Chef John’s 15 Best Italian Christmas Recipes

Cacio e Pepe Taralli

“Often served with (and dipped in!) white wine, taralli are a fun and versatile Italian snack you can flavor all sorts of ways,” says Chef John. “This pepper and cheese variety starts with a simple unleavened dough starring white wine and olive oil. Rolled into ropes, then into rings, they’re boiled and sprinkled with cheese before baking. Once baked, the cheese forms a crispy wafer in the middle of the ring!”

Arancini (Italian Rice Croquettes)

This is Chef John’s family recipe, and it’s “the most authentic recipe I’ve ever seen for ‘suppli al telefono,’ which is a Roman version of arancini,” says reviewer leelee.

Sicilian Christmas Pizza (Sfincione)

This Sicilian-style pizza is a thick-crust pizza topped with bread crumbs. “Also key is the extremely sticky dough, which bakes into a feather-light, spongy crust that contrasts perfectly with the crumbly topping,” says Chef John. “Add any tomato sauce you prefer. For best results, sauce should be highly seasoned.”

Pasta con le Sarde

Saffron, white wine, fennel, and pine nuts elevate this simple bucatini pasta dish. “Yum Yum Yum! This is so good. My dad was from Sicily, as well as my mother’s parents, and let me tell you—this is very authentic and delicious,” says reviewer SNSD. “That first bite takes me to my ancestors’ home town of Mazara Del Vallo. Molta buona!”

Calamari Marinara

“Absolutely delicious,” says reviewer Beverly McNulty. “Restaurant-worthy dish. [I] followed the recipe exactly as written. Flavors blended beautifully. I love calamari but have always shied away from cooking it at home. This is a keeper for sure.”

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Served as an appetizer with a simple bacon and rosemary butter sauce, Chef John says that “these gnocchi would also work in your favorite pasta sauce, whether a simple, tomato-based marinara, a rich and decadent Gorgonzola cream sauce.”

Chef John’s Lasagna

With its rich, meaty sauce and three cheeses, this is a showstopper of pasta dish. “I make it all the time,” says Dana Hand. “My family always asks me to make it at Christmas. It really is the end-all be-all lasagna in my opinion.”

If you’re cooking for a gluten-free crowd, try Chef John’s Polenta Lasagna, which uses twice-baked polenta in place of pasta.

Homemade Italian Sausage

These Italian sausages hold particular holiday significance for Chef John. “One of my earliest and most vivid food memories was when my uncle Bill would make his famous dried Italian sausage every Christmas Eve,” he says. “They’d be fried after Midnight Mass and served on bread with roasted red peppers. This fresh version was inspired by those. If you can manage not to eat them right away, letting them dry for a day or two really deepens the flavor, and firms up the texture as well, in true Uncle Billy fashion.”

Chef John’s Porchetta

This classic dish is simplified by using pork shoulder—and you can make it even easier by asking your butcher to butterfly it for you.

“I made this dish for a Christmas Dinner,” says Edward Bryant. “It was amazing!”

Chef John’s Beef Braciole

A little rustic, a little fancy, all delicious! Beef braciole is a classic Italian stuffed, rolled steak, braised in tomato sauce.

“FANTASTIC! DELICIOUS!” raves angelmommy. “This is the best thing I’ve made in ages! And pretty simple too since I was able to purchase the meat already thin sliced and rolled from a German meat market in the form of Rouladen. Other than that I followed Chef John’s recipe to a T and it was so so delicious!”

Pork Osso Buco

Traditionally made with veal shanks, osso buco is a wonderful cold-weather meal. Chef John says that the pork version “isn’t as rich as veal, but I like it better. If you want veal, you can use it here, too.”

Chef John’s Panettone

Italy’s famous Christmas bread is a true labor of love. Chef John’s version is studded with rum-soaked dried fruit. “It takes three days to make this panettone, which I thought was otherwise a pretty straightforward bread recipe,” says Chef John. The not-straightforward part? The loaves need to be skewered and hung upside-down like an angel food cake in order for the crumb to set.

Torrone (Italian Nut and Nougat Confection)

Here’s a fabulous homemade candy that’s great for gift-giving. Chef John stirs the mixture on the stovetop, but if you have a stand mixer, you can make the nougat like you would an Italian meringue.

Buttermilk Panna Cotta

Here’s a lovely light-tasting ending to a rich holiday meal.

“Delicious! I made three batches,” says Amanda Semanko. “The second batch, I used orange instead [of lemon juice], and the third was almond-cardamom. All were yummy!”

Chef John’s Tiramisu

This is a great make-ahead dessert, and can be served in glasses for an elegant presentation. Use pasteurized egg whites from the carton for safety; while they take longer to whip than raw egg whites, they’ll fluff up eventually.

“I have been making John’s recipe for about 4 years now,” says reviewer Tracy. “Always a favorite—looks great served in a martini glass.”

For a frozen mousse version of this classic Italian pick-me-up, try Chef John’s Tiramisu Semifreddo recipe.

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