35 traditional Christmas foods in Italy

Christmas in Italy is similar to how many European countries celebrate the holiday.

From the festive decorations and Christmas markets to the thousands of sparkling lights, festive cheer is a given in Italy.

But, there’s no more telling sign that Christmas has arrived, than by the variety of delicious food varying by region.

In this post, I'll be listing 35 of the most popular traditional Christmas foods in Italy.

When do Italians enjoy Christmas dinner?

Christmas Eve, ‘Vigilia’ is typically when Italian families, including extended members, get together for the big meal.

Christmas Day, speaking from my own experience, tends to be celebrated with immediate family.

The season brings together the best Italian food on one grand festive table. Homemade pastas, flavorful soups and meat or fish dishes are a slither of what you can expect.

If you’re curious to know what Italians eat for Christmas then read on. This travel guide will list the most mouthwatering Sicilian Christmas dishes to Veneto festive meals.

35 traditional Christmas foods in Italy

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Italian Christmas soups (minestre)

1. Tortellini in brodo

A dish I could happily eat every day, tortellini in brodo is a Christmas favorite across central Italy.

Originating from Emilia Romagna, this classic egg pasta is stuffed with fillings including veal, ham, Parmigiana cheese and nutmeg. You can also find vegetarian fillings.

The tortellini are cooked in a special ‘cappone’(young bird) broth, an aroma so satisfying it delights any kitchen.

You can find tortellini in brodo on Christmas tables in Umbria, Marche, Tuscany and Lazio.

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2. Minestra maritata

Simmering in the Christmas kitchens of Campania and Calabria is a simple yet delicious soup packed full of flavor.

Minestra maritata, meaning ‘married soup’ isn’t necessarily a dish to celebrate new nuptials. Instead, the name refers to the marrying of vegetables, meat and other flavors in the soup.

Base ingredients include black cabbage, chicory, endive, escarole and sausage. Depending on the recipe, minestra maritata can also contain parts of the pig such as rinds and the foot.

Cooked in a tasty pork broth, the soup’s popular not only at Christmastime, but also throughout winter.

3. Canederli

Another one of my favorite Italian comfort foods, there’s nothing that a hearty serving of canederli won’t fix.

The dumplings made from stale bread, speck, eggs, milk, flour, bacon and salami are typical of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. Germanic in heritage, it’s a dish that’s also popular in neighboring Austria.

Canederli are cooked in a broth or served with melted butter and cheese or a meat sauce. A dish that’ll leave you feeling full and cozy, a serving will complete any Christmas table.

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4. Zuppa valpellinentze

This classic Christmas soup from the Valle D’Aosta region is one of the most traditional Christmas foods in Italy. Savoy cabbage, stale bread and fontina cheese simmer in a broth spiced up by cinnamon and nutmeg.

Warming and thoroughly satisfying, it’s exactly the dish you need in the wintry north-west of Italy.

Italian Christmas fish dishes

5. Cod (baccalà) dishes

A fish course (usually cod) for a Christmas dinner is typical in many southern regions, including Sicily, Campania and Puglia.

In Lazio and Campania, the cod is stewed along with cherry tomatoes, black olives, garlic and capers. In Basilicata it’s boiled, while in Veneto, it comes with a generous serving of polenta.

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6. Brodetto alla termolese

In Molise, there are several fish dishes that are popular at Christmastime. Brodetto alla termolese is a mouthwatering pasta dish with humble roots.

Packed with different types of fish and seafood, it’s a filling first course that leaves little room for the second.

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7. Baccalà Arracanato

This fish course, also from Molise, can be prepared in 2 different ways. One is with breadcrumbs, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, raisins, pine nuts and walnuts.

The second way is baked with cabbage, parsley, breadcrumbs, raisins and walnuts. Whichever you choose, both are equally delicious.

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8. Capitone

A fish dish, specifically eel, that’s popular at Christmastime in Molise, Campania and Lazio. Molise enjoys capitone boiled with bay leaves and garlic. Over in Lazio and Campania, they prefer theirs fried and served piping hot.

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9. Tiella di baccalà e patate

An all-in-one dish baked in the oven, tiella di baccalà e patate is packed full of Mediterranean flavors.

Consisting of ingredients like cod, potatoes, tomatoes, black olives and capers, it’s one of several traditional Christmas foods in Italy.

Italian Christmas pasta dishes

10. Lasagna

While many of us consider lasagna a weekday meal, many Italians serve it as a main course on Christmas Day.

Recipes vary according to regions. In Emilia Romagna, lasagna is made with the classic minced beef and béchamel sauce, while the Neapolitan version uses ricotta.

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11. Culurgiones

Take some stuffed ravioli and smother them in a fragrant tomato sauce. Culurgiones are a classic dish in Sardinia and one that many families eat at Christmastime.

We tried a few varieties during our road trip to south Sardinia and I can attest that they're very delicious.

Fillings can range from potatoes and pecorino cheese to sheep or goat meat.

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12. Vincisgrassi

Similar to a lasagne — almost identical — is vincisgrassi. Originating from Marche, layers of flat pasta are filled with different types of meat, mushrooms or even stuffed gnocchi. A full-bodied sauce completes the dish.

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13. Scilatelle con ragù

A typical first course on Calabrian tables, scilatelle con ragù consists of a homemade pasta with a rich meat sauce. Traditionally eaten for lunch on Sunday, it’s also a popular choice come Christmas.

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14. Tortelli di zucca

Traditionally eaten in Mantua, tortelli di zucca (pumpkin tortelli) is a typical Mantuan pasta often cooked on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas Day, the aroma of another pasta dish, casoncelli alla bergamasca, fills Mantuan kitchens everywhere.

