Lamb, traditional cured meats, and traditions: this is how Easter is celebrated in the region of Tuscany.
Easter in Tuscany: gastronomic traditions
Spending Easter in Tuscany is an extraordinary opportunity to immerse yourself in a gastronomic journey that celebrates the rich culinary tradition of this enchanting region. Food becomes a sensory experience that unfolds through authentic flavors, refined delicacies, and fairytale landscapes. Traditional dishes prepared with the finest ingredients, cultivated with care and love, and medieval castles perched on green hills covered with vineyards and olive groves come together in a symphony of taste and emotion that tells the story of the soul of Tuscany.
Every dish served on the Easter table carries with it centuries of history and a deep connection to the land and its genuine products.
But what do people eat at Easter in Tuscany? What are the traditional Easter dishes that can be enjoyed in this region?
Appetiser with local products
To answer the question what is eaten at Easter in Tuscany, it is best to start from the beginning, that is, from the starters, based mainly on cold meats and cheeses. In Tuscany, however, talking about cold meats and cheeses is like opening the door to a riot of flavours, a veritable feast for the senses, given the great variety and above all quality of these products.
Tuscan cold cuts and cheeses
Local cured meats such as the delicate prosciutto crudo (cured ham), the aromatic finocchiona (smoked salami) and the tasty Tuscan salami release captivating aromas and flavours, while the sheep's and cow's milk cheeses, including the prized Tuscan pecorino, give the palate a divine creaminess and an unparalleled embrace of taste. Every bite conveys a gustatory ecstasy, a harmony of flavours that tantalises the palate and prepares it for a tasteful Easter lunch.
Chicken livers on Tuscan bread
Chicken livers are also a timeless classic of Tuscan cuisine, especially at Easter. Sautéed in a pan with garlic, onion, sage and white wine and served hot on traditional Tuscan bread crostini, they have a soft texture and intense flavour, a true delicacy to enjoy with the family on a festive day.
The pasqualina cake
Finally, tables never lack torta pasqualina, a savoury pie made of puff pastry, filled with a tasty mixture of spinach, ricotta cheese, hard-boiled eggs and grated cheese. The typical preparation involves making one or more layers of filling inside the puff pastry, with the layers of spinach and ricotta interspersed with whole hard-boiled eggs. This scheme creates a succulent and tasty dish, much loved for its combination of flavours and textures.
First courses: homemade pasta
An Easter tradition to be respected in the kitchen, not only in Tuscany but throughout Italy, is that of home-made pasta: whether pici, tortellini or lasagne, the first course on this special Sunday must be prepared by hand.
So what do you eat at Easter in Tuscany? The general preference is for pici, a pasta with a centuries-old tradition similar to very thick spaghetti, served with a thick and richly flavoured ragout, or tortelli mugellani, large tortelli made of fresh homemade pasta and filled with flavoured potatoes.
Second of lamb
The undisputed star of traditional Tuscan Easter main courses is lamb, baked or roasted, accompanied by aromatic herbs and the so-called pane ramerino, a traditional Tuscan bread with a crispy, golden crust and a soft, fragrant crumb. But when asked what people eat at Easter in Tuscany, the answer that everyone agrees on is buglione d'agnello, a lamb stew marinated in wine. Preparing it according to tradition requires time and precision, as well as an iron pot in which to cook it. The marinade must be left for at least eight hours to ensure that all the flavors are properly absorbed by the meat. Don't forget to serve lightly toasted Tuscan bread croutons as an accompaniment, directly on the plate. The word buglione means ‘a mixture of things’ in the Maremma dialect, precisely because the ingredients are cooked and served all together.
Easter in Tuscany: places to find traditional Easter foods
Knowing what the traditional Easter foods are in Tuscany is only the first step towards an immersive experience in the festive traditions of this magnificent region: to fully understand its beauty, it is essential to taste these traditional dishes in a typical Tuscan restaurant.
In this regard, there is no better place than La Taverna Restaurant, a characteristic Tuscan restaurant located in the old cellars of Castello Banfi, near Montalcino. It is furnished in traditional style, with fine wooden tables reminiscent of the wine barrels that once rested in those same rooms, exposed vaulted ceilings, and magnificent tapestries depicting the lush Tuscan countryside. An intimate and welcoming setting, perfect for an Easter lunch with the family featuring traditional dishes.
More refined but certainly no less welcoming is La Sala dei Grappoli Restaurant, in the shadow of the historic Castello Banfi, in a room with exposed wooden beams and walls decorated with superb golden grape clusters, where you can enjoy a truly luxurious food and wine experience.
