Typical Italian Christmas Dinner

What Italians Eat for Christmas Depends on Where They Live: A Delicious Tour of Italy

Q: What are antipasti, primi, secondi and dolci in an Italian Christmas dinner?

These are the courses of a traditional Italian meal. Antipasti are the starters, such as cured meats, crostini and seafood; primi are first courses such as pasta, soup in broth or risotto; secondi are main courses of meat or fish, served with contorni (side dishes); and dolci are the desserts, such as panettone, pandoro and regional Christmas sweets. A festive meal can include all of them, and every region has its own favourites.

by Anastasia Bakker Italy October 31, 2026

Traditional Italian Christmas dinner menu - what do Italians eat for Christmas

31Oct

One country, twenty different Christmas dishes!

If you’re wondering what do Italians eat for Christmas, you might be surprised to discover that there isn’t one typical Italian Christmas dinner. What ends up on the table depends very much on where you live. From handmade pasta in rich meat broth in the north to seafood feasts along the southern coast, every region has its own traditional dishes, festive sweets and recipes passed down through generations.

Italian families often distinguish between La Vigilia di Natale, Christmas Eve dinner on December 24, and Il Pranzo di Natale, Christmas Day lunch on December 25. In many areas, Christmas Eve is associated with fish and seafood, while Christmas Day may feature meat, stuffed pasta and a long family feast. These are broad patterns, however—not rules followed by every family.

So, what does a typical Italian Christmas dinner actually look like? Let’s travel from the Alps to the Mediterranean islands to discover 20 regional Christmas menus, traditional Italian Christmas food and a few delicious surprises along the way.

A traditional Italian Christmas dinner is served in courses: antipasti (starters), primi (first courses such as pasta, soup in broth or risotto), secondi (main courses of meat or fish, served with contorni, or side dishes) and dolci (desserts). Under each region below you will find a typical Christmas menu with the dishes you are most likely to meet at a regional cenone di Natale, the big Christmas dinner. Remember that Christmas Eve is traditionally a meatless dinner (cena di magro), so the Vigilia menu is usually based on fish, vegetables and baccalà.

1. Valle d’Aosta: Alpine Comfort Food

Try zuppa alla Valpellinentze, a baked soup of bread, cabbage, Fontina cheese and broth, alongside hearty meat dishes and polenta.

In the Aosta Valley, Christmas is a time for warming dishes after cold days in the mountains. The traditional Christmas menu leans on local Fontina cheese, cured meats from the high valleys and slow-cooked dishes served with polenta, reflecting the mix of Italian and French-speaking Alpine traditions. If you visit in December, the Christmas market in Aosta adds the scent of roasted chestnuts and mulled wine to the festive atmosphere.

A Christmas speciality to discover: Fontina cheese gives the regional soup its rich, melting texture.

Typical Aosta Valley Christmas Menu (Menu di Natale valdostano)

Antipasti (starters): Mocetta (air-dried cured meat) on crostini with honey, lardo with chestnuts, crostini con fonduta and truffle
Primi (first courses): Zuppa alla Valpellinentze, polenta concia (polenta with melted Fontina and butter)
Secondi (main courses): Carbonata valdostana (beef stewed in red wine) with polenta, trout, sausage with potatoes
Dolci (desserts): Tegole (thin, crisp almond and hazelnut biscuits), pears in syrup with chocolate cream and whipped cream

2. Piedmont: Agnolotti, Bollito Misto and Bonet

Agnolotti del plin are tiny pasta parcels filled with roasted meat. Other festive dishes can include bollito misto, a mix of boiled meats served with green sauce, brasato, braised beef, and local hazelnut desserts.

Piedmont is the birthplace of the Slow Food movement and a land of white truffles, hazelnuts and great red wines, so a Piedmontese Christmas lunch is often long and generous, with several antipasti before the pasta even arrives. In the autumn and winter months, white truffle from Alba may be shaved over eggs, tajarin or risotto, which makes the festive menu especially luxurious.

A Christmas speciality to discover: The word plin refers to the pinch used to seal the pasta parcels. Bonet is a classic chocolate-and-amaretti pudding.

