If you’ve ever been a guest at an Italian holiday or family celebration, you know Italians cook up the most delizioso feast. Easter is one of the great Italian feasts of the year, where a spread of savoury meats, cheeses and salumi, a bounty of seasonal vegetables, and rich sweet desserts are devoured to celebrate this important spring holiday.
You Gotta Eat Here! host John Catucci, whose family hails from southern Italy, told us that an antipasto platter called a Benedetto (John calls it a “pyramid of deliciousness”) is a big part of his family’s Easter feast. This traditional dish is made by layering slices of different savoury cured meats, creamy ricotta, oranges, lemons and hard boiled eggs. John’s family would make a special trip to buy the cured meats and other Easter ingredients at Diana Meat and Grocery, a traditional Italian grocer in Toronto’s Corso Italia neighbourhood.
Image credits (from left to right): michelaalicino.it; cucinasuditalia.blogspot.ca; cucchiarando.wordpress.com
A large platter of Italian meats and cheese sounds satisfying enough but that was just the beginning. The feast culminated with John’s dad’s roast lamb, the traditional choice for the Catucci family’s Easter feast. To make your own Easter roast lamb, check out these great recipes from Food Network Canada chefs:
- Lynn Crawford’s Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb (pictured above)
- Massimo Capra’s Roasted Leg of Lamb with Black Olives, Lemon and Thyme
- Trish Magwood’s Boneless Butterflied Leg of Lamb
- Chuck Hughes’s Stuffed Lamb Shoulder with Garlic Sauce
For more great Easter ideas and recipes, visit our Easter Guide.
Watch new episodes of You Gotta Eat Here! with John Catucci Fridays at 9 ET/6 PT.