An Italian Christmas Dinner the Osteria Amore Way

We believe there are two types of people when it comes to Christmas: those who love Christmas for the presents, and those who love Christmas for the food. At Osteria Amore, we definitely count ourselves as part of the second group. And as with most holidays, when Italians do Christmas, we do it big--especially when it comes to our meals. 

Although your family’s Christmas traditions may vary depending on the culture you were raised in, we like to think food is a language that needs no translation. And for the Italian family, food is at the heart of Christmas. If you’re looking for ways to bring a traditional Italian flair to your next Christmas gathering, you’ve come to the right place. 

Christmas Eve Dinner: La Vigilia di Natale

The night before Christmas isn’t just for putting cookies out for Santa--in Italy, it’s the night families gather for a traditional seafood feast. The practice of eating a meatless meal on the day before a feast day is a Roman Catholic tradition that’s persisted into modern times, though many Italians and Italian-Americans now include meat in their Christmas Eve menu. The stars of this meal, though, typically come from the sea. 

Seeing as Italy is surrounded on three sides by water, there are a lot of fish to choose from. There might be some variety in the menu based on the region you’re in, but commonly seen preparations include

• Salmon

• Octopus

• Smelt

• Swordfish

• Tuna

• Calamari

• Spaghetti with clam sauce

• Salted cod, or baccalá

In addition to seafood, there’s often meatless pasta on the menu for Christmas Eve dinner. Again, pasta dishes will vary by region--for example, you might expect to see gnocchi and stuffed pasta in Northern Italy.

Christmas Day Lunch: Buon Natale 

Christmas day, or Natale in Italian, is celebrated with a feast during the middle of the day, and this meal is the most important of the holiday season. It can last for hours, and is typically meat-based. Though there’s no one right way to do Christmas lunch, it might be broken down something like this:

Antipasto (Before the Meal)

• Dry cured meats (salumi)

• Italian cheeses

• Briny olives, artichokes, and other marinated vegetables

Primo (First Course)

Pasta (varying by region). For example, you might see baked pasta in Central/Southern Italy and lasagna bolognese or filled pasta such as manicotti and ravioli in Northern Italy

Cestini di Casa - Cestini ravioli, pear, gorgonzola, butter and sage. Available at Osteria Amore in Salt Lake City.

Secondo (Main Course)

Meat is the feature of this course, and often many different types of meats are served, each prepared differently. Some commonly used meats include

• Veal

• Chicken

• Sausages

• Beef

• Guinea hen

• Capon

• Turkey

Formaggi Misti - A selection of aged artisan cheeses served with local honey, fresh fruits, and aged balsamic vinegar. Available at Osteria Amore in Salt Lake City.

Dolce 

It’s not a feast without dessert, and you’re likely to find lots of sweets to choose from at an Italian Christmas lunch. You’re almost guaranteed to find the following treats at any given Natale feast:

• Pandoro

  • Pandoro (meaning “golden bread”) is a staple of Natale. It originated in Verona (if that name sounds familiar, it was the setting of Romeo and Juliet), but is served across Italy, particularly at Christmas

  • The light, fluffy cake is typically dusted with powdered sugar, and unlike panettone, doesn’t have candied fruit in it

• Panettone

  • A dome-shaped cake, slightly sweet and often loaded with candied fruit, panettone originates in Milan and dates way back to the 1500s

• Torrone

  • This nougat candy usually consists of egg white, honey, sugar, and toasted almonds or other nuts

  • Since its invention hundreds of years ago (torrone has been around since at least the 1400s!), it has been interpreted in many different ways, and now can be found as a hard or soft candy, with a variety of possible ingredients added to the base recipe

Drinks

No festive Italian meal is complete without specialty drinks, and Natale lunch is no exception. Prosecco, Italian sparkling wine, is a popular choice. In addition, bombardino is an eggnog-based hot toddy, well-loved by skiers and holiday celebrants alike.

Adami Garbel Prosecco. Available at Osteria Amore in Salt Lake City.

Buon Appetito!

The most important thing to remember about a traditional Italian holiday feast is that it’s best celebrated surrounded by your loved ones. Regardless of what you end up eating, your Christmas traditions are only as strong as the relationships you have with the people who will carry on those traditions. 

May your Christmas season be filled with family, friends, and food. Happy Holidays from Osteria Amore!

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Enjoy authentic Italian Christmas dinner stress free. Make reservations for your family today!

Osteria Amore executive chef/owner, Marco Cuttaia and manager/owner, Eduardo Daja.