In most American homes, Thanksgiving dinner is one plate: turkey, stuffing, potatoes, everything at once. An Italian-American Thanksgiving is a procession. There is a first hour that has nothing to do with the bird, and anyone who grew up in an Italian family in Baltimore learned early to pace themselves. These are the Italian Thanksgiving dishes that share the table, and the reason the lasagna always comes before the turkey.
How Thanksgiving Became an Italian Holiday
Italy has no Thanksgiving. The families who came to America a century ago took to the holiday quickly, and then did what they did with every feast day: they fitted it to the shape of an Italian meal. Antipasto, then primo, then secondo, then something sweet. The turkey was welcome. It simply had to wait its turn as the second course.
An Italian Thanksgiving Starts with Antipasto
The meal begins while people are still taking off their coats. A platter of cured meats, sharp cheese, roasted peppers and olives sits in the middle of the table with good bread, and it is meant for standing around and catching up. Our Italian Antipasto is exactly that: cured Italian meats, roasted peppers, olives and cheeses.
In many houses a soup follows. Italian Wedding Soup, little meatballs and greens in broth, is the classic, and it is light enough to leave room for what comes next.
Then the Pasta. Always the Pasta.
This is the course that surprises guests who did not grow up with it. Before any turkey is carved, a pan of baked pasta comes out of the oven, and in a lot of families the Thanksgiving lasagna matters more than the bird. It is the dish somebody's grandmother made, and the one everybody has an opinion about.
The usual choices are the ones that feed a crowd and hold their heat:
- Lasagna. Fresh pasta layered with ground beef, ricotta and mozzarella, tomato sauce and cheese.
- Baked Ziti. Penne with ricotta and parmigiana, topped and baked with mozzarella.
- Stuffed Shells. Topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella.
All three come straight from our Dal Forno menu, and they are what Thanksgiving pasta looks like in most Italian-American kitchens.
The Turkey, with Italian Company
When the turkey finally arrives, it does not come alone. The stuffing is often made with sausage. There may be stuffed artichokes or stuffed mushrooms, a bitter green like broccoli rabe sautéed with garlic, and roasted chestnuts later on. The American sides are all still there. The table just gets longer.
Something Sweet, and Coffee
Pumpkin pie keeps its seat, but it sits next to Cannoli and Tiramisu, and the meal ends the Italian way, with espresso. Nobody leaves early.
Let Us Make the First Half
If an Italian Thanksgiving sounds like more cooking than one kitchen can handle, keep the turkey and let us make the courses that come before it. Our catering is made from scratch in the same kitchen as the dining room, served family-style and built around your headcount. Call us at (410) 633-7763 to order, and for the holiday week, the earlier the better. The catering page has the packages and the menu.
And for the nights around the holiday when nobody wants to cook, the dining room is here, with a private party room that seats up to 50. Buon appetito, and happy Thanksgiving.