Last updated on July 22nd, 2024
If you happen to be in Italy in April then you’re in luck! Not only is this a month of celebration and beautiful spring weather – it’s also a great time to try some regional foods that you’ll only find in April.
I have been based in Italy since 2012, spending each April with my family in Tuscany and with friends for Easter. While each region has their own culinary traditions, local spring harvests and Easter dishes, I am lucky enough to spend time with Italians from around the peninsula, giving me ample opportunity to try something different each year.
Easter Scoop: If you are particularly interested in Easter foods in Italy, read Italian Easter Food – Foods We Actually Eat On Easter In Italy.
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Focaccia Veneta
(Pronounced foh-kahch-chah veh-neh-tah in Italian)
Focaccia veneta, also called fugassa or fugass in the local dialect, is a sweet brioche bread traditionally made for the Easter holidays from Veneto. This bread goes through five individual rises, making it incredibly light and airy!
Although you can find focaccia veneta in other months, the best bakeries are only making them in April around Easter time.
Colomba Pasquale
(Pronounced coh-lohm-bah pah-sqwahl-eh in Italian)
Colomba Pasquale is an Italian sweet bread from Lombardy made from a brioche dough shaped into a dove and covered with a sugar and crisp almond topping. The dough is flavored with either lemon zest or candied fruit but it also comes in several varieties like chocolate or filled with pastry cream. Typically, we eat this for breakfast around Easter time or as a light dessert on Easter Sunday.
Bring It Home: Colomba Pasquale makes a great food gift or souvenir to bring home with you from Milan, most famously from Iginio Massari and Cova Pasticceria, both centrally located downtown.
Torta Pasqualina
(Pronounced tohr-tah pah-sqwah-lee-nah in Italian)
Torta Pasqualina is an Easter specialty from Liguria served only in April, making it a must-try during this time of year. It’s a savory spinach and ricotta pie with surprise hard boiled eggs inside, making for a fun presentation when it’s cut. It’s one of my favorite egg dishes that we have in Italy.
Make it: Get our step-by-step recipe for Italian Easter Pie Recipe – Our Family’s Torta Pasqualina and make it at home!
Pizza Rustica
(Pronounced peez-zah roo-stee-cah in Italian)
Pizza rustica from Basilicata is one of the best foods to eat in Italy in April as a street food. It’s more of a savory pie than a pizza made from pie crust filled with a mixture of eggs, cheese and cured meats.
Rafanata
(Pronounced rah-rah-nah-tah in Italian)
Rafanata is an Italian omelet also known as a frittata made with potato, pecorino cheese and grated horseradish made for Easter in Basilicata.
Uovo di Pasqua
(Pronounced oo-oh-voh dee pah-skwah in Italian)
L’uovo di Pasqua is specialty chocolate available only for Easter in April in Italy. It’s a large hollow chocolate egg filled with smaller individually wrapped chocolates and sometimes a little sorpresa or surprise gift (small plastic toys for kids, bracelets, a key chain, etc.)
Uova di Pasqua (plural of uovo) can vary in size being as small as your hand or 4 feet tall. You can buy them in literally any flavor or kind of chocolate including dark, milk, artisan-made, hazelnut or white chocolate at grocery stores, small artisan food shops or bakeries.
Bring It Home: Uova di Pasqua make really fun gifts for kids if you are looking to bring home something unique from Italy.
Fiadone
(Pronounced fee-ah-doh-nee in Italian)
Fiadone is a sweet or salty food to try in Italy in April from Abruzzo made with cheese served during the Easter celebration. Little dough balls are filled with a cheese mixture either salted or sweetened with sugar and baked until golden brown.
La Pupa e il Cavallo
(Pronounced lah poo-pah eh eel cah-vahl-low in Italian)
La pupa e il cavallo is one of the best foods to eat in Italy in April for kids. La pupa is a large decorated cookie in the shape of a girl and il cavallo is the horse-shaped cookie. In Abruzzo for Easter, little girls are given la pupa and little boys il cavallo.
Crescia Al Formaggio
(Pronounced kreh-shah ahl fohr-mahj-joh in Italian)
Crescia al formaggio is a savory cheese bread made throughout Italy (originally from Le Marche and Umbria) using regional cheese such as pecorino in Tuscany, Parmigiano Reggiano in Emilia Romagna and scamorza in southern Italy.
Agnello Cacio e Oro
(Pronounced an-yell-oh cah-choh eh oh-row in Italian)
Agnello cacio e oro is a stewed secondo, similar to a lamb fricassee served in a sauce made from eggs, onion, white wine, parsley and pecorino cheese.
Asparagi con Bozner Sauce
(Pronounced ah-spahr-ah-jee cohn bohz-nehr saws)
Apparagi con bozner sauce from Trentino-Alto Adige is a simple spring recipe made by steaming locally or wildly grown asparagus and serving them with a egg based sauce similar to hollandaise sauce.
Curious to know more about Italy’s seasonal foods, dishes, and produce? Check out
Foods to Eat in Italy in January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December.
Italian Fruits and Vegetables in Season in January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December.
