An Authentic Italian Thanksgiving Feast: Traditional Recipes for a Memorable Holiday Celebration

Thanksgiving is a cherished American holiday, a time when families gather to give thanks and share an abundance of delicious food. While the core traditions revolve around roast turkey and classic American side dishes, many families across the United States infuse this special day with their own unique cultural heritage. For Italian-American families, this means transforming the traditional Thanksgiving table into a vibrant celebration of Italian culinary artistry, blending beloved American staples with rich, authentic Italian flavors. We eagerly anticipate those delightful family recipes that make our holiday tables truly unforgettable each year. Join us as we explore how to host and savor a truly memorable Italian Thanksgiving!

Our Italian-American family, much like countless others, proudly incorporates fabulous Italian recipes into our Thanksgiving menus. This unique blend creates a truly special holiday experience, offering a delicious journey from classic American fare to the heart of Italy. Whether you’re in the midst of preparing for the grand dinner or simply taking a moment to unwind and browse our blog, we invite you to discover the cherished lineup of dishes that grace our table, shared from our home to yours:

An Exquisite Italian Thanksgiving Celebration Menu with Recipes

No Italian gathering, especially a holiday feast like Thanksgiving, would be complete without a generous and welcoming antipasto platter. This grand appetizer sets the stage for the culinary journey ahead, offering a delightful array of tastes and textures. Your creativity can truly shine when assembling your platter, but certain classic items are absolute must-haves to capture the essence of Italian tradition. It’s more than just an appetizer; it’s a conversation starter, a visual feast, and a taste of Italy itself.

• **Aromatic Italian Cheese Varieties:** A selection of Italy’s finest cheeses is essential. Think nutty Fontina, sharp Asiago, crumbly Parmigiano Reggiano, salty Pecorino Romano, creamy fresh Mozzarella, and piquant Gorgonzola. These offer a spectrum of flavors and textures that delight the palate.
• **Fine Italian Charcuterie:** Elevate your platter with exquisite cured meats such as delicate Prosciutto, savory Genoa salami, and flavorful Capicola. To complement these, we also include thinly sliced smoked turkey and ham, adding variety and appeal for all guests.
• **Premium Olives:** Olives are indispensable! Include vibrant green Castelvetrano olives, known for their buttery mildness, alongside rich, briny black olives to provide a contrasting flavor profile and beautiful color.
• **Colorful Marinated Vegetables:** A vibrant assortment of vegetables adds freshness and visual appeal. Include sweet roasted red peppers, intensely flavored sun-dried tomatoes, and zesty Italian giardiniera. Crisp carrots, refreshing celery sticks, and small, juicy San Marzano cherry tomatoes are also wonderful additions. Don’t forget tender marinated mushrooms and mini pickled onions, which are always a favorite.
• **Savory Seafood Selections:** While Italian tuna, anchovies, and sardines are our preferred traditional fish to serve, we also adore the unique flavor of pickled herring, a delicious nod to northern European waters that offers a delightful contrast.
• **Artisan Breads and Breadsticks:** A selection of quality breads is a must for scooping up cheeses and meats. Our homemade Asiago bread, with its distinct cheesy flavor, is always eagerly anticipated and quickly devoured. Crusty Italian bread and crispy grissini (breadsticks) complete the assortment.
• **Sweet Italian Fruit Spreads and Fresh Fruit:** Introduce a touch of sweetness with imported Italian fruit spreads like rich fig jam, tangy lemon or blood orange spreads, and our personal favorite, a delectable cherry jam from northern Italy. As the season allows, fresh blood oranges and clementines are perfect for peeling and enjoying as finger food. Plump red and green grapes also make excellent bite-sized additions to the platter.
• **Elegant Garnish:** For a beautiful final presentation, a sprig of fresh basil or fragrant rosemary provides a lovely aromatic and visual touch, elevating the entire antipasto experience.

Crafting the Perfect Italian Antipasto Platter for Thanksgiving

Beyond the delightful spread of simple yet elegant items on the antipasto platter, our family also takes pride in preparing some truly special finger foods. These appetizers, which can be made in advance and simply reheated in the oven before serving, perfectly complement the antipasti, adding another layer of flavor and festivity to the beginning of our Thanksgiving celebration. They’re designed to be enjoyed casually, encouraging conversation and interaction among family and friends as the holiday cheer begins to unfold.

Italian Fried Stuffed Olives (Olive all’Ascolana)

Savory Italian Turkey Meatballs

No holiday in our Italian family would ever feel truly complete without serving one of the most iconic and beloved soups from our ancestral region of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy: Tortellini in Broth (Tortellini en Brodo). This dish is far more than just a soup; it’s a cherished tradition, a testament to family unity, and a true labor of love. Our entire family, from the youngest to the oldest, both men and women, transforms the preparation of this dish into a joyous event. We gather together, meticulously making fresh pasta dough, crafting the flavorful tortellini filling, and then, with nimble fingers, shaping each tiny, exquisite tortellino by hand.

This process, demanding hours of dedicated time in the days leading up to the grand holiday gathering, is truly a labor of love. However, the incredible results, the heartwarming accolades from our family, and the profound sense of tradition it evokes make every moment of effort unequivocally worthwhile. The delicate pasta, the savory filling, and the rich, clear broth combine to create a dish that is both comforting and deeply elegant, serving as a beautiful centerpiece for our Italian Thanksgiving menu. We sincerely hope you find our step-by-step instructions helpful if you decide to embark on this rewarding culinary journey. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions – we’re always happy to share our passion for this incredible dish.