Typical Piedmont Christmas Menu (Menu di Natale piemontese)

Antipasti (starters): Carne cruda all’albese (finely chopped raw veal), vitello tonnato, insalata russa, acciughe al verde (anchovies in green sauce)
Primi (first courses): Agnolotti del plin with roast gravy or in broth, tajarin (thin egg pasta) with butter or white truffle
Secondi (main courses): Bollito misto with green sauce, roast capon, brasato al Barolo
Dolci (desserts): Bunet (chocolate and amaretti pudding), torrone d’Alba, hazelnut cake, panettone

3. Liguria: Seafood and Pandolce

Christmas Eve may feature fish and seafood, while Christmas Day menus can include ravioli or cima alla genovese, stuffed veal. For dessert, try pandolce genovese with raisins, candied fruit and pine nuts.

Ligurian Christmas cooking uses the region’s fragrant olive oil, herbs and walnuts, and many families still make festive stuffed pasta by hand. Christmas Eve is traditionally a meatless dinner, so fish and seafood dishes are common before the larger Christmas Day lunch. One famous dish for the festive table is cappon magro, a spectacular layered salad of fish, seafood and vegetables.

A Christmas speciality to discover: Genoese pandolce comes in different styles, including a lower, crumbly version.

Typical Ligurian Christmas Menu (Menu di Natale ligure)

Antipasti (starters): Acciughe ripiene (stuffed anchovies), frittelle di baccalà (salt cod fritters), stecchi fritti (Ligurian fried mix)
Primi (first courses): Pansoti with walnut sauce, ravioli alla genovese, maccheroni in brodo
Secondi (main courses): Cappon magro, cima alla genovese, boiled capon, stoccafisso (stockfish)
Dolci (desserts): Pandolce genovese, torrone, candied fruit, canestrelli (shortbread flower biscuits)

4. Lombardy: Panettone and Festive Pasta

Festive menus may include casoncelli, the half-moon filled pasta of Bergamo and Brescia served with butter, sage and pancetta, tortelli di zucca, the pumpkin-filled pasta of Mantua, stuffed capon or boiled meats. Dessert is often associated with Milan’s famous panettone.

Lombardy’s Christmas table changes from city to city. In Cremona, mostarda di Cremona, a sweet and spicy preserve of candied fruit, and the famous torrone are inseparable from the holiday season, while around Milan panettone is the unquestioned star of the festive table. Many families serve it with mascarpone cream or a warm custard sauce.

A Christmas speciality to discover: Classic panettone is made with naturally leavened dough, raisins and candied citrus peel.

Typical Lombard Christmas Menu (Menu di Natale lombardo)

Antipasti (starters): Cured meats such as salame di Cremona or slinzega valtellinese with mostarda, Gorgonzola and Grana Padano, nervetti (Milanese cartilage salad)
Primi (first courses): Casoncelli alla bergamasca, tortelli di zucca mantovani, tortellini in brodo, risotto alla milanese
Secondi (main courses): Stuffed capon (cappone ripieno), bollito misto with mostarda and green sauce
Dolci (desserts): Panettone, torrone di Cremona, sbrisolona mantovana, Pan de Toni

5. Trentino-Alto Adige: Canederli and Alpine Flavours

Canederli are bread dumplings often made with speck or cheese and served in broth or with melted butter. Roasted meats, polenta and apple strudel may also appear.

In Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Italian, Austrian and Ladin traditions meet on the Christmas table. Dishes often carry both an Italian and a German name, such as canederli and Knödel. In December, the Christmas markets of Bolzano, Merano, Bressanone and Trento fill the streets with the scent of mulled wine, cinnamon, gingerbread and roasted chestnuts.

A Christmas speciality to discover: Speck, the region’s cured and lightly smoked ham, adds a distinctive flavour to many mountain dishes.

Typical Trentino-Alto Adige Christmas Menu (Menu di Natale trentino e altoatesino)

Antipasti (starters): Speck Alto Adige IGP, carne salada (cured beef from Trentino), mountain cheeses
Primi (first courses): Canederli in brodo, strangolapreti (bread and spinach dumplings), spätzle with spinach, Schlutzkrapfen (spinach ravioli)
Secondi (main courses): Roast venison (capriolo) or kid with potatoes, roast pork shank (stinco), river fish
Dolci (desserts): Zelten (fruit and nut bread), apple strudel, Lebkuchen (spiced gingerbread)

6. Veneto: Risotto, Baccalà and Pandoro

Menus may include risotto with radicchio, bigoli in salsa or baccalà mantecato. The region’s famous Christmas cake is pandoro, which originated in Verona.

