Buon Natale (a tutti)!
Merry Christmas (to everyone)
Seafood
Capitone fritto
Photo from Memorie di Angelina
photo from italy magazine
Carpaccio di pesce spada
Swordfish (pesce spada) Carpaccio is a light dish or starter that is very popular for Christmas Eve meals. Variations with tuna (tonno) or salmon (salmone) are also popular: recipe
photo from ThePinkDumpling.com
Involtini di Pesce Spada
Swordfish roulade with lemon juice, currants and pine nuts: recipe
photo from CiaoChowLinda blog
Bagna càuda
Warm dip made with garlic, anchovies, olive oil and butter and consumed with raw vegetables such as carrot, peppers, fennel, celery, cauliflower, artichokes and onions: recipe
photo from LifeInItaly.com
Pasta
Agnalotti
Agnololti are traditional in some Northern Italian regions like Lombardia, Piemonte and Emilia-Romagna, often filled with Spinach, Ricotta and leftover meat, though many alternatives exist: recipe
photo from turinitalyguide.com
Cannelloni
These filled pasta tubes are a firm Christmas favourite on Italian tables. most often the fillings are vegetarian, as all meats except fish are traditionally avoided, on Christmas Eve in particular. The recipe as follows is for a classic combination - Spinach and Ricotta: recipe
Meat
Lentils (lenticchie) are a popular accompaniment to meat dishes during the festive season, even served with basic, rustic dishes such as lamb shank (l'agnello). They represent fortune in the form of money for the coming year
Cotechino con Lenticchie
Photo from Memorie di Angelina
coming from cotica (meaning rind), cotechino (known as "zampone" in some regions) is a sausage of pork meat, fat, salt and spices. It is similar to salami, but requires cooking and is usually boiled over a period of hours. The "skin" is natural, not synthetic, and the ingredients are sometimes stuffed in a hollowed-out pig's trotter: recipe
Sweets
Known in the UK as nougat, torrone actually originates from Spain where it is known as turrón. In Italy, this sweet treat made with honey, almonds and egg whites has become a traditional Christmas dessert. Many regional variations exist, adding in other nuts, such as pistachios, festive fruits and fruit zests, such as cranberry and orange, and - of course - chocolate. Some torrone are harder and more brittle. With softer variations, rice paper is often used to facilitate cutting and serving
Drinks
Vin Brulé
Named after the French brûlé (burnt), Vin brulé is as popular in certain regions of Italy as it is now in the UK, and uses very similar ingredients: recipe
image from Wine Pass Italy
One discernible difference: the Italian tradition favours burning off the alcohol entirely, where other varieties simply heat the wine until its warmth (heat and alcohol content) complements the added sugars and spices.
Agnalotti
Agnololti are traditional in some Northern Italian regions like Lombardia, Piemonte and Emilia-Romagna, often filled with Spinach, Ricotta and leftover meat, though many alternatives exist: recipe
Cannelloni
These filled pasta tubes are a firm Christmas favourite on Italian tables. most often the fillings are vegetarian, as all meats except fish are traditionally avoided, on Christmas Eve in particular. The recipe as follows is for a classic combination - Spinach and Ricotta: recipe
photo from RistoMama.com
Lasagne Verdi alla Bolognese
Literally, green (verdi) spinach Lasagne sheets with Ragu Bolognese, topped with Béchamel sauce. A classic at any time of year: recipe
photo from ThePastaChannel.com
Meat
Lentils (lenticchie) are a popular accompaniment to meat dishes during the festive season, even served with basic, rustic dishes such as lamb shank (l'agnello). They represent fortune in the form of money for the coming year
Cotechino con Lenticchie
Photo from Memorie di Angelina
coming from cotica (meaning rind), cotechino (known as "zampone" in some regions) is a sausage of pork meat, fat, salt and spices. It is similar to salami, but requires cooking and is usually boiled over a period of hours. The "skin" is natural, not synthetic, and the ingredients are sometimes stuffed in a hollowed-out pig's trotter: recipe
Sweets
Panettone
image from bbcgoodfood
This dry Milanese sponge cake packed with candied fruit is tickling taste-buds across the globe and can now be found on the shelves of most UK supermarkets. It tastes great as a treat for enduring 2 hours of Italian Midnight Mass, with a cup of hot chocolate - as per tradition: recipe
image from bbcgoodfood
This dry Milanese sponge cake packed with candied fruit is tickling taste-buds across the globe and can now be found on the shelves of most UK supermarkets. It tastes great as a treat for enduring 2 hours of Italian Midnight Mass, with a cup of hot chocolate - as per tradition: recipe
Panforte
photo from Antonio-Carluccio.com
Similar to fruitcake or Lebkuchen, Panforte is a traditional dessert made with fruit, honey and nuts and spices that dates back to 13th Century Siena. The name literally translates to "strong bread" - probably a reference to the spicy nature of the cake.
Panforte can also be made with chocolate, and is usually served with espresso or dessert wine. Sometimes it will take the form of a rather decadent breakfast (without the dessert wine!): recipe
Torrone
Drinks
Vin Brulé
Named after the French brûlé (burnt), Vin brulé is as popular in certain regions of Italy as it is now in the UK, and uses very similar ingredients: recipe
One discernible difference: the Italian tradition favours burning off the alcohol entirely, where other varieties simply heat the wine until its warmth (heat and alcohol content) complements the added sugars and spices.
Bombardino
Bombardino is a classic Italian Winter Cocktail of Advocaat and Brandy. As the name suggests, it packs quite a punch! (bomba being Italian for "bomb").
There are a few variations on this such as pirata ("pirate" - with rum) and scozzoese ("Scottish" - with whisky). The video above shows how to make a Bombardino Calimero (with coffee)
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