Easter in Italy is one of the most beloved holidays of the year. For many Italians, it marks the end of a season of fasting, a reason to cook their most treasured dishes, and a day to gather with the people they love around a very long table. According to U.S. State Department data on international religious freedom, approximately 67% of Italians identify as Catholic, making Easter a true cornerstone of cultural life. But beyond its religious significance, Easter carries something deeper: it is a moment to let go of what no longer serves you, to open up to new experiences, and to welcome the return of spring alongside the renewal of nature itself.
There is an old Italian saying: Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi, which means Christmas with your family, Easter with whoever you want. It speaks to how social and celebratory the holiday feels. Whether you are in Rome, Naples, or deep in Calabria, Easter Sunday means one thing above all else: exceptional food.
So what exactly do Italians eat for Easter? And what does the holiday look like when you are living and cooking in Calabria? Let's take a closer look.
How Easter Morning Begins in Italy
Before the big lunch, Easter morning in Italy belongs to sweets. In Calabria, the table fills up with a handful of specific treats that are tied directly to the holiday and appear nowhere else in the year.
Cuzzupa is a traditional Calabrian Easter bread made with whole eggs baked directly into the dough. The eggs, still in their shells, are nestled into the bread before baking so they cook along with it. The result is a slightly sweet, firm bread that is as much a symbol as it is a food.
Ciambelle are soft, golden Italian ring donuts, and at Easter they are typically filled with Nutella. They are tender, pillowy, and dangerous to eat too quickly. Keep a glass of water nearby.
Chocolate Easter eggs round out the morning spread. In Italy, Easter eggs tend to be large, beautifully packaged, and made with quality chocolate. Each one contains a small surprise hidden inside, a tradition that children and adults both look forward to with genuine excitement.
In Italy, many people fast in the days leading up to Easter. So when the holiday finally arrives, it genuinely feels like a release. The sweets are not just treats. They are symbols of joy, of ritual, of the small moments that make ordinary life feel extraordinary.
Traditional Easter Food in Italy
Easter Sunday is, above all, a day for feasting. Families typically gather for a long midday meal that stretches deep into the afternoon. The dishes vary by region, but several foods appear on Italian tables every spring without exception.
Roasted Lamb
Lamb is the centerpiece of the Italian Easter table and has been for centuries. It carries deep symbolic meaning as a representation of the sacrifice of Christ, and in most households it is roasted whole with garlic, rosemary, and fresh herbs. The smell of it filling the kitchen is one of the most distinct sensory markers of Easter in Italy.
Artichokes
Spring artichokes are at their absolute peak during Easter in Italy, and you will find them on nearly every table. They might be braised with garlic and parsley, fried crispy in olive oil, or stuffed with seasoned breadcrumbs and provola. In Rome, carciofi alla giudia (deep-fried whole artichokes) are especially celebrated this time of year.
Pizza Rustica
Pizza Rustica is a traditional Italian Easter pie, not the pizza you might expect. It features a buttery pastry crust filled with ricotta, eggs, and a generous mix of cured meats like ham, sausage, and salami. Families often make it a day or two in advance, since it keeps well and, if anything, tastes better the next day.
Colomba Pasquale
No Easter in Italy is complete without Colomba Pasquale, the iconic dove-shaped Easter cake. Like Christmas panettone, Colomba is made with an enriched dough studded with candied orange peel and finished with a crunchy almond and pearl sugar topping. Its dove shape represents peace and hope for the season ahead, and it is typically shared at the end of the Easter meal.
Pastiera Napoletana
Pastiera Napoletana is one of Italy's most treasured Easter desserts, originating from Naples. It is a sweet pastry tart filled with ricotta, cooked wheat berries, eggs, and sugar, delicately perfumed with orange blossom water and vanilla. Dense, fragrant, and deeply tied to tradition, it is made weeks in advance so the flavors have time to fully develop.
Italian Chocolate Easter Eggs
Chocolate Easter eggs are given as gifts throughout the holiday and tend to be large and beautifully packaged, often with a small surprise inside. They are a beloved tradition across the country, and in Italy the quality of the chocolate is taken seriously.
A Calabrian Easter Lunch
Calabria is a region in the toe of Italy's boot, known for bold flavors, agricultural traditions, and a cooking culture that is deeply tied to the seasons. Easter here is a full-family affair, and the meal is substantial by design. "Heavy" barely covers it. In Calabrian households, the Easter lunch typically skips an antipasti course simply because there is not enough room on the table for everything else.
For a group of six, a manageable Calabrian Easter menu looks like this: one primo, two secondi, three contorni, and two dolci. We put together a full Calabrian Easter menu you can use and adapt over on Substack.
Antipasti
When antipasti do appear, they are kept simple: the freshest ricotta or mozzarella you can find, served plain on a board, or carciofi fritti, artichokes lightly dredged and fried in good olive oil until the outer leaves go crisp and the heart stays tender. Clean, honest, out of the way.
Primo: Pasta al Forno and Pasta con Ragù
Pasta al forno is the undisputed anchor of the Calabrian Easter primo. It is layered with slow-cooked ragù, tiny fried meatballs, cured salsiccia calabrese, hard-boiled eggs, provola, and Parmigiano, then baked until the top is golden and the whole thing has fused together into something greater than the sum of its parts. In Calabrian households, the holiday lunch does not really begin until a tray of pasta al forno lands on the table.
