Have an Italian style Christmas dinner this year with yummy breads, soups, salads, meats, and pastas with delicious Italian flavors. Check out this collection of all kinds of Italian Christmas Dinner ideas!
More Collections: Christmas Side Dishes, Christmas Desserts, Christmas Appetizers, Christmas Cookies, Mexican Christmas Food, Christmas Dinner Ideas
the best italian christmas food!
Italian + Family + Food—you really can’t have one without the other. Christmas is an especially wonderful time for all three.
Italians begin celebrating on December 8th and celebrate into the New Year. The climax of the celebration is, of course, Christmas.
You can easily celebrate your own Christmas Cenone. That delectable sounding Italian word translates to ‘big dinner’. From start to finish an Italian meal certainly satisfies the senses. The smells, tastes, textures and beauty of the dishes draw everyone in for a delicious and satisfying meal.
Tips to Consider:
Menu variation: Italian food is definitely delicious, but all the creamy pastas and breads can sit heavy. Be sure to serve a mix of heavier dishes with lighter ones.
Prepping ahead: When hosting you want to be able to enjoy the company of those who have come and not spend the entire time in the kitchen. Include dishes that can be made ahead of time and prep any other ingredients that you can the day before.
Keeping the dishes warm: Use chaffing dishes and crock pots to help keep things warm through the evening.
Serve Family Style: If there’s any type of food that asks to be served family style its Italian. Serving family style means the dishes are set out on large plates and bowls and you serve yourself at the table. It’s less formal than individual courses, but more formal than buffet style. Figure out how many tables you will be setting up and be sure to have a platter/bowl of each dish at every table.
italian christmas Appetizers
We have so many yummy appetizers on the site that woulds be great for your Italian Christmas food menu. Just pick a few of the following and you’ll be sure to impress with these Italian Christmas appetizers.
Italian Bread Recipe
It is so easy to make Italian Bread at home with just a few simple ingredients. Nothing beats a soft and crusty bread warm from the oven!
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Check out this recipe
Bread
Buttery Bread Knots Recipe
Delicious Buttery Bread Knots. So soft and the prefect side!!
Total Time: 20 minutes
Bread
Focaccia Bread Recipe
Crisp yet fluffy bread topped with delicious herbs and seasonings. This flavorful focaccia bread is so easy to make, and is perfect for sandwiches, dipping in soups, or enjoying on its own!
Total Time: 8 hours 55 minutes
Check out this recipe
Appetizer
Mozzarella Balls Recipe
Fried mozzarella bites are delicious, easy and the perfect party appetizer when served with marinara. Everyone loves this bite-sized snack!
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
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Appetizer
Bruschetta Recipe
This yummy appetizer is quick, simple and perfect for any party! This easy Homemade Bruschetta Recipe only requires 5 ingredients!! Everyone loves how easy it is!
Total Time: 5 minutes
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Main Course
Fried Ravioli Recipe
Fried Ravioli - one of our favorite side dishes or appetizers when serving Italian food!
Total Time: 15 minutes
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Bread
Cheesy Garlic Bread Recipe
This is by far our favorite Garlic Bread recipe. It takes minutes to put together and is SO cheesy and delicious. It's the perfect side dish for any meal, but especially for pasta and Italian dishes!
Total Time: 17 minutes
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Appetizer, Main Course
Mini Deep Dish Pizza Recipe
Mini Deep Dish Pizzas are our new favorite dinner recipe. They're easy, quick and can be made custom for each person with their favorite toppings!
Total Time: 17 minutes
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Bread
Olive Garden Breadstick Recipe
Just like the originals, these copycat Olive Garden breadsticks are light and airy on the inside, and flavored with butter and garlic salt on the outside. You can never eat just one!
Total Time: 2 hours 27 minutes
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Appetizer
Mozzarella Sticks Recipe
Everyone is obsessed with these ooey gooey homemade mozzarella sticks, breaded with a flavorful coating and fried to a golden perfection.
Total Time: 35 minutes
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Italian christmas Soup and Salad
We love a good soup and salad around Christmas time. We’ve collected a few of each and hope these help out as sides for your Italian Christmas dinner.
Salad
Tomato Mozzarella Salad Recipe
Fresh, light, and healthy tomato mozzarella salad! Perfect for lunches with friends or a side salad to dinner!
Total Time: 8 minutes
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Salad
Spinach Tortellini Salad Recipe
This cold tortellini salad is the ultimate side dish for bbq and potlucks! With tortellini, spinach, tomatoes, olives, and parmesan tossed in Italian dressing, this Tortellini Spinach Salad is packed with all the best flavors!
Total Time: 20 minutes
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Soup
Sausage Tortellini Soup Recipe
Italian Tortellini Soup - a delicious recipe filled with tortellini, sausage, tomatoes, spinach, basil and more! So hearty and delicious!
Total Time: 17 minutes
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Soup
Italian Chicken and Vegetable Soup Recipe
Hearty Italian Chicken Vegetable Soup is packed full of flavor. It's is a great lightweight soup option perfect for any day of the year!
Total Time: 45 minutes
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Main Course, Soup
Lasagna Soup Recipe
Everything you love about lasagna (noodles, meat, and cheese), minus all the things you don't (layering, and tons of time)! This lasagna soup is easy, filling, and beyond delicious!!
Total Time: 50 minutes
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Soup
Chicken Florentine Soup Recipe
With a combination of chicken, potato, white beans, carrots, spinach and more, this chicken florentine soup is hearty and absolutely delicious. It tastes similar to Olive Garden's recipe, but it's made in the slow cooker!
Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes
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Main Course
Zuppa Toscana Recipe
Bring the taste of Italy home with this creamy and delicious Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana soup. The whole family loves this soup!
Total Time: 35 minutes
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Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish
Caprese Stuffed Avocados Recipe
Simple and Fresh Caprese Stuffed Avocados are a twist on classic flavors. This is a perfect appetizer or side to any meal!
Total Time: 5 minutes
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Appetizer, Side Dish
Penne Tomato Mozzarella Pasta Recipe
Penne Tomato Mozzarella Salad - a DELICIOUS pasta salad filled with pasta, tomatoes, olives, garlic, chopped basil, and cheese! This makes the perfect summer side dish!!
Total Time: 30 minutes
Check out this recipe
Salad
Tortellini Salad Recipe
Super YUMMY and easy Tortellini Salad filled with tortellini, salad, ranch, tomatoes and bacon bits - perfect for summer time!
Total Time: 20 minutes
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Soup
Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
This classic Italian Wedding soup is hearty and comes together quickly, and is filled with mini meatballs, carrots, Escarole, orzo and more. It is easy to put together for a perfect weeknight meal!
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Soup
Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe
This Chicken Gnocchi Soup is so hearty and so flavorful. It is filled with chicken, carrots, spinach, broccoli and gnocchi! It's perfect all year long and is bound to be a new favorite.
Total Time: 30 minutes
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italian Christmas main dish ideas
I think it’s safe to say that all Italian dishes are delicious. With the cheese, and sauces and spices- they’re hard NOT to love. Here are some of our favorites to try for your Italian Christmas Eve or Christmas day dinners.
Main Course
Italian Pork Chops Recipe
These Italian Pork Chops require just a few ingredients and are baked in the oven with loads of veggies. Have it ready and on the table in just 30 minutes!
Total Time: 25 minutes
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Main Course
Spaghetti Recipe
This easy spaghetti recipe is kid-friendly and is made with a delicious homemade spaghetti sauce making it the perfect family dinner recipe!
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
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Main Course
Italian Sausage and Penne Recipe
Lightly sauced Italian Sausage and Penne is flavorful and filling. This kid-friendly dish comes together quickly for a busy weeknight meal!
Total Time: 35 minutes
Main Course
Bruschetta Chicken Recipe
Baked Bruschetta Chicken is marinated in Italian dressing and topped with cheese. It is simple and delicious!!
Total Time: 4 hours 45 minutes
Check out this recipe
Main Course
Spaghetti Casserole Recipe
Spaghetti casserole is the definition of comfort food! Hearty, delicious, and an easy way to make and eat spaghetti.
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
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Main Course
Chicken Manicotti Recipe
These manicotti shells are stuffed with a cheesy chicken mixture, and topped with tasty marinara!
Total Time: 43 minutes
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Main Course
Pasta Carbonara Recipe
A creamy, delicious and flavorful pasta dish filled with cream cheese, parmesan, garlic and bacon. For only having a few ingredients, this Pasta Carbonara has big flavor!
