Traditional Italian Christmas Dinner

A traditional Italian Christmas dinner varies depending on the region of Italy. One of the most renowned food regions is Emilia-Romagna and they have a Christmas meal using ingredients from the region. These Italian Christmas recipes come from that region and are easy to replicate for your own Christmas meal.

Christmas Turkey

If you want to make an Italian Christmas turkey, you will need:

• 1 7-pound turkey
• 1/2 lemon
• Salt and pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 ounces prosciutto
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup dry Marsala wine

1. Rinse the turkey and pat it dry. Rub with the lemon half inside and out. Sprinkle with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Put the turkey, breast side down into a roasting pan. Roast for 90 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees.
3. After it is in the oven for 30 minutes baste with a third of the white wine. Then paste every 20 minutes until the white wine is gone.
4. Then baste every 20 minutes with the Marsala wine and the juices from the pan. After 60 minutes of cooking, turn the turkey over and roast breast side up for browning.

Sweet and Sour Onions

If you want to make sweet and sour onions for Christmas, you will need:

• 1 1/2 gallons water
•  2 1/2 pounds small white or yellow onions
• 4 tablespoons butter
•  Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup canned tomatoes, drained and crushed
• 1/4 cup tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup water

1. Make a cross in the bottom of the unpeeled onions. Put the onions in a pot of boiling water for two minutes.
2. Rinse with cold water in a colander. Peel off the skin.
3. In a skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Sauté the onions. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for eight minutes until brown.
4. Pour in the tomatoes and tomato puree. Turn heat to low and cook for five minutes.
5. Add sugar, vinegar and water to the pan. Turn the heat up to medium and stir the onions for 3 minutes, until thickened and the onions are tender. Serve with the Christmas turkey.

ChristmasStrawberries in Red Wine

If you want to make strawberries in red wine as an Italian Christmas dessert, you will need:

• 2 cups fruity red wine (Merlot, Zinfandel, or Valpolicella)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 cups strawberries rinsed and hulled
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, whipped

1. Mix together the wine, juice and sugar. Put the strawberries in the mixture to marinate for one hour. Then put into the refrigerator until serving time.
2. Serve in small bowls. Top with whipped cream.