Nonna's Easter advice
Don't waste a damn thing (+ Italian easter foods that love the earth and don't break the bank)
Big food holidays can frighten people. What do you make? What do I bring? What do I eat first??!!??…
a quick reflection on my Nonna and my Catholic roots…
Italian holidays are centered around food, mostly because they are usually tied to a Catholic holiday that probably had you fasting and/or repenting prior. Though we modern folks aren’t all so good at confession (or maybe that’s just me), we are good at one thing: eating.
I always wondered how these food-ridden traditions evolved, especially in a country where historically the cuisines - I use plural purposefully here - are so heavily based in la cucina povera, or poor/peasant’s cuisine. And, it all came down to one word - repurposing.
Now, I am no stranger to it. My nonna repurposed everything, and that even went for the big holidays. No, you don’t have to buy the nicest of everything to celebrate Jesus. You just have to do your best. And, one of the best things you can do - for yourself, the planet, and the nonnas worldwide - is to not waste anything in your kitchen.
My grandmother would make pizza chiena (what Italian Americans call - ‘pizzagain’) with whatever was in her fridge. We never questioned how old the pecorino, salame, or provolone was that went in. All we saw was the thick and beautiful savory tart she would make from scratch, dough rolled out on a big wooden board from the 60s and all.
She raised and fed a house of 8 people like this, for over 60 years.
So, for those of you freaking out this Easter, channel my nonna’s energy and know you can do this. And, that doesn’t require you to roll out dough like a pro - it means you just have to have the courage and a fridge filled with things screaming at you: don’t let me go bad!
THE EASTER FOODS!
If you’re struggling to figure out what to make for Easter this year and want something that won’t break your bank account (or wrists), here are the go-to Italian Easter foods, most paired with videos from my very favorite Neapolitan teacher - Mimmo Corcione.
Frittata
My nonna’s signature - the frittata is such an easy go-to. Traditionally, she would use asparagus since they are in season and a gorgeous symbol of Spring. No asparagus? No problem - you can use whatever you want here. Green veggies are great for color, and you can revive the sad-looking ones in your fridge sauteed in the pan with a little oil and white wine (or a tiny bit of white wine vinegar) before adding to your frittata.
Other options - leftover salumi (I love a good chopped up salame butt! Or, leftover prosciutto, etc…) and cheese is a great addition. Just make sure to adjust the salt ratio - salumi when heated releases a lot of salt, and no one wants to deal with a salty frittata at the table.
Pizza chiena (‘pizzagain’ or pizza rustica)
Don’t be confused by the name - it’s not pizza. Pizza refers to the dough in Southern Italy, particularly Napoli and surrounding areas. It often refers to baked dough stuffed with the best of things (I am a real slut for a pizza di scarola).
Of course, it’s Pasqua so I am behaving and settling for pizza rustica, or pizza chiena. Oh, it’s a hard life.
If I had a time machine, I would go back and eat my grandma’s pizza chiena - filled with ricotta and egg. Sometimes, there can be spinach which would make it more of a torta pasqualina - a great opportunity to salvage some salad greens or that sad frozen spinach you neglected for far too long.
Also, remember I said cuisines *plural* earlier? Well, that’s why there are a million names for pizza rustica and well everything in Italy. And, here we go again - torta does mean cake, but it can also be a savory tart. Or, I would call this more of a pie with its slutti thickness.
Pastiera
There’s nothing that screams Easter dessert than pastieria, whether in NJ or Napoli (its birthplace). My nonna’s was indeed a variation, her own kind of ricotta pie. Again, it’s not about fresh everything - of course, you may not have a ton of ricotta sitting around like a Neapolitan zia would. But, allow this recipe and the charming Mimmo to inspire you into something grand this Easter.
Casatiello (higher difficulty)
The OG Neapolitan Easter treat, the ultimate Pasqua weakness - Casatiello is quite a special bread. Or is it a savory bundt cake? Whatever floats your boat.
Casatiello was historically made with whatever was leftover - mostly grated cheese (the name casatiello comes from the Latin word caseum, or cheese), salame butts, prosciutti, mortadella, and cheese. The base dough is similar to a more hydrated pizza dough - it’s light, airy, and hydrated. How leavened it is depends on who makes it. That’s why I said ‘ higher difficulty’ because this thing requires a good fancy dough mixer unless you were trained in nonna’s kitchen from birth.
It is absolutely worth the challenge, though. Casatiello is toasty on the outside with a chewy cloud-like dough that tingles your tastebuds with its blend of cheese and baked chunks of meat. Some even have hard-boiled eggs inside, giving you a good classic Neapolitan protein boost (like you’re worried about macros on Easter…)
If you want to go the whole 9 yards, you can also decorate the top with hard-boiled eggs, with dough crosses. See below.
And, for those with a sweet tooth…
There’s also a sweet casatiello!
If you don’t love Mimmo as much as I do by this point, I don’t know what to tell you.
Tortano (the less difficult cousin of the casatiello, but equally as good)
Some say it’s identical to the casatiello, while some argue it’s the thicker cousin. Either way, I will be honest - my grandma never made tortano. I’ve had it maybe once in my life - it’s nearly identical casatiello, and just as Neapolitan. However, a little easier to make. The dough is a little thicker. Of course, my man mimmo makes it fun to learn in the recipe below. What did I learn? It’s less fancy, with a lot more meat.
So, what’s your Easter weakness?
Wishing everyone a Buona Pasqua!
Xx,
Victoria