Map of Italy

15. Strascinati

A simple pasta dish eaten in the Basilicata region, strascinati is lovingly handmade, and served on many festive tables. It’s traditionally served with peperoni cruschi (crushed peppers).

Italian Christmas meat dishes

16. L’abbacchio alla Romana

If you’re invited to a Roman Christmas dinner, it’s likely that you’ll be feasting on l’abbacchio.

Roast lamb is seasoned with garlic, sage leaves, rosemary and white wine and slow cooked in the oven. It’s then served with a cream made from garlic, anchovies, white wine vinegar and olive oil.

In Puglia, baked lamb is served with bitter onions called lampascioni.

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17. Cappone

A roasted hen that features on many Christmas tables in Italy, cappone is a popular main course.

You’ll find it comes stuffed in Lombardy and Tuscany, boiled in Umbria and Liguria, and roasted in Piedmonte and Marche.

In Liguria, baked guinea fowl (faraona) stuffed with artichokes is another delicious meaty main.

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18. Brovada e muset

In Friuli Venezia Giulia, a popular second course is brovada e muset. A dish consisting of fermented turnips and a sausage meat called musetto, it’s usually served with polenta.

Turkey and potatoes it isn’t, but it's one of the most traditional Christmas foods in Italy.

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19. Bardiccio

At midnight on Christmas Eve, the residents of Londa in Tuscany come together to celebrate the Fusigno Festival. Gathered over a grand bonfire, they grill pork sausages with fennel called bardiccio, washed down with local wine.

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20. Zampone Modena

For a truly carnivorous affair, you can do no wrong with an invite to a Modenese Christmas dinner. Zampone Modena is a sausage made from pork, rinds and fatback.

It can be served with lentils or with a potato puree. Other notable cured meats of the Emilia Romagna region are the mighty culatello di Zibello and prosciutto crudo di Parma.

Italian Christmas desserts

21. Panettone

Lombardy is the region of panettone, the Christmas cake that’s known the world over.

The classic recipe includes raisins, sultanas and candied peel and makes an ideal Italian Christmas gift. Delicious served warm, panettone is the king of all Italian Christmas desserts.

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22. Pandoro

A top Christmas alternative, and one that comes without candied peel or raisins is pandoro. Originating from Verona, I like my pandoro served warm, just until the powdered sugar begins to melt.

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23. Pandolce

Similar to the panettone but hailing from Genoa is pandolce. It has more of a bread texture and is packed with raisins, pine nuts and the fragrance of lemons.

Many Genovese enjoy a slice of Christmas pandolce with a glass of Rossese di Dolceaqua.

24. Ricciarelli

Many Tuscans have a sweet tooth, something that becomes clearer during Christmas. Ricciarelli
are macaroons from Siena made with almonds and finished with a healthy sprinkling of powdered sugar.

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25. Cavallucci

Cavallucci are a Tuscan traditional Christmas pastry, made with plain flour, aniseed and candied fruits. The pastry dates to the Renaissance, when the church’s council in Siena would gift cavallucci to its members.

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26. Panforte

Last, but definitely not least from Tuscany is panforte. A cross between a cake and chewy candy, it’s packed with nuts and fruits and adorns many Tuscan Christmas tables.

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27. Panone Bolognese

Made with quince, honey, dark chocolate, flour and dried figs, kids — big and small — in Emilia Romagna love Panone Bolognese.

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28. Panpepato

A Christmas dessert with biscuits, fruit, nuts and covered in chocolate, panpepato is an appetizing way to end a meal. Typically eaten in places like Siena, Ferrara and the Province of Terni, one slice of won’t be enough.

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29. Pizza di Natale

Bearing a strong similarity to panettone, pizza di Natale is enjoyed across Marche during the festive season.

Made with ingredients like hazelnuts, almonds, dried figs and orange peel, it’s beautiful to look at and delicious to eat.

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30. Sebadas

An Italian dessert I could happily eat all year round, Christmas in Sardinia usually ends with sebadas. One of the best Sardinian sweets, the pastry is filled with pecorino cheese, fried and then dipped in honey.

Crunchy and crispy, sebadas makes a sweet and satisfying end to an Italian Christmas meal.

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31. Struffoli

My tummy begins to rumble whenever I think about struffoli. These honey-coated deep-fried dough balls covered with sprinkles are a festive favorite in Naples.

Usually presented in a tower shape, it’s a dessert that was made for sharing. In Puglia, they also have a similar dessert to struffoli called porcedduzzi.

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32. Roccocò

Large cookies in the shape of a flattened donut, roccocò is another Christmas dessert popular in the Campania region. Ingredients include almonds and a range of spices such as cinnamon and star anise.

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33. Cartellate

Fried dough in the shape of a rose and garnished with honey and sprinkles, cartellate are almost too pretty to eat.

Popular in Puglia, the cartellate are flavored in a vincotto (cooked wine) made from Puglian grape must or honey.

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34. Nacatole

At Christmastime across Calabria, many Calabrians end their meal with a serving of nacatole. Bearing a similar texture to donuts, nacatole are fried, flavored with anise and finished with a dusting of sugar.

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35. Gubana

Across Friuli Venezia Giulia during the holidays, you’re likely to find many Italians enjoying a slice of gubana.

One of the most traditional Christmas foods in Italy, this snail-shaped cake is filled with raisins, walnuts, pine nuts and liqueur.

What do you think about these traditional Christmas foods in Italy? Did you make it to the end without getting hungry?! I’d love to know. Leave me your thoughts in the comments below.

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