FLAVOURS

Easter in Ferrara: welcome spring at the table

Potrebbe interessarti anche
{$contenuto_correlato}

Easter in Ferrara: welcome spring at the table

Easter: the holiday that comes along with spring to signify hope and rebirth after the long winter. After the period of renunciation fasting marked by Lent, as soon as Easter is over, we start with culinary delights right from breakfast.

In Italy, all regions flaunt rich recipes in which nothing, but really nothing, is missing!

But do you know what we eat here in Ferrara?

Cosa si mangia a Ferrara per Pasqua

The tradition of Easter lunch varies from family to family, but it usually involves dishes and preparations of substance, closing the 'winter' food cycle such as the traditional Minestrino di Pasqua Ferrarese.

Minestrino Ferrara

For meat eaters, lunch often includes at least one course of lamb, kid or rabbit. But the most awaited moment is always dessert: the undisputed symbol of Italian festivities. Easter in Italy wants the classic colomba, but in Ferrara we like tagliatelle!

Minestrino di Pasqua

Ingredients:
5 eggs
150 g of parmigiano reggiano
Breadcrumbs as needed
Beef broth

Procedure

Beat eggs and add Parmesan cheese. Then slowly add the breadcrumbs until a solid dough is obtained. This must rest for at least two hours. Put a pot with the mixture and the hot (but not boiling!) broth on the stove. Leave to cook over a low flame until the broth becomes clear again.

Discovering Ferrara's Easter desserts

TORTA TAGLIOLINA

“par Pasqua e par Nadel ai vol el tajadell”
According to the Emilian proverb, the main holidays call for Torta Tagliolina!
A baked cake consisting of a shortcrust pastry base enclosing an almond and honey filling topped with fresh egg noodles, often soaked in almond or aniseed liqueur. It is an ancient cake with Renaissance origins: the 'fine noodles' that decorate its surface are said to be a tribute to the blonde hair of Lucrezia Borgia, lady of the Castello Estense in Ferrara.
Torta Tagliatelle Ferrara

A SWEET HUG: LA BRAZADELA

“Not all crullers come out with a hole... but some just don't want to!”

The torta Tagliolina certainly deserves a special mention but the closing meal par excellence in Ferrara wants the Brazadela! The Ferrara doughnut is a sweet with a genuine taste and rural tradition that you can easily enjoy all year round in Ferrara. A simple alternative to celebrate major holidays, the brazadela appears on the tables of Ferrara families especially around Easter.
It is usually made plain, but at Easter you can also 'exaggerate' and offer it in its cream- or jam-filled version!
Would you also like to learn how to bake this exquisite cake? We'll show you!

Brazadela Ciambella Ferrara

A DESSERT WITH JEWISH ORIGINS: GLI ZUCCHERINI

"A tradition from one of the oldest Jewish communities in Europe'

In Ferrara, the Jewish community has historical importance. Always integrated in the life of the city, it experienced a period of particular flourishing during the rule of the Este family, before the sad decline in recent centuries.

Passover or Pesach zuccherini are dry sweets in the shape of a flattened doughnut. They were prepared in the days before Passover. Like other recipes in Ferrara, zuccherini are a product of the exchange between Jewish and Ferrara food and wine. This exchange gave rise to many special dishes that have been handed down to the present day.

Zuccherini Pasqua Ferrara

Zuccherini

10 egg yolks
5 egg whites
15 tablespoons sugar
15 tbsp. oil
flour as needed

Procedure

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar, then add the other ingredients: the beaten egg whites and the flour. The dough must be soft, so that the sprinkles can be formed on the table, also greased with oil, with your hands.
Divide the dough into several strands, which you then cut into small doughnuts.
Bake the zuccherini at 180° for about 15 minutes.

Has all this food talk made your mouth water? Discover our experiences to imarate cooking a real Ferrarese!