Easter Lunch
After Easter Sunday mass, it’s time for lunch! This is usually quite a rich meal, with each course featuring the types of foods traditionally avoided during Lent. While the menu varies from family to family, there are some traditional dishes that show up on most tables.
Often lunch starts off with an antipasto of ricotta salata, mozzarella and provola cheeses along with slices of soppressata, a cured salami. This is usually served along with hard boiled eggs cut in half and casatiello, a special type of savory bread made at Easter with lard, salami, cheese, and often baked with eggs on top. And that’s just the antipasto!
Next comes a heathy dose of vegetables in the form of minestra maritata, a soup made with seasonal leafy green veggies and meat. Lots of meat. Another great option is the typical Italian lasagna, absolutely delicious!
After this, here comes the second course, which is traditionally lamb. However, some families replace the lamb with a roast or different type of second course. At this point, most people are already thinking if they saved room for dessert. I hope you did! As there is plenty choice on that!
Easter sweets
One of the most classic in the Amalfi Coast area is the Neapolitan pastiera. It just wouldn’t be Pasqua without a pastiera! Another traditional and colorful dessert called the sweet casatiello often graces the table. This liquor infused cake is covered with white icing, sprinkles, meringue, candy, and sometimes even a lamb crafted from marzipan.
The traditional Colomba di Pasqua is popular throughout Italy, and is a classic dessert after the Easter lunch. Similar to the panettone served at Christmas, this bread includes candied citrus peel and is topped with almonds and pearl sugar. What makes it so distinctive for Easter is that it is shaped like a dove since colomba means dove in Italian.
Now you’re ready for the finishing touch on every Easter lunch: chocolate eggs! And we’re not talking about the teeny tiny little chocolate eggs you find in America. Nope, when it comes to chocolate Easter eggs in Italy, it’s definitely “go big or go home”. These giant chocolate eggs are hollow and when cracked open reveal a surprise inside. It’s a lot of fun opening the giant eggs around the table to see what is inside!
Pasquetta
In Italy, Easter celebration doesn’t end on Sunday, but instead extends through the following day, which is called Pasquetta, or Little Easter. What do you do after such a big meal the previous day? Take a walk!
Pasquetta, indeed, is a day traditionally spent outdoors celebrating the spring weather with family and friends. But, of course, food is involved, too! That’s where the leftovers from Sunday lunch come in handy. Leftover hardboiled eggs, soppressata, the rich casatiello bread, or perhaps a frittata are very popular options. With so many beautiful hiking spots, the Amalfi Coast is an incredible setting for enjoying your Pasquetta.
So, it's time to lay your tables with pastel-colored tablecloths, tulips and lots of tasty food to celebrate Easter in any part of the world with LOVE.
From all of us of Mr and Mrs wedding in Italy, a very happy Easter celebration to everybody!
If you want to plan your Easter holidays in Italy or any other special event on the Amalfi Coast, we're here to help, just get in touch!
