Planning an Easter menu is always challenging. Aside from ham, there really aren’t too many traditional dishes to make like there are for Thanksgiving or Christmas so there’s a lot of wiggle room with the meal planning. We often turn to our favorite culinary superstars like Ina Garten to pull recipe inspo from, and luckily, Giada De Laurentiis just shared her entire 2020 Italian Easter menu with us.
Ready to make Italian Easter bread w/ Jade…. #Casatiello recipe on @thegiadzy link in my bio #Easter #wecook
A post shared by Giada DeLaurentiis (@giadadelaurentiis) on Apr 10, 2020 at 10:35am PDT
Easter is going to look different for us all this year as we’ll likely be spending most of it on Zoom, but Giada says that’s no reason to skimp on your Easter menu. “Even though we won’t be joining our extended families this Easter, we’ll still be celebrating in our own kitchens and homes,” she wrote on her blog, The Giadzy. “We urge everyone to do the same – cooking our family’s favorite traditional dishes makes us feel more connected than anything else can during a holiday.”
You won’t find a traditional spiral ham on Giada’s menu. Instead, she will be serving up her Creamy Polenta with Spinach and Spicy Lamb Ragu.
For a side, Giada is sticking with a traditional spring veggie but she’s giving it a twist with her Asparagus with Goat Cheese and Hazelnuts.
This salad is topped with a mustard vinaigrette that is full of bright flavor!
For dessert, De Laurentiis will be making these adorable Italian Easter Cookies that look like little mini donuts. In Italy, these are called Taralli Dolci Di Pasqua and according to Giada’s blog, “these cookies are essentially shortbread, and they’re perfectly not-too-sweet. They’re fragrant with vanilla and lemon, and they get a zingy lemon glaze.” Sounds good to us!
Say hi to @giadadelaurentiis’ Taralli Dolci Di Pasqua – aka, Italian Easter Cookies! 👋 These not-too-sweet shortbread cookies originate from the south of Italy, and they’re the cutest ever. Grab the #recipe in the profile link! https://giadzy.com/recipes/italian-easter-cookies-taralli-dolci-di-pasqua/
A post shared by Giadzy (@thegiadzy) on Apr 9, 2020 at 10:16am PDT
You can add any kind of sprinkles or edible spring decorations you have at home to these little cookies to spruce them up.
Cookies must be a popular dessert this year because Queen Elizabeth II is making them for Easter dinner too! Since we’re all home with a little extra time on our hands, might as well Giada’s cookies and the Queen’s, right?
Before you go, check out some of Giada’s best pasta recipes below:
