Italian Passover Recipes

Edda Servi Machlin suggests:

First Night:

• Minestra di Riso per Pesach
  Passover Chicken Soup with Rice
• Muggine in Bianco
  Striped Sea Bass in Gelatin
• Spinaci Saltati
  Sauteed Spinach
• Capretto per Pesach
  Passover Kid
• Matza Coperta
  A Matza Omelet
• Ricciarelli di Siena
  Sienese marzipan pastries delicately scented with orange

Second Night:

• Minestra di Sfoglietti per Pesach
  Passover Pasta Soup
• Spigola Arrosto
  Roast Snapper.
• Artichokes
  She suggests they be stuffed; the link leads to the artichoke page.
• Torta del Re
  King's Cake, a heavenly almond cake (which could also be made with other nuts)

As you might suspect, customs varied within Italy just as they vary elsewhere. The menus suggested by Mira Sacerdoti, who grew up farther north, include the following:

First Night:

• Uova Sode in Acqua Salata
  Eggs Hard-Boiled in Salt Water (which represent the suffering of slavery)
• Daienu
  A rich, spicy soup.
• Triglia alla Mosaica
  Reef Mullet Mosaica Style, with tomatoes -- this closely resembles Triglia alla Livornese, and it is likely no accident that Livorno had an extraordinarily rich Jewish community.
• Polpettone di Tacchino
  Turkey Roll doesn't quite convey the concept here.
• Artichokes
  She suggests they be sauteed with spinach; the link leads to the artichoke page.
• Scodelline con Amaretti
  Scodelline, bowls of a delicate cream, with Amaretti

Second Night:

• Uova Sode in Acqua Salata
  Eggs Hard-Boiled in Salt Water (which represent the suffering of slavery)
• Daienu
  A rich, spicy soup.
• Lingua di Vitello con le Olive
  Tongue of Veal with Olives
• Artichokes
  She suggests sauteed with peas; the link leads to the artichoke page.

Neither Mrs. Sacerdoti nor Mrs. Machlin mention Maror or Haroset in their menus. The former is a salad of bitter herbs that reminds people just how bitter the loss of liberty is, while the latter is a sweet concoction made with honey, crushed nuts and apples that symbolizes the stones and mortar the slaves bore on their shoulders.
Mrs. Sacerdoti does give a number of recipes for Haroset from various parts of Italy; here is a recipe from Padova.

More information on Italian Judaism

• Italian Hanukkah Recipes
  And thoughts about the effects of the War.
• Stuart Borken's Passover Desserts
  An absolutely mouth-watering collection of desserts (and more) kindly shared by Dr. Stu.
• Passover in Rome
  Sims Brannon discusses the differences between Seders of the Italian Jewish communities and those elsewhere, and also suggests a number of Roman Jewish restaurants.
• When in Rome... Eat Kugel?
  A delightfully whimsy account of exploring the Roman ghetto in search of the national Jewish dish.
• Ostia Antica
  An excellent self-guided walking tour, from Initaly Online. Also mentions the Synagogue, the earliest known outside of the Middle East.
• Carciofi Alla Romana
  Rosemary learned how to love (and stuff) artichokes from the vendors in Rome's markets.
• Pitigliano
  The Tuscan Jerusalem, a beautiful Tuscan town with a flourishing Jewish community until the War. The site discusses history, foods and wines.

Again, Happy Pesah!
Kyle Phillips

About Italian Passover celebrations.