In Veneto, the Christmas Eve fish dinner, la cena della Vigilia, is followed by a rich Christmas Day lunch with capon broth and slow-cooked meats. In Verona the golden pandoro is the symbol of Christmas, and the red radicchio of Treviso is the star of winter risottos and side dishes. Many Venetian families also serve sweet-and-sour sardines (sarde in saor) as a classic starter.

A Christmas speciality to discover: Panettone and pandoro inspire a friendly Christmas rivalry between Italian families.

Typical Veneto Christmas Menu (Menu di Natale veneto)

Antipasti (starters): Baccalà mantecato (creamed salt cod) on grilled polenta, sarde in saor, cured meats such as soppressa and luganega
Primi (first courses): Bigoli in salsa (anchovy and onion sauce), risotto al radicchio, capon broth with tortellini, gnocchi with duck ragù
Secondi (main courses): Baccalà alla vicentina with polenta, lesso di manzo with cren (horseradish sauce), roast capon
Dolci (desserts): Pandoro di Verona, nadalin (Verona’s traditional Christmas cake), mandorlato di Cologna Veneta (almond nougat)

7. Friuli Venezia Giulia: Brovada e Muset and Gubana

A distinctive winter dish is brovada e muset, fermented turnips served with pork sausage. Festive foods can also include cjarsons, filled pasta with sweet-and-savoury variations.

Friuli Venezia Giulia sits at the crossroads of Italian, Austrian and Slavic cooking, which explains why festive sweets such as gubana, presnitz and putizza are close cousins of Central European strudels and nut rolls. Prosciutto di San Daniele and Montasio cheese are regional pride and often open the Christmas meal.

A Christmas speciality to discover: Gubana is a spiral pastry filled with nuts, raisins, pine nuts and spices.

Typical Friuli Venezia Giulia Christmas Menu (Menu di Natale friulano)

Antipasti (starters): Prosciutto di San Daniele DOP, Montasio DOP cheese, frico (crispy cheese and potato pancake)
Primi (first courses): Cjarsons from Carnia, potato gnocchi, jota (bean and sauerkraut soup) or potato soup
Secondi (main courses): Brovada e muset, roast capon, baccalà, polenta
Dolci (desserts): Gubana, presnitz, putizza

8. Emilia-Romagna: Tortellini in Brodo

Tortellini in brodo, tiny handmade pasta parcels served in meat or capon broth, are a Christmas classic. In Romagna, cappelletti in brodo are particularly popular; boiled meats or roast capon may follow.

Emilia-Romagna is often called Italy’s “food valley”, home to Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma and Modena balsamic vinegar, so the Christmas table here is one of the richest in the country. Fresh egg pasta is still made by hand in many homes, and the broth for tortellini or cappelletti is traditionally prepared with capon or several kinds of meat.

A Christmas speciality to discover: Preparing tortellini can become a family event, with several generations shaping pasta together.

Typical Emilia-Romagna Christmas Menu (Menu di Natale emiliano-romagnolo)

Antipasti (starters): Culatello di Zibello, Prosciutto di Parma DOP, Parmigiano Reggiano with traditional balsamic vinegar
Primi (first courses): Tortellini in brodo, cappelletti in brodo, passatelli in brodo, baked lasagne or tagliatelle al ragù
Secondi (main courses): Cappone (capon) or bollito misto with salsa verde, cotechino di Modena or zampone with lentils and mostarda
Dolci (desserts): Panone di Natale or certosino from Bologna, spongata, pampepato from Ferrara, zuppa inglese

9. Tuscany: Crostini Neri, Roast Meats and Panforte

A Tuscan Christmas meal may begin with crostini neri, toasted bread with chicken-liver pâté, followed by handmade pasta or cappelletti in broth and roast meat. Traditional sweets include panforte di Siena, ricciarelli and cavallucci.

Tuscan cooking is famous for its simple cucina povera, with olive oil, bread, beans and game, but Christmas is the time for richer flavours. On Christmas Eve, many families eat fish dishes such as baccalà or, in Livorno, cacciucco, while Christmas Day brings capon broth, roasts and, above all, the desserts of Siena, often finished with cantucci dipped in Vin Santo.

You can learn how to make the classic starter in our recipe for traditional Tuscan crostini, and if you are planning to visit in December, see our guide to the Tuscany Christmas markets. For the perfect pairing, read about the best Tuscan wines.

A Christmas speciality to discover: There is no single Tuscan Christmas menu; recipes differ between provinces, towns and families.