The second classic primo is pasta con ragù di maiale, pasta with a slow-cooked pork ragù in red sauce. The traditional hand-rolled pasta used for this is fileja, a twisted Calabrian pasta with a rough surface that holds the sauce beautifully.
Secondi: The Heart of the Meal
This is where a Calabrian Easter table gets serious. Agnello al forno or capretto al forno (roasted lamb or kid goat) is the centerpiece, cooked slowly with potatoes and rosemary until the fat renders completely and the meat pulls clean from the bone. The smell of it roasting is, genuinely, one of the best things about being in Calabria at Easter.
Carne con carciofo e patate is beef braised low and slow in olive oil, with artichokes that break down into the sauce and potatoes that soak up everything around them. Fava con pancetta e gambone brings together fava beans and pork, including the gambone, a cured pork leg that has been salting since January and arrives at the Easter table after three months of curing. Every bite carries that time in it.
Frittata Pasquale is a Calabrian Easter staple made with eggs, salsiccia, ricotta, and cotenna, cooked until the edges are just set and the inside stays soft. Lina, Giuseppe's mother, makes this every Easter without exception. The full Frittata Pasquale recipe is available for club members and paid subscribers here.
Ossobuco with risotto alla Milanese also earns a place on many Calabrian Easter tables, even though it is technically a northern Italian dish. It is that good. If you make it, you can skip the primo entirely. Get Giuseppe's ossobuco and risotto alla Milanese recipe here.
Frissurata, the slow-braised Calabrian spiced pork, can also appear on Easter tables when the spring weather is still cool. It is cooked for hours in its own fat with Calabrian chili and fennel until it falls off the bone. You will not find it anywhere else in Italy. Get the full frissurata recipe here.
Contorni: The Sides That Carry the Meal
The side dishes at a Calabrian Easter lunch are not an afterthought. Carciofi ripieni are artichokes stuffed with seasoned breadcrumbs, provola, and hard-boiled eggs, then steamed in their own broth with olive oil until the leaves are completely tender. Get the full Calabrian stuffed artichokes recipe here.
Asparagi saltati are asparagus sautéed in garlic and extra virgin olive oil until tender, finished with lemon and salt. If you are cooking over an open fireplace, grill them instead and finish with olive oil and lemon at the table. Fave e piselli freschi, fresh fava beans and peas when you can find them, round out the vegetables, sautéed simply in olive oil and garlic to let the spring produce speak for itself.
Dopo Pranzo: After the Meal
Once the plates are cleared and everyone is comfortably full, a bowl of raw fava beans often appears on the table alongside a wedge of Pecorino Crotonese. Both are eaten with your hands. No utensils, no ceremony. Just the beans, the cheese, and the company. It is one of the best parts of the entire meal. Pecorino Crotonese can be difficult to find outside of Italy, but any good Pecorino will work.
Dolci: Sweets to End the Day
Whatever Cuzzupa and Ciambelle survived breakfast make a second appearance at the end of lunch. They never last long. A slice of olive oil cake, made with in-season citrus like blood oranges, is a beautiful addition if you are in the mood to bake. The recipe is in The Olive Oil Enthusiast. Assorted pastries from a local pasticceria fill in the gaps.
Easter in Italy: Frequently Asked Questions
Is Easter a big holiday in Italy?
Yes, Easter is one of the most important holidays in Italy, both religiously and culturally. It marks the end of Lent, the arrival of spring, and a long-awaited reunion around the family table. The holiday is often considered even more significant than Christmas in many Italian households.
Why is lamb the traditional Easter dish in Italy?
Lamb has been central to Italian Easter celebrations for centuries. Symbolically, it represents the "Lamb of God," connecting the meal to the religious significance of the holiday. Practically, it is also a spring protein, perfectly in season and available fresh at Italian markets during Easter week.
What is Colomba Pasquale and why is it shaped like a dove?
Colomba Pasquale is Italy's traditional Easter cake. Its dove shape carries deliberate meaning, since "colomba" means dove in Italian, a symbol of peace and new beginnings. Like panettone at Christmas, Colomba is given as a gift, shared at the end of Easter lunch, and often enjoyed with a glass of prosecco or sweet wine.
How is Pastiera Napoletana different from other Italian desserts?
Pastiera Napoletana stands apart because of its filling, which uniquely combines ricotta with cooked wheat berries (grano cotto). This gives the tart a distinctive texture and earthy sweetness, along with a floral note from orange blossom water. It is specific to the Naples region and made weeks ahead so the flavors have time to fully develop.
Are Easter traditions different across Italian regions?
Absolutely. Each region brings its own dishes and customs to the Easter table. In Rome, artichokes take center stage. In Naples, pastiera is essential. In Calabria, pasta al forno, capretto al forno, and frittata pasquale anchor a meal that can run for hours and span five courses. The holiday is shared across the country, but the flavors are proudly local.
We wrote a book called The Olive Oil Enthusiast. Order your copy today.
Every dish on the Calabrian Easter table starts with olive oil. From the artichokes fried in it to the beef braised low and slow in it to the asparagus finished with a drizzle of it at the end, good olive oil is the foundation of this entire meal. Our oil is cold-pressed from groves along the Ionian coast of Calabria that have been in Giuseppe's family since 1927. Shop our olive oil here.
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