Easter Recipes | Italy cooking Courses

Italian Easter bread from Puglia 2

Posted on March 30, 2010 by Stile Mediterraneo

I and Marika have been cooking for the whole day today, trying different recipes for our Sunday’s Easter lunch menu.

We are very happy about our decision!

It is always hard to pick what to make, because in Puglia we have lots of traditional dishes that we only prepare during the Easter week. What we like about all our Easter recipes is that they are simple and made with very local and seasonal ingredients.

So,for our Sunday’s Easter lunch I and Marika we’ll make this Easter focaccia bread. It has the shape of an interweawed garland, topped with eggs and with lots of suprises inside!

In fact we’ll stuff the bread with everything we like: olives, cheese, ham, tomato, onion and….Marika’s delicious capers!!! (people attending our cooking classes in Puglia may remember them!)

It is similar to the Easter bread we made last year, because this focaccia bread also has eggs. They are symbol of Easter and they can’t miss on our table. However, the preparation, stuffing and resulting taste are totally different.

This Italian Easter focaccia bread is made with the same dough we usually use to make our bread or focaccia.

With the dough, we make three different strips that we fill with olives, cheese, tomato, capers and onions. Then, with the three strips we make the shape of a garland, that we top with eggs and decorate with holy olive palms.

Just for you to know, soon after we took the picture, we tried this focaccia bread (still warm): fantastic!!

What traditional Easter recipes do you have?

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Tags: Easter recipes Italian Easter recipes
Category Cheese & Mozzarella, Focaccia, Bread & Pizza, Italy Cooking classes

Healthy spinach Focaccia for the Pasquetta Day 3

Posted on April 13, 2009 by Stile Mediterraneo

The “Pasquetta” Day is one the most exciting holiday in Southern Italy. Pasquetta is the day after Easter and literally means the “little Easter”.

All friends and families get together for a whole day outdoor. The tradition wants that one person offers his or her house at the beach or in the countryside; all friends bring something to eat and to drink to be shared with the others.

All friends of friends are welcome and so you can have about 200-300 people in the same house.

The Pasquetta day starts very early in the morning and ends very late at night: it’s all about eating and drinking (as if, we did not have any food on the day before, Easter!!) and playing soccer or volleyball with friends.

All people at any age attend the Pasquetta. For Southern Italians, it’s a tradition! Italians from the north, don’t believe how important the Pasquetta is for us!

This time, I and Marika will bring a ricotta and spinach Focaccia. We thought the focaccia would be perfect for a pic nic and also for all our girlfriends who like vegetables and want to be healthy!

This is the recipe (for 6 servings):

- 250 grams durum wheat flour;

- yeast (better the natural yeast);

- a pinch of sugar;

- 1 kg spinach;

- 150 grams fresh ricotta cheese;

- 70 grams parmesan cheese;

- 2 whole eggs;

- 1 garlic clove;

- pepper;

- salt;

- 2 tbp extra virgin olive oil

Spinach preparation:

In a big saucepan, cook the spinach with the garlic, a pinch of salt and a pinch of spicy pepper. Cook the spinanch at very low flame, stirring and covering with a lid. When they are al dente, remove the garlic, let them cool down and then reduce them in small pieces using a knife. Add 1 egg and the grated parmesan cheese.

Dough preparation:

Add some warm water to the yeast and a pinch of sugar. Mix together the flour with the yeast and water, 1 egg and the 2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil. Knead the dough. Add 1 tsp of salt to the dough.

Divide the dough in two pieces and with a rolling pin, make two thin and round layers.

Prepare a baking pan with some olive oil and breadcrumbs. Place the first layer in the baking pan, cover with the spinach and with some pieces of ricotta cheese. Place the second layer on top.

Cook in a pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes at 180°C (350 F).

Do you have any similar Easter traditions?

Please let us know if you ever make this recipe.

For more information, please contact us at: info.stile@gmail.com

Tags: Easter recipes Italian focaccia Italy vacations ricotta spinach
Category Cheese, Focaccia & Bread, Focaccia, Bread & Pizza, Puglia, Recipes, Vegetables & Legumes, cuisine