Typical Tuscan Christmas Menu (Menu di Natale toscano)

Antipasti (starters): Crostini neri (chicken-liver crostini), finocchiona and Tuscan prosciutto, pecorino toscano
Primi (first courses): Brodo di cappone with cappelletti or tortellini, crespelle alla fiorentina (baked crêpes with ricotta and spinach)
Secondi (main courses): Cappone ripieno (stuffed capon), arrosto di faraona (roast guinea fowl), roast duck, cacciucco alla livornese on Christmas Eve
Dolci (desserts): Panforte di Siena, ricciarelli, cavallucci, cantucci with Vin Santo

10. Umbria: Truffles, Game and Panpepato

Handmade pasta with black truffles, roast meats and game may feature in the festive meal. A characteristic sweet is panpepato, a dense cake made with nuts, dried fruit, honey, chocolate and spices.

Umbria’s green heart is rich in truffles, especially the black truffles of Norcia and the Valnerina, as well as olive oil, Castelluccio lentils and mountain meats. Its Christmas cooking is rustic and generous. On Christmas Eve, the menu may include fish from Lake Trasimeno, such as carp, and baccalà.

A Christmas speciality to discover: Panpepato means “peppered bread”, a hint of its warmly spiced flavour.

Typical Umbrian Christmas Menu (Menu di Natale umbro)

Antipasti (starters): Crostini with black truffle, prosciutto di Norcia IGP and local salami, pecorino cheese
Primi (first courses): Cappelletti in brodo (filled with capon and pigeon), strangozzi with black truffle
Secondi (main courses): Boiled or roast capon, game, baccalà, carp from Lake Trasimeno on Christmas Eve
Dolci (desserts): Panpepato, pinoccate (pine-nut sweets from Perugia), rocciata di Assisi, torciglione

11. Marche: Cappelletti and Vincisgrassi

Christmas first courses may include cappelletti in brodo or vincisgrassi, a rich baked pasta similar to lasagne. Roast capon, stuffed meats or guinea fowl may be served too.

The Marche region combines the Adriatic coast with green hills and mountains, so Christmas Eve is often dedicated to fish, such as brodetto all’anconetana or stockfish, while Christmas Day stays loyal to the capon, cappelletti in broth and baked layered pasta. Stuffed fried olives, olive all’ascolana, also appear on festive tables.

A Christmas speciality to discover: Vincisgrassi is a celebratory dish with many local and family variations.

Typical Marche Christmas Menu (Menu di Natale marchigiano)

Antipasti (starters): Olive all’ascolana (stuffed and fried olives), ciauscolo (spreadable salami), local cheeses
Primi (first courses): Cappelletti in brodo, vincisgrassi, maccheroncini di Campofilone in sauce
Secondi (main courses): Roast capon, brodetto all’anconetana or stoccafisso all’anconetana on Christmas Eve, guinea fowl
Dolci (desserts): Frustingo (fig and nut cake), pizza di Natale, honey sweets

12. Lazio: Abbacchio and Pangiallo

Christmas Eve menus may include fried baccalà or seafood pasta. On Christmas Day, abbacchio al forno con patate—roast lamb with potatoes—is a well-known favourite. A traditional sweet is pangiallo romano.

Roman Christmas cooking is generous and lively. Christmas Eve is traditionally a meatless dinner, so many families sit down to fried baccalà, fried vegetables and capitone (eel), before Christmas Day brings out the broth, the roast and the sweets. Some families also serve stuffed turkey or bollito misto for the Christmas Day lunch.

A Christmas speciality to discover: Lamb is closely associated with Lazio’s food culture and other festive occasions throughout the year.

Typical Lazio Christmas Menu (Menu di Natale laziale)

Antipasti (starters): Fritto misto di verdure (fried vegetables), baccalà fritto, crostini
Primi (first courses): Cappelletti in brodo, pasta e ceci or spaghetti with tuna on Christmas Eve
Secondi (main courses): Abbacchio al forno con patate, capitone fritto, bollito misto, stuffed turkey
Dolci (desserts): Pangiallo romano, pampepato

13. Abruzzo: Scrippelle and Chitarra Pasta

Scrippelle ’mbusse are thin crepes rolled and served in hot broth. Maccheroni alla chitarra is pasta cut using a special stringed wooden tool, and lamb or other roasted meats may follow.