Total Time: 25 minutes
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Main Course
Chicken Parmigiana Recipe
Tasty chicken parmigiana is hearty and filling crispy chicken a top a bed of pasta covered in a rich homemade tomato sauce.
Total Time: 37 minutes
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Main Course
Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe
Easy and Quick Fettuccine Alfredo that takes just 15 minutes to make! This family favorite recipe includes fettuccine, garlic, parmesan, and whipping cream and is sure to become a go-to dinner idea!
Total Time: 35 minutes
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Main Course
Chicken Penne Pasta Recipe
Deliciously simple Mozzarella Penne with Italian Sausage is a super tasty and cheesy recipe everyone will love!
Total Time: 35 minutes
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Main Course
Chicken Scallopini Recipe
This Chicken Scallopini is a delicious dish of crusted chicken over lemon butter pasta. The flavorful, butter chicken and pasta combo is irresistible and perfect for dinner any night of the week.
Total Time: 35 minutes
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Main Course
Easy Lasagna Recipe
Our family's favorite lasagna recipe - not only because it's delicious but because it's so EASY! You don't even have to precook the lasagna noodles! With beef, pork, three cheeses, and tons of seasonings, you know this recipe is going to be a hit!
Total Time: 50 minutes
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Main Course
Italian Sausage Pasta Recipe
Everyone loves this Italian Sausage Pasta recipe! Not only is it easy, cheesy, and delicious, but it is a hit with the entire family and can be made mild or spicy depending on your preferences.
Total Time: 20 minutes
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Main Course
Chicken Piccata Recipe
Chicken piccata is flavorful and beyond easy to make! This tasty dish requires surprisingly few ingredients and is cooked in a lemon butter sauce topped with capers.
Total Time: 30 minutes
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Main Course
Spaghetti Pie Recipe
Spaghetti Pie makes a hearty and delicious twist for a dinner time win! It's a perfect recipe for busy weeknights and family-friendly dinners.
Total Time: 40 minutes
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Main Course
Crock Pot Spaghetti Recipe
We make this yummy crock pot spaghetti all the time! Buttery noodles topped with a flavorful meaty sauce—DELISH!
Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
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Main Course
Chicken Alfredo Recipe
Cheesy chicken Alfredo pasta is a go-to dinner meal in our house. Creamy sauce mixed in with fettuccine pasta and sautéed chicken. A one-pot meal that the whole family will enjoy!
Total Time: 40 minutes
Check out this recipe
Desserts to add to the menu
We don’t have many Italian desserts here on the site, but our Italian cookies are out of this world. And be sure to check out some of these other favorites that would be great with your Italian meal.
Dessert
Italian Cookies Recipe
Soft Italian Cookies are dipped in a creamy glaze, topped with colorful sprinkles. They are perfect for holidays and special occasions!!
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Check out this recipe
Dessert
Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe
Buttery, sweet, and moist - this sticky toffee pudding is a MUST have treat! It takes several steps but is one of those desserts that is well worth the work and great for holidays and get togethers.
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Check out this recipe
Dessert
Pistachio Dessert Recipe
Pistachio Shortbread Dessert - layered treat with a Sandies Cookies crust, cream cheese layer, pistachio pudding layer and topped with Cool whip! YUM!
Total Time: 18 minutes
Check out this recipe
Dessert
Bread Pudding Recipe
Bread pudding is a simple, easy dessert made with fluffy white bread and simple, everyday ingredients. It's an old-fashioned recipe that your whole family will love.
Total Time: 50 minutes
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Dessert
Yule Log Recipe
Yule log is a traditional holiday dessert made from a chocolate cake rolled with a chocolate filling and covered in a chocolatey ganache. It's as beautiful as it is tasty!
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
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Dessert
Crème brûlée Recipe
Crème brûlée is smooth and creamy with a tasty crunch on top. It is surprisingly easy to achieve this fancy treat at home!!
Check out this recipe
Dessert
Christmas Cookie Bar Recipe
Christmas cookie bars are chewy and delicious. The M&Ms add a festive pop, making them perfect for any party!
Total Time: 28 minutes
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We hope these recipes help you in creating a delicious Italian Christmas dinner menu. Because we all know, it’s always a hit!
