What are the Christmas dishes according to the Roman tradition? The “tradition” is served between 24 and 25 December each. In Rome, as well as in the rest of Italy, there are still many families who are very keen to propose original traditional dishes during the Christmas holidays, exactly as they were cooked by grandmothers and great-grandmothers.
Also this year, the approach of December leads us to start thinking about the menu for dinner on Christmas Eve and lunch on the 25th. Between appetizers, first and second courses, side dishes and desserts. What will your menu be?
What are the Roman dishes on Christmas Eve?
In a Christmas Eve dinner, the soup of arzilla will certainly not be missing, or a hot soup made with pasta and broccoli to prepare the stomach. Maybe you can continue with a fish-based dish, such as spaghetti with clams and mussels.
We continue with one of the most popular dishes not only in Rome, but throughout Italy: a tasty and crunchy fry that can be of squid and shrimp, with anchovies and cod. But the Capitoline tradition also suggests frying vegetables always with broccoli or artichokes with a side of green salad.
What are the Roman dishes for Christmas lunch?
Stracciatella, without a doubt! A really tasty soup based on meat broth in which beaten eggs are added which will form small omelettes perfect to re (open) the stomach after dinner the night before. The addition of nutmeg, lemon zest and plenty of parmigiano reggiano (Parmesan cheese) will make the stracciatella a real goodness.
With the stomach wide open, we move on to the first course which usually and according to tradition is based on fresh pasta. There are those who choose fettuccine or fresh filled pasta such as ravioli, but the important thing is that they are served with ragù.
The inevitable abbacchio (lamb) will be followed in different ways, baked or fried, the important thing is that you leave the cutlery aside and proceed by eating it with your hands. For lovers of strong and particular flavors there will be the coratella (offal) with artichokes or with a side of fresh chicory with salt, garlic, pepper, vinegar and anchovies.
Traditional Roman Christmas sweets
Sweets such as pangiallo and panpepato, mostaccioli, crunchy almonds, nocchiate and nociate certainly cannot be missing for both Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas lunch. And finally, the inevitable dried fruit
that never fails at the end of a festive Roman dinner or lunch.
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