Abruzzo’s cooking is shaped by the sea and the mountains, and is known for its pasta, lamb and sweets made with almonds and honey. Christmas Eve is traditionally meat-free and may feature capitone (eel) or baccalà, while Christmas Day lunch often starts with lasagne or scrippelle ’mbusse in broth, followed by roast lamb.

A Christmas speciality to discover: The name la chitarra means “the guitar”, describing the pasta-cutting tool’s strings.

Typical Abruzzo Christmas Menu (Menu di Natale abruzzese)

Antipasti (starters): Ventricina (spiced cured salami), pecorino cheese, olives
Primi (first courses): Scrippelle ’mbusse in broth, maccheroni alla chitarra, minestra di cardi (cardoon soup), lasagne
Secondi (main courses): Agnello arrosto (roast lamb), bollito di manzo, capitone or baccalà on Christmas Eve
Dolci (desserts): Calcionetti or caggionetti (fried pastries with a sweet chestnut or chickpea filling), ferratelle, parrozzo

14. Molise: Rustic Pasta and Mostaccioli

Depending on the family, festive meals may include handmade pasta with ragù, baccalà, meat dishes and seasonal vegetables. Christmas sweets can include chocolate-coated spiced biscuits called mostaccioli.

Molise is Italy’s second smallest region, but its Christmas table is full of flavour, with handmade pasta, cured meats, lamb and baccalà. Recipes differ from village to village. Many families begin Christmas Day with zuppa di cardi (cardoon soup) and end it with fried sweets.

A Christmas speciality to discover: Molise’s food traditions are intensely local, and family recipes can differ even between nearby towns.

Typical Molise Christmas Menu (Menu di Natale molisano)

Antipasti (starters): Soppressata, ventricina, caciocavallo and scamorza cheeses
Primi (first courses): Zuppa di cardi, cavatelli with meat ragù
Secondi (main courses): Baccalà arracanato (oven-baked salt cod with oregano), baccalà with cabbage, roast lamb or kid
Dolci (desserts): Calciuni (fried sweet pastries), mostaccioli

15. Campania: Seafood and Struffoli

In and around Naples, Christmas Eve may feature spaghetti alle vongole, fried baccalà and fried eel called capitone. Christmas sweets include struffoli, tiny fried dough balls coated in honey, as well as roccocò and mustacciuoli.

In Naples, Christmas Eve, la Vigilia, is a full-blown feast of fish dishes, and Christmas Day is for broths, soups and roast meats. A classic is insalata di rinforzo, a cauliflower salad with olives, pickled vegetables and anchovies that is “reinforced” with more ingredients over the days of the holidays. The Neapolitan table also has a sweet ritual of its own, with struffoli piled high on a platter.

A Christmas speciality to discover: Fried eel is one of the most distinctive Neapolitan Christmas Eve traditions.

Typical Neapolitan and Campania Christmas Menu (Menu di Natale campano)

Antipasti (starters): Insalata di rinforzo, baccalà fritto, pizza di scarole (escarole pie)
Primi (first courses): Spaghetti alle vongole on Christmas Eve, minestra maritata (green vegetable and meat soup)
Secondi (main courses): Capitone fritto (fried eel), baccalà, cappone imbottito (stuffed capon)
Dolci (desserts): Struffoli, roccocò, mustacciuoli, susamielli

16. Puglia: Orecchiette and Cartellate

Orecchiette con cime di rapa is a famous regional pasta dish. Baccalà and fried fish may feature on Christmas Eve, while festive sweets include cartellate, strips of dough shaped into roses, fried and dipped in vincotto or honey.

In Puglia, Christmas Eve is traditionally a meat-free day marked by fried foods, and many homes prepare pettole on the evening of December 24. Christmas Day lunch brings out orecchiette and the baked lamb with lampascioni (wild hyacinth bulbs), a local delicacy. Olive oil, almonds and honey shape many of the region’s sweets.

A Christmas speciality to discover: Cartellate are often made in batches before Christmas and shaped by hand.

Typical Puglia Christmas Menu (Menu di Natale pugliese)

Antipasti (starters): Pettole (savoury fritters), panzerotti fritti, cime di rapa stufate (stewed turnip tops)
Primi (first courses): Orecchiette con cime di rapa, vermicelli al sugo di pesce
Secondi (main courses): Baccalà fritto or in umido, anguilla arrostita con alloro (roast eel with bay), agnello al forno con lampascioni
Dolci (desserts): Cartellate with vincotto or honey, pettole (sweet), porcedduzzi, almond pastries

17. Basilicata: Pettole and Hearty Regional Cooking

Festive menus may include handmade pasta with ragù, baccalà and local vegetables. Pettole—small pieces of leavened dough fried until golden—can be served savoury or sweet.

