Giada's Italian Easter menu is all about welcoming in spring with bright, fresh flavors.
Easter, or Pasqua, is a cheerful holiday across Italy, marked by tons of celebrations. It marks the end of the Lent season, and has always been commemorated with indulgent feasts and parades. It also, of course, signifies the rebirth of spring - aka, primavera.
Giada's Easter menu this year celebrates all the traditional must-haves in an Italian feast, but with fresh and bright flavors that give a warm buongiorno to the blooming spring season.
Artichoke And Fennel Crudo
If there's one vegetable that symbolizes spring in Italy, it's the artichoke. This dish celebrates the spring veggie in its most pure form... raw! Find tender baby artichokes if you can for this dish, but if you can only find classic Globe artichokes, simply peel away all of the leaves and shave the artichoke down to the heart. Cut it into as thin slices as possible, and allow it to marinate in the lemony dressing to tenderize. It's incredibly crisp and light, especially paired with the flavor of fresh fennel.
Pizza Rustica
Part quiche, part pizza, and completely and utterly delicious - this is one recipe that's worthy of a holiday table, that's for certain. This cheesy deep-dish pie is referred to as "Easter Pie," and it's most popular in the south of Italy. For such a stunner, and for something this incredibly tasty, it's actually quite easy to make. Make this a day in advance if you wish, and crisp it up in the oven to warm up prior to serving.
Springtime Lamb
Lamb is the cornerstone of an Italian Easter celebration. Rich with biblical symbolism, it's a traditional mainstay of the Pasqua feasting. Giada's roasted lamb is quite literally bursting with flavor: this leg of lamb is filled with a sweet, savory, salty and tangy filling that makes every bite simply divine. This is the dish that truly makes it feel like a holiday.
Cassata Cake
This Sicilian cake comes in many forms, and this has to be our favorite. It emulates the beloved flavors of cannoli, with a whipped ricotta filling studded with mini chocolate chips, the flavors of amaretti, and a topping of syrupy cherries. The best part of this cake? You don't have to bake a thing. Storebought pound cake is the backbone of this Zuccotto-style cake, and you simply assemble it all in a bowl. Let it sit overnight, and you have a beautiful centerpiece dessert awaiting you.
Chocolates
Another quintessential piece of the Easter culinary landscape is chocolates - most famously, chocolate Easter eggs. Peruse our collections of Easter sweets straight from Italy for the most authentic at-home experience!
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