Easter Lunch in Naples: a journey into the heart of tradition

Easter in Naples is not just a religious holiday, but a true feast of the senses, a moment of family reunion where food becomes the undisputed protagonist. The Neapolitan gastronomic traditions, rich in history and cultural influences, transform the Easter meal into a unique experience that tells – through the dishes – the passion and love for good food. From capretto to casatiello, each course is a tribute to tradition and a symbol of rebirth and hope.

Fellata: the starter that inaugurates the Neapolitan Easter lunch

Kicking off the Easter lunch tradition is the ‘fellata’, an appetiser that mixes cold cuts, hard-boiled eggs and cheese, especially salted ricotta. The dish takes its name from the way the cold meats, including soppressata and capocollo, are cut into “felle” and arranged on a chopping board or large serving dish. As an alternative to bread, tortano and casatiello are served, two rustic cakes similar in dough but with a fundamental difference: in tortano, the eggs are cut into small pieces and mixed into the filling, while in casatiello, hard-boiled eggs are placed on the surface as decoration.

Casatiello: the king of Easter tables

No Easter in Naples is complete without casatiello, an authentic symbol of Neapolitan cuisine. This rich and tasty savoury savoury pie is prepared with a soft, leavened dough, stuffed with cold meats, cheeses and, above all, whole hard-boiled eggs, which symbolise rebirth and new life. Tradition has it that casatiello is prepared on Holy Saturday, to be eaten during lunch on Easter Day.

Casatiello has a golden, crispy crust that hides a soft, rich heart, thanks to the presence of pecorino and caciotta cheeses. Its intense flavour is given by cured meats such as pancetta and sausage, which make it a hearty and tasty dish, capable of satisfying even the most demanding palates.

Kid goat and lamb: a tradition of meat

Another unmissable dish in the Neapolitan Easter meal is kid goat, which is cooked in various ways, but always with the same objective: to bring out the authentic flavour of the meat. The most common preparation involves roasting the kid in the oven with herbs such as rosemary, garlic and pepper, which make the kid tender and tasty. Alternatively, many Neapolitans prepare a ragout of kid goat meat, a dish that represents the pinnacle of rustic cooking and is accompanied by a good red wine.

Lamb, another traditional dish, is also not missing from the Easter table. The meat is usually grilled or baked, seasoned with rosemary, garlic and a drizzle of olive oil, a dish that celebrates liberation and rebirth. The flavour of the meat goes perfectly well with a side dish of seasonal vegetables, such as new potatoes or peas, which are also stars of the Easter meal.

The Neapolitan Pastiera: a cake that tells history

Among Easter sweets, the Neapolitan pastiera is undoubtedly the undisputed queen. This centuries-old recipe is made with a short pastry dough and a filling of ricotta cheese, cooked wheat, eggs and candied fruit, perfumed with a delicate aroma of orange blossom. The pastiera, which represents the marriage of religious and culinary tradition, is a tribute to resurrection and rebirth. Its preparation is a real ritual, involving Neapolitan families as early as Holy Week.

The pastiera’s filling is rich and creamy, while its crunchy short pastry base makes it irresistible. Its delicacy and enveloping aroma are such that each bite seems to encapsulate a part of Neapolitan history and culture.

Wine: an essential companion

Each dish is accompanied by a selection of local wines, such as Lacryma Christi or Falanghina, which enhance the taste of the dishes and complete the sensory experience. Wine, in fact, is not just an accompaniment, but a true protagonist of the Neapolitan table, capable of harmonising perfectly with the strong and intense flavours of the cuisine.

In short, Easter lunch in Naples is a riot of flavours, smells and colours that tell the story of a city that has always lived in harmony with the land, the sea and its traditions. Each dish, be it a casatiello, a pastiera or a capretto, is a small masterpiece of Neapolitan gastronomy, a symbol of abundance, family and rebirth. If you are in Naples during the Easter holidays, you cannot help but immerse yourself in this culinary tradition that combines the past and the present, with the same passion as always.