How to: Celebrate Easter like a true Italian
What do you mean, dry matzo and hard-boiled eggs? Fluffy cakes, gigantic chocolate bunnies and roast lamb: now that’s an Easter feast. The Italians know how to do it, and we’re happy to take a few tips from them.
Long, beautifully set table? Check. Family and/or friends? Check. Now all you have to do is follow these three steps and you’re ready for your Easter celebration Italian style. Mangiare!
Step 1: Easter cake
The answer to panettone (the Italian Christmas cake) is colomba di pasqua, literally translated as: Easter dove. With a little imagination, you can also recognize the dove in the shape of this fluffy cake. Unlike panettone, it doesn’t contain raisins but candied fruit, and it’s topped with sugar pearls and flaked almonds. The cake makes the ideal base for French toast (also delicious with Nutella!), but it’s also delicious on its own with coffee or dessert wine. Another fun detail: just like panettone, they come packaged in cheerful boxes, so they also make a lovely gift for the host. Making your own Easter cake will of course earn you plenty of brownie points too.
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Step 2: Chocolate
What fairy lights are for Christmas, chocolate is for Italian Easter. So decorate your table (and house) generously with chocolate eggs and bunnies in all shapes and sizes: gigantic, beautifully decorated or tiny, anything goes. As long as it’s good-quality chocolate.
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Step 3: Lamb
No, not butter lambs, but a good piece of roast lamb is what belongs on an Italian Easter table. Leg of lamb, loin or rack of lamb—it’s all good. Need inspiration? How about lamb chops with a pistachio crust? Or roast lamb with rosemary? Or—if you have a barbecue—this grilled rack of lamb with fresh herbs and mustard?
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