Lidia Bastianich's Easter with Ease

The godmother of Italian-American cooking shares a traditional menu.

By Kara Zuaro



Roasted Lamb Shoulder (agnello de latte arrosto) | Braised Artichokes with Pecorino (carciofi al tegame) | Fried Chickpea Polenta (panelle) | Easter Bread (pinza) | Limoncello Tiramisu (tiramisu Al Limoncello)


Born in Pula, Istria—a peninsula that was part of Italy at the time and now belongs to Croatia—Lidia Matticchio Bastianich is an ambassador of homey yet elegant Italian cooking. And as a restaurant owner, cookbook author, star of her own public television cooking series, and matriarch of a large Italian family, Bastianich knows what it's like to have a lot on one's plate. So, when we asked her to create an Easter menu for Epicurious, she chose recipes that reflect her heritage, celebrate the arrival of springtime with fresh, seasonal ingredients, and—since they can be prepared almost entirely in advance—leave you with plenty of time to enjoy the holiday with your family.

Bastianich remembers celebrating Easter as a child with a sweet homemade bread called pinza. For adults, the bread was formed into a traditional round loaf, but for children it was often shaped into a doll called a pupi, with a colored Easter egg tucked into the head. "We'd swaddle the doll in a kitchen towel and carry it around like a baby," she recalls. It was traditional to take the bread, scallions, and boiled eggs to church to have them blessed. "Then when you came home, you opened this up on the tablecloth, put out a plate of coarse salt, and you had a snack before lunch," Bastianich explains. "You'd dunk the scallions into the salt, and eat them with the eggs and the bread. The salt represented the earth, the eggs represented fertility, and the bread was for giving thanks for sustenance."

To incorporate these symbolic ingredients into her menu, Bastianich created a fresh, seasonal salad of scallions and asparagus topped with salt and hard-cooked eggs. The meal continues with a roasted lamb shoulder served with a simple, savory sauce thickened with roasted vegetables, plus squares of fried chickpea polenta and braised artichokes—a super-easy recipe that's packed with flavor. Dessert is a rich tiramisù laced with limoncello liqueur.

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Roasted Lamb Shoulder (agnello de latte arrosto) | Braised Artichokes with Pecorino (carciofi al tegame) | Fried Chickpea Polenta (panelle) | Easter Bread (pinza) | Limoncello Tiramisu (tiramisu Al Limoncello)

Biography
Lidia Mattichio Bastianich is the author of five cookbooks, Lidia's Family Table, Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen, Lidia's Italian Table, La Cucina di Lidia, and most recently, Lidia's Italy. Several of her books have been accompanied by nationally syndicated public television series, and her current show, Lidia's Italy, takes viewers on a gastronomic tour of Italy, showcasing her recipes region by region. Bastianich also owns five restaurants, including Felidia, Becco, and Del Posto in New York, Lidia's Kansas City, and Lidia's Pittsburgh. In 1998, Lidia and her son, Joseph Bastianich, bought a vineyard in Buttrio, Italy, and together they now produce Bastianich wines. For more information on Bastianich, go to LidiasItaly.com.