There are 11 Italian Christmas Foods that Italians consider as important, if not more, than the Christmas tree and all the decorations per se. Without these, Italian Christmas wouldn’t be the same.
Can you guess the top 3? Don’t worry if you can’t – I’ll be sharing each one, along with why they are so important and how Italian families eat them around the Holidays.
So if you want to learn more about Italian Christmas, or perhaps, add a few Italian foods to your Holidays’ table, you should choose among these dishes. It’s going to get deliciously festive!
Table of Contents
1. Panettone and Pandoro
Panettone is a sweet bread loaf originating in Milan, traditionally filled with candied fruits and raisins.
Pandoro, meaning “golden bread,” is a star-shaped sweet bread from Verona.
Both are quintessential Italian Christmas desserts, found in virtually every Italian home during the holiday season.
They’re only eaten during the Christmas period, typically from early December through Epiphany (January 6th). Italians enjoy these with coffee for breakfast, as a snack, or as dessert, often accompanied by sweet wines or creams.
PANETTONE FUN FACTS:
1. The origins of panettone are shrouded in legend. One popular story attributes its invention to a noble falconer named Ludovico Il Moro, who created it to win the heart of a baker’s daughter.
2. Traditional panettone takes several days to make, involving a complex process of curing the dough.
3. In 2005, Italy set standards that must be met for a cake to be legally marketed as panettone.
4. Panettone has become popular in many countries, with Brazil being the largest consumer outside of Italy.
5. Panettone or Pandoro is the number 1 Christmas food in Italy that all households, no matter the region, enjoy during the holidays.
6. Although, created in Northern Italy, these are as popular in the South.
2. Spumante
Spumante is Italian sparkling wine. Although, technically not a food, t’s a crucial part of Italian Christmas celebrations and on every Italian table, because it’s used for toasts.
Its importance is highlighted by the fact that it’s often sold in gift sets with panettone.
Italians typically enjoy spumante chilled, served in flute glasses, to kick off Christmas meals or at midnight on New Year’s Eve.
3. Lasagna
Lasagna is a layered pasta dish, typically made with ragù (meat sauce), béchamel, and cheese. While enjoyed year-round, it holds a special place as a Christmas lunch staple.
Many families have their own traditional recipes passed down through generations. It’s usually served as a first course during the Christmas Day meal, symbolizing the richness and abundance of the holiday.
4. Antipasti
Antipasti are appetizers that kick off the Italian Christmas meal. This spread typically includes a variety of cured meats (salumi), cheeses, olives, dips, and bread or crackers.
Italians take great pride in preparing elaborate antipasti platters, often featuring local specialties. These are enjoyed as guests arrive and gather, setting a festive and convivial tone for the meal to come.
5. Torte Salate
Torte Salate are savory pies, often homemade or purchased from local bakeries. They can be filled with vegetables, cheeses, or meats. During Christmas, these pies are typically baked and served warm as part of the antipasti or as a starter.
They represent the tradition of homemade, comforting food that’s so central to Italian Christmas celebrations.
Here are three ideas for torte salate:
- From Sicily: Pasta Brisee stuffed with potatoes, stewed broccoli sautéed in EVOO, with black olives, and covered with pecorino cheese. The pie is topped with pastry and baked.
- For fish lovers: Puff pastry pie with salmon, zucchini, cream cheese, and eggs.
- For cheese lovers: Pie pastry stuffed with artichokes, caramelized onions, scamorza cheese, and parmesan.
6. Stuffed Pasta (Tortellini/Ravioli/Cappelletti)
These are various types of filled pasta, each with regional variations. They’re particularly associated with Christmas Eve, when they’re often served in a clear beef broth, especially tortellini and cappelletti.
This light yet satisfying dish is perfect for the evening before the more elaborate Christmas Day feast. The act of making these by hand is often a family tradition, bringing generations together.
CAPPELLETTI ORIGINS
The tradition of eating cappelletti in broth has ancient roots. It seems that as early as the 1100s, it was customary to consume hot, rich, and substantial capon broth on the night of the winter solstice (December 21st), along with pieces of pasta and meat.
7. Salted Cod (Baccalà)
Baccalà is dried, salted cod rehydrated and prepared in various ways. It’s a traditional Christmas Eve dish in many parts of Italy, stemming from the Catholic tradition of abstaining from meat on this day.
