweet to finish it all. There is usually an Italian twist to every meal we prepare, but Easter has us returning to two classic Italian dishes: roast lamb and Easter Pie.
Traditionally, lamb is served across Italy as a part of religious Easter celebrations. Both Mike and I grew up eating lamb stuffed with garlic cloves, coated in rosemary and dipped in mint jelly for all special occassions, not just for Easter. And now with our own family, we have found ourselves incorporating lamb into our family holidays – even Thanksgiving! As a part of our perfect Easter meal, we have shared a recipe from Giada DeLaurentis because she always adds a delicious modern take on traditional preparations.
Easter Pie has a special place in our Easter traditions. Mike’s mom, Vincentia D’Amato, fondly known as “Toots”, made these pies well into her late 90s. In her final years, she enlisted her daughters and other family members to help stir the pounds of cheeses, cured meats, and eggs that she lovingly poured into pie crusts for neighbors, grandchildren, and friends. Whenever we traveled to New York in the spring, we knew Toots’ Easter Pies would be waiting for us after a long flight from Seattle. Although Easter Pies were born from the need to use up all the last pieces of meats and cheese, they are now a staple for Italian-American families, including our own.
Below, we have compiled a few of our favorite and best Easter meal ideas so you can incorporate a taste of Italy in your own holiday spread.
Our Italian-American Easter Recipes
Wine
We love something bubbly to pair with our holiday meals and nothing is better than Lini’s Lambrusco Riserva. Perfect to sip before and throughout your Easter feast.
Shop your bottle here: Lini 910’s Lambrusco
Antipasto Platter
Start your Easter feast with an antipasto platter featuring a selection of Italian cured meats, like prosciutto, salami, and coppa, paired with marinated olives, roasted peppers, and artichoke hearts.
Pair the salty meats with various spreads. Spring has us in the mood for apricot jam, fig marmalade, and, our new favorite, acacia honey. We also love surprising our family with a little something sweet -sometimes tucking in anisetti biscuits, pistachio cream, or small chocolates.
Our Family Easter Pie Recipe
Our family favorite and a staple on Italian-American tables is the famous Easter Pie. Toots would make hers every year and we continue the tradition today in her honor. As all Nonnas do, this recipe includes estimates and vague instructions like “add milk until it is the right consistency” and “cook until done”. Use some intuition with this one. We promise you cannot go wrong baking meat and cheese in a pie shell!
| Ingredients | Directions |
| 2 frozen pie shells 1 pound of ricotta cheese 9 ounces of fresh mozzarella 1/4 pound ham 1/4 pound provolone 1/4 pound salami 2 hard boiled eggs 2 eggs 1 cup grated parmigiano Whole milk Fresh parsley Salt and pepper to taste | Preheat oven to 350 degrees Chop all meats and cheeses into small pieces Mix all ingredients into a bowl and add milk until the filling is the right consistency Pour mixture into pie shells Add some milk and grated parmigiano cheese to the top Cover with foil and bake until golden brown or about one hour Finish with fresh parsley on top Season with pepper as needed (Remember to rely on your intuition just like our Italian Nonnas – add some more cheese, add some more meat, add some more milk until it just feels right!) |
Roast Lamb
In Italy, roast lamb is a quintessential Easter dish and one we have served for as long as I can remember. We often rely on Giada DeLaurentis for inspiration because of the twists she add to traditional preparations. Check out this lamb recipe that incorporates the sweetness of raisins alongside the typical garlic and rosemary spices.
Recipe: Italian Springtime Lamb – Giadzy
Easter Bread
No Italian Easter celebration is complete without Easter bread, or “pane di Pasqua.” Infused with flavors of citrus, anise, and aromatic spices, this traditional bread is a symbol of rebirth and renewal. Delicious way to end your meal!
This Easter, celebrate the richness of Italian-American culinary traditions with a feast that honors the past while embracing the present. Share your best Easter meal ideas below, I’d love to see how you incorporate your passion for Italy into this holiday celebration. Buona Pasqua!