Basilicata’s cooking is rustic and spicy, shaped by shepherds and farmers. Festive menus rely on pasta made by hand, sausages and the crunchy dried peppers of Senise, known as peperoni cruschi. Christmas Eve is traditionally meat-free, with baccalà served with crispy peppers.

A Christmas speciality to discover: Pettole are associated with Christmas in parts of southern Italy and turn simple ingredients into a much-loved treat.

Typical Basilicata Christmas Menu (Menu di Natale lucano)

Antipasti (starters): Peperoni cruschi (crispy dried peppers), lucanica di Picerno IGP sausage, pecorino cheese
Primi (first courses): Strascinati with mixed meat ragù, pasta con la mollica (pasta with toasted breadcrumbs), vegetable soup with escarole, cabbage and cardoons
Secondi (main courses): Baccalà with peperoni cruschi, roast lamb or kid, sausages
Dolci (desserts): Pettole, calzoncelli (fried pastries filled with chestnut or chickpeas and chocolate), cartellate

18. Calabria: Sagna China and Honeyed Sweets

A festive first course can be sagna china, a rich baked pasta layered with meat sauce, cheese and other ingredients. Christmas sweets may include turdilli, fried pastries coated in honey or cooked grape must.

Calabria’s Christmas table is spicy, generous and built on pork, wild greens and the region’s famous honey sweets. The Christmas Eve dinner usually includes baccalà and stockfish (stocco di Cittanova) and pasta with breadcrumbs (pasta c’a muddica), while Christmas Day brings baked pasta, soups and roast kid.

A Christmas speciality to discover: Concentrated grape must gives some Calabrian Christmas pastries a deep, distinctive sweetness.

Typical Calabrian Christmas Menu (Menu di Natale calabrese)

Antipasti (starters): Soppressata di Calabria DOP, capocollo di Calabria DOP, pancetta, sausage, crespelle ripiene alle alici (anchovy-filled crêpes)
Primi (first courses): Sagna china, fileja or scilatelle with pork ragù, minestra maritata, pasta c’a muddica on Christmas Eve
Secondi (main courses): Capretto al forno (baked kid) with potatoes, baccalà, stocco di Cittanova
Dolci (desserts): Turdilli, scalille, pitta ’mpigliata, fichi a crocetta (stuffed figs), torroncini

19. Sicily: Anelletti al Forno and Buccellato

Christmas Eve may feature fried fish, baccalà and seafood pasta. Christmas Day menus can include anelletti al forno, a baked pasta timbale. For dessert, try buccellato, a pastry filled with dried figs, nuts and spices.

Sicilian Christmas cooking mixes Arab, Norman and Spanish influences, which show most clearly in the sweets. Christmas Eve may include pasta with sardines or with anchovies and breadcrumbs, baccalà and orange salad, while Christmas Day brings the baked pasta timbale, followed by roast lamb or stuffed meats.

A Christmas speciality to discover: Buccellato is particularly associated with the Christmas season in Sicily.

Typical Sicilian Christmas Menu (Menu di Natale siciliano)

Antipasti (starters): Sfincione (thick, soft Palermo pizza), scacce ragusane (stuffed flatbreads), caponata, orange salad
Primi (first courses): Anelletti al forno, pasta con le sarde, gallina in brodo (hen broth)
Secondi (main courses): Agnello al forno, sarde a beccafico (stuffed sardines), baccalà fritto
Dolci (desserts): Buccellato (cucciddatu), cassata siciliana, cannoli, mustazzoli, cubbàita (sesame and honey nougat)

20. Sardinia: Culurgiones, Porceddu and Pabassinas

Festive first courses may include culurgiones, filled pasta often made with potato, pecorino and mint, or malloreddus. Roast lamb or suckling pig may follow, with sweets such as pabassinas.

In Sardinia, festive cooking is closely connected to the island’s pastoral tradition. Lamb, suckling pig and cheeses play the leading roles, and thin pane carasau flatbread is always on the table. On the coast, Christmas Eve may begin with eel or other local fish. Honey, almonds and saba (cooked grape must) give Sardinian sweets their distinctive character.

A Christmas speciality to discover: Slow-roasted suckling pig, porceddu, is one of Sardinia’s iconic celebratory dishes.

