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Easter, the Italian Way

March 26, 2026

Easter, the Italian Way

From Tuscan lamb stews to Neapolitan pastiera, Pellicano Hotels’ GroupExecutive Chef Michelino Gioia takes us through the Easter tables of Tuscany, Lazio and Campania

If you know Italy and Italians, you know that any festivity is an occasion to feast. Easter, of course, is no exception. Like Christmas, Carnival and saints’ days, it’s not just a holiday. It’s a culinary ritual.

From north to south, the celebration unfolds around the table with dishes that speak of spring, family and centuries-old traditions. Eggs appear in every form imaginable, lamb takes centre stage and sweets rich with symbolism – from rice cakes to fragrant pastiere – close the meal.

Yet, as Group Executive Chef Michelino Gioia points out, there is no single “Italian Easter menu.”

“Every region has its own traditions,” he explains. “And in Italy it goes even further – every province, every town, even every family has its own way of celebrating.”

Across the regions where Pellicano Hotels are located – Tuscany, Lazio and Campania – Easter becomes a journey through distinct culinary identities. 

So we asked Chef Gioia to guide us through them. Ready to take a seat at the table?

Tuscany: A Rustic Feast of Spring

In southern Tuscany, where Hotel Il Pellicano overlooks the sea near Porto Ercole, Easter traditions reflect the rural rhythms of the Maremma.

The day, Chef Gioiai explains, often begins with a colazione contadina: boiled eggs, pecorino, local salumi and rustic bread or schiacciata.

From there, the meal grows richer. Pappardelle with wild game ragù, roasted lamb with potatoes and the deeply traditional buglione d’agnello, a slow-cooked lamb stew with tomato, define the table.

Desserts lean towards simplicity and heritage, from torta di riso to the lightly sweet schiacciata di Pasqua.

These are dishes rooted in farming traditions, generous and abundant, “a celebration of spring after the austerity of winter,” Chef Gioia says. 

The Easter menu at Hotel Il Pellicano reflects that spirit. Dishes like sweetbread risotto with artichokes and liquorice or lamb, asparagus, bell peppers, and bagna cauda homage the season, while colomba with zabaglione cream offers a delicious moment of indulgence. 

Lazio: Between Tradition and Spring

On the Roman coast, Easter at the table balances structure with spontaneity.

Breakfast is again a rustic affair of eggs, cheeses and salumi, often accompanied by pizza al formaggio, while lunch brings baked pastas, artichokes and lamb,  sometimes roasted, sometimes served as the classic breaded chops.

But it’s the ingredients of spring that define the region: artichokes, peas, fava beans, the same elements that come together in vignarola, the quintessential Roman dish of the season.

At La Posta Vecchia, this sense of place carries directly into the Easter menu.

The traditional vignarola appears as a refined opening course, followed by dishes that echo the region’s heritage – most notably local lamb served with artichokes, potatoes and olives, a clear nod to Lazio’s Easter table.

It’s recognisable, but lighter. Familiar, but with a contemporary touch. 

Campania and Ischia: A Feast of Memory

Further south, Easter in Campania unfolds with unmistakable richness.

“The celebrations in Campania often begin with fellata, a morning spread of cured meats, cheeses and eggs, followed by iconic savoury bakes like casatiello and tortano,” Chef Gioia says. 

Lamb remains central here too, but dessert is where the region truly asserts itself. The unmistakable pastiera napoletana, scented with orange blossom and made with ricotta and wheat berries, is as much a ritual as it is a dish.

At Mezzatorre Hotel & Thermal Spa, this heritage is preserved and elevated.

The Easter menu features roasted lamb with fresh herbs, alongside a dessert selection that includes both the classic colomba and, crucially, pastiera,  anchoring the experience firmly in Campanian tradition.

“It’s a celebration of memory, reinterpreted with precision,” he says. 

Easter at the Pellicano Hotels

While these traditions remain deeply rooted, the way they are served today has evolved.

Rather than recreating the famously long, multi-course Easter feasts of the past, Pellicano Hotels adopt a more contemporary approach – one that reflects how people want to eat now.

“We still create a special Easter menu,” Gioia explains, “but guests today prefer to feel free at the table.”

So instead of imposing a fixed, heavy banquet, the menus draw from the ingredients and symbols of Easter – lamb, eggs, spring vegetables, colomba – allowing guests to engage with tradition in a lighter, more personal way.

The atmosphere remains festive: Easter breakfasts, seasonal dishes, small rituals throughout the day.

But the experience is unmistakably Pellicano.

“Easter is in the air,” Gioia says, “but nothing is imposed.”

That balance – between heritage and ease – is perhaps the most Italian thing of all.

At Pellicano Hotels, those flavours remain, but they’re just a little lighter, a little freer, and entirely of the moment.

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