Traditional Tortellini en Brodo (Tortellini in Broth)

For the main course of our Italian Thanksgiving feast, we always prepare a magnificent, traditional oven-roasted turkey, cooked to golden perfection. Living in the South, however, we’ve also indulged in a deliciously crispy fried turkey from time to time, offering a delightful alternative. Both methods yield a succulent and flavorful bird, serving as the undisputed centerpiece of our holiday table.

Where our Italian holiday celebration menu truly distinguishes itself from an exclusively all-American menu is in the selection of our side dishes, or ‘contorni’, and our decadent desserts. These are the elements that infuse the meal with authentic Italian flair, creating a culinary experience that is both familiar and excitingly unique. Here are some superb recipes that we proudly include and often interchange through each holiday season, ensuring a diverse and incredibly flavorful spread that celebrates both cultures.

Many years ago, I stumbled upon this truly amazing recipe in the now-defunct Gourmet magazine, and it has since become an indispensable part of our family’s Italian Thanksgiving tradition. It is, without exaggeration, the most delicious Italian version of turkey stuffing or dressing you can possibly imagine! Bursting with the rich flavors of Italian cheeses, savory pepperoni, fragrant herbs, and aromatic garlic, it perfectly encapsulates the spirit and taste of our family’s Italian Thanksgiving celebration. This stuffing offers a delightful departure from the conventional, adding a hearty, zesty, and uniquely Italian twist to the holiday classic.

Authentic Italian Turkey Stuffing Dressing

Next to the star turkey and our signature Italian stuffing, a Thanksgiving feast simply wouldn’t be complete without a generous helping of creamy mashed potatoes generously drizzled with rich gravy! Our family has been preparing this wonderfully garlicky mashed potato recipe for what seems like an eternity. It’s unbelievably delicious, incredibly comforting, and consistently devoured the moment it hits the table. The infusion of garlic provides a delightful aromatic kick that perfectly complements the velvety texture, making it a truly irresistible side dish that disappears before you know it.

The Creamiest Garlic Mashed Potatoes

If creamy mashed potatoes aren’t your primary craving, or if you simply wish to offer a delightful alternative, you can always prepare my mother’s legendary roasted potatoes. These perfectly golden potatoes are chock-full of fragrant rosemary and savory garlic, creating an aromatic and incredibly flavorful side dish. They boast a wonderfully crispy exterior and a tender, fluffy interior, making them an ideal accompaniment for an Italian Thanksgiving feast. This simple yet elegant dish brings a rustic, authentic Italian touch to the holiday table, proving that sometimes, the simplest preparations yield the most satisfying results.

Perfectly Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Potatoes

While corn isn’t a widely consumed vegetable in Italy, my family here in the States absolutely adores it and simply cannot imagine Thanksgiving dinner without a delightful corn dish to serve and savor. This particular recipe for a cheesy corn casserole is nothing short of heavenly. Infused with aromatic garlic and rich, melted cheese, it offers a creamy, comforting, and utterly irresistible flavor profile. Prepare yourself, because this casserole has a magical way of disappearing from the buffet table before you even realize it!

Irresistible Cheesy Corn Casserole with Garlic Buttered Breadcrumb Topping

You won’t find traditional green bean casseroles with mushroom soup gracing our holiday table. My adult children, being wonderfully health-conscious, tend to steer clear of such heavy, creamy concoctions. However, they will invariably make a bee-line straight to the buffet table to grab generous servings of these crispy, roasted green beans. Prepared with vibrant tomatoes and fragrant herbs, this dish offers a fresh, bright, and incredibly flavorful alternative. Once you taste their delightful crunch and savory notes, we’re confident you’ll be just as smitten as we are!

Fresh Green Beans with Herbs and Tomatoes

Rounding out our exquisite vegetable lineup, this decadent and utterly autumn-flavored risotto beautifully completes the “Italian” options on our holiday buffet. With its luscious combination of sweet butternut squash, aromatic sage, and fragrant garlic, this dish is nothing short of divine. The creamy texture and harmonious blend of seasonal flavors make it a sophisticated and comforting addition, perfectly suited for a festive Italian Thanksgiving. It’s a dish that truly celebrates the bounty of the season with an unmistakable Italian elegance.

Creamy Butternut Squash, Sage and Garlic Risotto

And for those who simply can’t get enough of this glorious autumn vegetable, here’s another butternut squash recipe that promises to be equally delightful, one that I’m eager to try very soon:

BHG Butternut Squash Risotto

Italians cherish their desserts, or “i dolci,” with as much passion as Americans do. For our Thanksgiving table, while a traditional pumpkin pie often makes an appearance, it’s always accompanied by a few sweet Italian additions that reflect our heritage and seasonal flavors. These typically include something wonderfully made with apples, a refreshing creation featuring cranberries, and a dessert centered around cherries – which invariably means my mother’s legendary and infamous cherry pie, a true family treasure. These desserts provide a delightful fusion of American and Italian sweet traditions, offering a perfect end to our bountiful feast.

Festive Italian Cranberry and Orange Bundt Cake

Rustic Apple Crostata with Caramel Streusel Topping

Originally published in 2018, this post was lovingly updated and re-posted in 2023

Thank you sincerely for stopping by today and stepping into our vibrant foodie world, nestled on our cherished acreage! We hope you’ve enjoyed this culinary journey through our Italian Thanksgiving traditions and found inspiration for your own holiday celebrations.

From our family to yours, we extend our warmest wishes for a very Happy Thanksgiving! We are immensely grateful that you’ve joined this wonderful community of people who share a passion for preparing delicious food, and we truly appreciate you sharing your thoughts and questions with everyone. Please continue to reach out and let us know if we can offer any assistance in the kitchen, guidance in your garden endeavors, or advice for your travels. Your engagement makes this community special.

Blessings,

Roz and Bill