Typical Sardinian Christmas Menu (Menu di Natale sardo)

Antipasti (starters): Salsiccia sarda, pecorino sardo, olives, pane carasau
Primi (first courses): Culurgiones de casu, malloreddus (gnocchetti sardi) with sausage ragù
Secondi (main courses): Porceddu (roast suckling pig, often with myrtle), roast lamb with potatoes, anguilla arrosto (roast eel)
Dolci (desserts): Pabassinas, seadas with honey, ricotta with honey, torrone di Tonara

So, what is a typical Italian Christmas dinner?

After travelling through all 20 regions, one thing becomes clear: there is no single menu that defines Christmas in Italy. A family in Emilia-Romagna might serve tortellini in broth, while a Neapolitan family prepares seafood on Christmas Eve. In Tuscany, the table may feature crostini neri, homemade pasta, roast meat and panforte; in Sicily, baked pasta and regional sweets may take centre stage.

What unites these different regional Italian Christmas menus is not one particular recipe, but the importance of food, family and traditions passed down through generations. If you spend Christmas in Italy, be curious, try the local specialities and come hungry!

FAQ About Traditional Italian Christmas Dinner

What do Italians eat for Christmas?View Answer+

There is no single national menu. Depending on the region and family, Italians may eat handmade pasta in broth, baked pasta, roast meats, fish and seafood, local vegetables, panettone, pandoro and regional Christmas sweets.

What is a typical Italian Christmas dinner?View Answer+

A typical Italian Christmas dinner varies by region. Many families eat fish or seafood on Christmas Eve and enjoy a larger lunch with pasta, meat or other festive dishes on Christmas Day, but customs differ widely.

Do Italians eat fish on Christmas Eve?View Answer+

Fish and seafood are traditional Christmas Eve foods in many parts of Italy, particularly in coastal areas and Campania. However, not every family follows this custom, and menus vary locally.

What do Italians eat on Christmas Day?View Answer+

Christmas Day lunch often includes a first course such as tortellini or cappelletti in broth, baked pasta or another regional speciality, followed by roast meat or poultry. Desserts and family recipes differ throughout the country.

What are the most popular Italian Christmas desserts?View Answer+

Panettone and pandoro are among the best-known nationwide. Regional favourites include panforte and ricciarelli in Tuscany, struffoli in Campania, cartellate in Puglia, gubana in Friuli Venezia Giulia and buccellato in Sicily.

Does every region in Italy have its own Christmas menu?View Answer+

Italy has strong regional food traditions, but there is no fixed menu followed by every household in a region. Recipes can change from province to province and even from one family to another.

What is a traditional Tuscan Christmas dinner?View Answer+

A Tuscan Christmas meal may include crostini neri, homemade pasta or cappelletti in broth, roast meat and seasonal sides. Traditional sweets include panforte, ricciarelli and cavallucci, though menus vary across Tuscany.

What is the difference between Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day lunch in Italy?View Answer+

Christmas Eve dinner is often called La Vigilia and may focus on fish in many families. Christmas Day lunch, or Il Pranzo di Natale, is often a longer family meal with pasta, meat and regional specialities. These customs are not universal.

What are antipasti, primi, secondi and dolci in an Italian Christmas dinner?View Answer+

These are the courses of a traditional Italian meal. Antipasti are the starters, such as cured meats, crostini and seafood; primi are first courses such as pasta, soup in broth or risotto; secondi are main courses of meat or fish, served with contorni (side dishes); and dolci are the desserts, such as panettone, pandoro and regional Christmas sweets. A festive meal can include all of them, and every region has its own favourites.

What is a traditional Italian Christmas Eve dinner (La Vigilia di Natale)?View Answer+

La Vigilia di Natale is the dinner on December 24. It is traditionally a meatless meal (cena di magro), so menus are usually based on fish, seafood, baccalà (salt cod), vegetables and fried foods. The dishes differ by region, from spaghetti alle vongole and fried eel in Campania to cappon magro in Liguria or baccalà with crispy peppers in Basilicata.

Do Italians eat the Feast of the Seven Fishes at Christmas?View Answer+

The name “Feast of the Seven Fishes” is used mostly by Italian Americans. In Italy, especially in the south, including Campania, Puglia, Calabria and Sicily, the Christmas Eve dinner often includes several fish and seafood dishes, but there is no fixed number and the menu depends on the region and the family.