Are you hosting an Easter dinner this year? If so, you’ll want to make sure you have a great menu prepared. If you can incorporate your love of authentic Italian ingredients into the dish, you’ll be even more excited to host this important meal.
Marco Viola, the fabulous olive oil artisan from Umbria, consulted one of his chef friends and created an Italian Easter menu for Olio2go, which we are delighted to share with you. This beautiful four-course menu will be perfect for any special occasion throughout the year, but its focus on spring flavors makes it a perfect fit for the Easter holiday.
Ready to start cooking? Create this easy Italian Easter dinner for your loved ones with the following recipes.
Toasted Brioches with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil Pesto with Viola Costa del Riparo Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Ingredients for 4 people
For the brioche and tomato tartare:
- 300 gr (10 oz) sliced brioches*
- 400 gr (14 oz) Piccadilly* cherry tomatoes
- 50 gr (2 oz) extra virgin olive oil (recommended: Viola Costa del Riparo)
For the pesto:
- 100 gr (3.5 lb.) basil leaves
- 15 gr (1/2 oz) pine nuts
- 20 gr (2T) Parmiggiano Reggiano DOP cheese
- 50 gr (2 oz) organic extra virgin olive oil (recommended: Viola Costa del Riparo)
- 3 gr (1/2 t) salt
- 3 gr (1 clove) garlic
Preparation
Pesto:
Clean and rinse the basil leaves. Put them in a mixer container with the rest of the ingredients, add an ice cube, and mix with an immersion blender to make an unrefined, rustic pesto. Keep the prepared pesto in the refrigerator for an hour before using.
Plating
Cut the brioche into rectangles and toast them. Cut the cherry tomatoes into small cubes, add Viola Costa del Riparo extra virgin olive oil, then mix well and place on top of the toasted brioche. Garnish with basil pesto and some fresh basil leaves.
*Substitutions: For the brioches, you can use slices of egg bread or challah. For Piccadilly cherry tomatoes, you may substitute grape tomatoes or Supersweets if they are available.
Fresh Egg Tagliatelle with Chianina Ragù and Pecorino Romano, featuring Viola Il Sincero Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Ingredients for 4 people
For the pasta:
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 200 gr (1 1/3C) “0” or “00” flour
- 75 gr (1/2C) durum wheat semolina
For the ragú:
- 300 gr (3/4 lb) ground beef*
- 300 gr (1 2/3C) peeled tomatoes
- 60 gr (1/3C) extra virgin olive oil (recommended: Viola Il Sincero )
- 30 gr celery (1 small stalk)
- 30 gr carrot (1 carrot)
- 30 gr onion (1/2 small onion)
- 150 gr (2/3 C) dry red wine
- Black pepper to taste
- Salt to taste
Preparation
For the pasta:
To prepare the dough, knead all ingredients manually or with a mixer until the dough is compact and homogeneous. Then form a ball, cover it, and keep it in the fridge for 6 hours before using it. Once the ragù is ready, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1 mm and cut it into the traditional tagliatelle shape.
For the ragù:
Take a saucepan and heat the Viola Il Sincero extra virgin olive oil. Add the minced meat and brown it over high heat for 5 to 6 minutes, taking care to mix it repeatedly. In the meantime, finely chop the vegetables and add them immediately to the saucepan. At this point, add salt and pepper, then let it cook for another 5 minutes over high heat and cover with red wine so that it is not completely evaporated. Blend the peeled tomatoes and add them to the meat. Moderate the flame to a minimum and cover the pot before letting it cook for at least 2 hours.
Plating
Cook the pasta in abundant salted water for 3 minutes. Once drained, stir the pasta in the sauce for a few minutes, and keep stirring as you sprinkle Pecorino Romano DOP and a drizzle of Viola Il Sincero extra virgin olive oil. Serve the pasta hot with a sprinkle of Pecorino Romano DOP on top.
*Substitutions: You can substitute a top-quality ground beef for the Chianina beef used in Italy.
Lamb Chops with Broccoli Rabe, Garlic, Viola Il Sincero Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Chili Pepperoncino
Ingredients for 4 people
- 650 gr (1 ½ lbs) lamb chops
- 10 gr (2-3t) fresh rosemary
- 10 gr (2-3t) fresh thyme
- 10 gr (2 cloves) garlic
- 80 gr (3 oz) extra virgin olive oil (recommended: Viola Il Sincero )
- 50 gr (2 oz) dry white wine
- 1 gr (1/4 t) chili peppers*
- 400 gr (3/4-1 lb.) broccoli rabe
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Preparation
First, marinate the lamb with aromatic herbs, a clove of garlic, white wine, salt and pepper for about an hour before cooking.
Clean the broccoli rabe and be sure to wash them well. Then, cook the greens in abundant salted water for 5 minutes. Once drained, sauté them in a pan with garlic, Viola Il Sincero extra virgin olive oil and chili peppers.
Heat an iron pan (or grill), then add a bit of Il Sincero extra virgin olive oil and sear the lamb chops on both sides for about 5 minutes, for a medium cooking.
Plating
Place the broccoli rabe under the lamb chops and finish the dish with fresh aromatic herbs and a drizzle of Il Sincero EVOO.
*Chili peppers may be fresh or dried
Sweet Blood Orange Soup with Vanilla and Viola Costa del Riparo Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Ingredients for 4 people
- 1 kg (2 lbs.) bio blood oranges (organic blood oranges)
- 160 gr (2/3 C) whole milk
- 90 gr (1/3 C) cream
- 4 egg yolks
- 50 gr (1/4 C) sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- 100 gr (3/4 C) whole toasted hazelnuts
- 3-4 T extra virgin olive oil (recommended: Viola Costa del Riparo Extra Virgin Olive Oil )
- Pinch of salt
Preparation
Peel the oranges and keep the peels. Cut the oranges into segments, then dress them with Viola Costa del Riparo extra virgin olive oil and the vanilla bean seeds (save the vanilla bean).
Prepare a basic custard by bringing the milk and the cream infused with the vanilla bean and oranges peel to 80 degrees Celsius (176 F). Remove the orange peel and vanilla bean. Lightly beat the egg yolks with the sugar, then add them to the sauce pan with the infused milk and cream. Keep the temperature at max 176 F and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring the liquid to avoid sticking.
Plating
Using a deep plate, arrange the custard at the base of the dish. Place the seasoned oranges on top add toasted hazelnuts. Finish the dish with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of Viola Costa del Riparo extra virgin olive oil (approximately 1 T per serving).
