Fine Old Recipes

The Italian method of celebrating the holidays is to prepare a delightful feast and share it with friends and relatives. As delightful as this does sound, the Italians are very serious about their food and put  a lot of effort into it.

Italians give preference to food when it comes to having a holiday feast. This is because their entire family  takes part in such feasts. They not only expect succulent food, but anticipate several varieties also.

The Easter celebrations have the women preparing food for the big day well in advance.  Most people really look forward to Easter only because of the wonderful food that they get to eat. The summit of Easter celebration is however, the desserts.

Delicious and sweet desserts are the Italian Easter Sunday desserts. They display their festive mood in the partaking of these desserts along with the members of their families, and this is the way they celebrate the event.

Colomba Pasuale or the Easter dove is the most popular of the Italian Easter dessert varieties. Easter dove is a sort of sweet bread made in the shape of a dove. Sweet bread forms an important part in the preparation of the desserts. Candied peel, almond toppings and sugar form the crux of the sweet bread. Different versions of the Easter dove are popular in Italy.

Many people Use the scrumptious Marsala eggnog cream known as Zabaglione to dip their sweet bread into. Others will also use the cream to prepare a zabaglione filled Easter dove. You would see a number of bakers set up stalls on Easter Sunday to sell Pandiramerino, which are actually Rosemary buns, to people  returning from church. The buns used to represent Jesus, and the rosemary stands were the symbolic representations of the scented oils that are believed to have been used to clean his body.

The other Easter special that is supplied is the Italian Easter cake. The preparation of Italian Easter cake witnesses a lot of variations too. Small muffins are prepared by using the same cake mixture. Italian Easter cake is not difficult to prepare since the same ingredients that one uses in the preparation of a normal cake are used here too, except for the addition of   ricotta cheese.

Another item traditionally to be found on the tables during Easter is the Italian Easter cookies. This is also one of the particular items of the season and is much loved by the Italian people.

Cookies are served with colored hard boiled Easter Eggs during the feast of Easter Sunday. They can be decorated with colored sprinkles and jellybeans. A number of variations of Italian Easter pies can be found during the feast, such as the Italian ricotta pie and the Italian rice pie.

Easter bread in Italy is baked fresh and enjoyed along with the main courses on Easter day. If you are interested in making Easter desserts from Italy, follow the links.

Preparation of the Italian Easter Pie forms an important part of the Easter celebration in Italy. Italian families count the days until Easter in anticipation of a treat in the form of this dish. This pie that is specially meant for Easter, is now available on every occasion thanks to it’s popularity.

This recipe is now being served in all parts of the world thanks to the developing of mass communication. Although the pie is known as the Italian Easter pie, it is made available all through the year and you need not be Christian enjoy it.

Primarily an Italian Easter pie is quite like a quiche. It is a savory pie that is filled with eggs, cheese, meat and a whole range of other ingredients. The Easter pie holds a remarkable place in the lives of the Italian Christians. This is because the period prior to Easter Sunday is a period of fasting, and Easter Sunday finally offers them the opportunity to celebrate with something meaty, cheesy and delicious! You can find the Easter pie with many different names, and many variations in its recipes.

The city that brought us pizza boasts its own version of the Easter pie known as Pastiera. The people of Naples are into using ricotta cheese and whole grains in the making of the Easter pie. Pizza Piena is another name that they have given to it, which stands for stuffed pie. Pizza Gain is another name used for the same dish and so is Pizza Rustica and Pizzachino.

The Sicilians use pork, cheese, macaroni and eggs to prepare their Easter pie whereas the Calabrians are into ham, sausages, mozzarella, ricotta and hard cooked eggs. The special type of the Easter pie that is seen in the region of Liguria is known as Pasqualina and is made using spinach, ricotta cheese and eggs.

In the central region of Italy, Easter pie can be found to be more like a bread than like a pie. The same is the case with the regions from Umbria to Marches. Pizza di pasqua and torta di pasqua are the names given to the central Italian Easter pie.

There is no hard and fast rule to the preparation of the Italian pie when it comes to the types and volume of cheese and meat that you can make use of in the making of the pie. You can do that to suit your taste. Semi soft cheese however, seems to work better as it melts into the pie and results in better baking.

Finely grated Parmesan or Romano may be added to provide an additional flavor to the Italian Easter pie. Of course there are several kinds of meat available such as  sausage, pancetta, sopressa and pepperoni.

If using a pie crust is not an area of expertise for you, do not bother. You can buy ready-made pie crusts and have fun making the Italian Easter pie using your favorite meats and cheeses, because your own  creation will probably taste better!

Italian Easter traditions have been part of centuries of Italian history. If you want more information on making Italian Easter pie follow the hyperlinks herein.