Salted cod is a common delicacy of the Feast of the Seven Fishes, where seafood and fish dishes are the main components of Christmas Eve dinner.
While frying is common, it’s also baked, stewed, or made into a spread. Each region has its own preferred preparation method.
Here are three Salted Cod Regional Recipes for inspiration:
- Baccalà alla Vicentina: A Venetian dish from Vicenza, this recipe combines stockfish with onions, anchovies, milk, and aged cheese like Parmesan. The result is a rich, creamy dish that showcases the delicate flavor of the fish.
- Baccalà alla Triestina: This traditional recipe from Trieste pairs dried cod with potatoes. The dish is flavored with a mixture of anchovies and parsley sautéed in oil, creating a tasty second course that balances the mild fish with savory accompaniments.
- Baccalà alla Livornese: This preparation involves coating pieces of soaked (desalted) cod in flour and frying them in olive oil. The fried fish is then simmered in a tomato sauce flavored with garlic and sage. To finish, the dish is sprinkled with parsley, adding a fresh note to the rich flavors.
BACCALA DIDN’T ORIGINATE IN ITALY!
In 1431, Venetian merchant Pietro Querini shipwrecked in Norway, discovering stockfish – dried cod. He brought this unfamiliar food back to Italy, where it was embraced for its taste and long shelf life. Despite its Nordic origins, stockfish quickly became a staple in Italian cuisine, known as baccalà.
8. Capon
Capon is a castrated rooster, prized for its tender meat and rich flavor. It’s a luxury item often reserved for Christmas Day lunch. It’s typically roasted and can also be stuffed with hams, nuts, cheese, and herbs. The capon symbolizes abundance and is often the centerpiece of the Christmas meal.
9. Cotechino
Cotechino is a large pork sausage, traditionally served with lentils on New Year’s Eve. The dish symbolizes good luck and prosperity for the coming year – the lentils represent coins, and the fatty sausage represents abundance.
It’s usually boiled and then sliced and served hot, on top of a bed of lentils aromatized with a soffritto and left to simmer until ready.
10. Dried Fruit & Nuts
This mixture, known as frutta secca, is a constant presence throughout the Christmas season in Italy. Bowls of various nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds) and dried fruits are set out in homes and offices.
It’s a tradition that extends beyond Christmas Day, creating a festive atmosphere throughout December. Families often gather in the evenings to crack nuts and chat, embodying the convivial spirit of the season.
11.Panpepato/Tronchetto/Mostaccioli
These are regional Christmas Italian desserts, each with its own unique recipe but all featuring chocolate and nuts, often with spices.
Panpepato is a spiced chocolate nut cake from Tuscany and central Italy.
Tronchetto is a log-shaped cake reminiscent of the Yule log.
Mostaccioli are spiced chocolate cookies from southern Italy.
These desserts are typically only made and enjoyed during the Christmas season, often prepared according to closely guarded family recipes.
PANPEPATO FUN FACTS
There are four distinct recipes for Panpepato:
1. Ferrara: made with pepper
2. Terni: made without pepper
3. Siena: made with pepper and almonds instead of hazelnuts
4. Anagni: made with orange peel and mosto
The most common ingredients include: nuts (walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts), flour, honey, dark chocolate, candied or dried fruit, nutmeg, cinnamon, and pepper.
MOSTACCIOLI OR MUSTACCIOLI
According to numerous traditions, the name comes from the main ingredient: “mosto” (must), from the Latin “mustum”. The first evidence of mostaccioli’s ancestors dates back to Roman times.
These sweets were offered to guests at the moment of departure. The most famous are from Campania, yet these don’t contain mosto. Some regions like Abruzzo make them without chocolate.
Here’s my mostaccioli recipe.
Want More Italian Christmas Food Ideas?
If you enjoyed discovering new Italian Christmas Foods in this article, wait till you read the Italian Christmas Traditions post. It’s full of regional Christmas food traditions from North to South of Italy.
Once you get that inspiration, should you need some help planning your Christmas menu, read this: Traditional Italian Christmas Dinner Ideas For Your Table.
And if you’d rather eat those foods in Italy, check out Christmas In Italy. It will help you pinpoint which Italian cities you should visit, come December.
