Christmas lunch in Naples has always been a serious matter. The holiday is a great reason for binging out delicious recipes that are part of the city’s true soul, handed down from generation to generation. But it’s not for nothing that Italians say “Christmas with family, Easter with whomever you like,” emphasizing how togetherness in these days of celebration is almost a categorical imperative. It’s a tradition that still warms the hearts of Neapolitans, both those within sight of Vesuvius and those far away.
Appetizers
If Christmas Eve dinner is traditionally fish-based, then Christmas lunch is a bonanza of meat and cheese, starting with an anitpasto of salumi and cheeses, especially buffalo mozzarella, which is loved all over the world.
First course
With the party started, we next move on to the first courses. We begin with a classic of Neapolitan cuisine and one of the oldest traditional dishes of the city, zuppa maritata, a combination of vegetables such as savoy cabbage, escarole and black cabbage, mixed with beef, pork and chicken, for a truly intriguing, balanced creation. Together with this soup comes Neapolitan-style lasagna with fried meatballs, another dish that has its roots in the mists of time, when peasants chopped up scraps of meat and kneaded them into small meatballs that were then fried generously in oil, because, well … everything tastes better fried! Alongside the lasagna, don’t forget rice sartù, a stuffing of meatballs, sausage, hard-boiled eggs and the inevitable Neapolitan ragù. You might think it’s a dish made from leftovers, but you’d be wrong: sartù is an elaborate recipe for expert hands.
Second course
At the end of these rich and tasty dishes, lunch continues with the meat course. Here you can find baked lamb, accompanied by potatoes and peas, or even sausage and meatballs cooked in tomato sauce. Alongside the meat, there’s no forgetting the side dishes. Among these, a pick-me-up salad is king: a set of vegetables such as peppers, cauliflower and pickled cucumbers, as well as olives and chili peppers. A dish that is traditionally prepared on Christmas Eve, but which is even better on Christmas Day as the flavors are able to meld overnight.
Desserts
Before finishing with a sweet victory lap, custom has it to bring a bounty of fresh fruit to the table, from white melon, mandarins and kiwis to walnuts, hazelnuts, chocolate- covered dates and candied orange peels. Then, finally come the desserts, including struffoli, or small balls of shortcrust pastry covered with honey and colored confettini– a real Neapolitan specialty. Also making appearances are cassatine, mostaccioli and roccocò, crisp donut-shaped cakes made with an almond mixture and flavored with orange peel and pisto, a special mix of spices typical of Naples. Because Christmastime in Naples leaves nothing to chance.