30 Italian Dishes for Christmas Dinner
Easy Italian Christmas dinner ideas for an elegant and delicious holiday meal for your family. Lots of festive Italian pasta recipes, easy Italian breads, and classic Italian desserts for a memorable Christmas feast.
When serving a feast for a big family gathering like Christmas, it is always a great idea to go with a crowd-pleasing menu filled with Italian dishes.
The most amazing cozy pasta recipes, rich tomato sauces, hearty meat dishes, and some of the best desserts can be found on Italian dinner tables.
I spent one lovely December living in Milan and I couldn't get enough of the delicious Italian food I enjoyed during the Christmas season but I'm not ashamed to offer up plenty of classic Italian-American recipes for my own family, too.
My list below includes both authentic and traditional Italian recipes along with the more simple Americanized Italian dishes that are easy to prep on a budget. There's always a little something for everyone when you stick to these heartwarming recipes.
I've gathered all my best Italian dishes for Christmas dinner to make your meal planning easier.
Our Favorite Italian Christmas Dinner Menu
For so many years, my mom and I would prep this simple Italian dinner for Christmas Day dinner:
For dessert, add either the easy tiramisu or my husband's favorite panettone bread pudding with amaretto cream sauce.
But if you want more options, keep reading. I've got tons more easy Italian recipes for your holiday dinner.
Pasta Recipes For Christmas
Pasta is the most beloved of all Italian recipes for great reason. With an endless variety of flavors and sauces, you're sure to find the perfect match for your menu.
When feeding a crowd, it's a great idea to pick a baked pasta dish like lasagna or baked tortellini but I have several easy slowcooker pasta recipes, too.
Make Ahead Sausage Lasagna
This easy sausage lasagna is the classic Christmas dinner my mom and I made for many years.
I prepare the sausage lasagna on Dec. 23 and cover it in foil in the fridge. Pop it in the oven on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day for the easiest dinner ever.
Make Ahead Lasagna Roll Ups
The ruffly edges of these lasagna roll-ups make a pretty presentation for your Christmas dinner.
The recipe is still so easy to prep ahead and just bake and serve for your meal.
Classic Beef Bolognese Sauce
This classic Italian beef bolognese sauce simmers on the stove top for a few hours and the meat gets so tender and rich.
It is the most delicious topping for your favorite pasta shape, served over gnocchi, or even eaten with fresh bread for dunking.
Slowcooker Tuscan Chicken Pasta
This rich and delicious Tuscan chicken pasta dish is filled with the colors of the season. Red and green and so festive!
It's perfect if you want to have dinner kept warm for when you come home from church or you are welcoming family and friends Open House style.
Baked Cheese Tortellini Skillet
For a smaller crowd, this crispy baked cheese tortellini skillet has a rich tomato sauce with bits of spinach for color.
The crispy bread crumb topping is our absolute favorite!
Pasta Rosa with Sausage
Creamy pasta rosa with savory sausage is a super easy fresh pasta dish to make fresh for Christmas dinner.
The touch of heavy cream helps the tomato sauce to cling to the pasta in the very best way.
Italian Sausage Pasta Casserole
When we're not serving lasagna, you can bet this recipe is gracing our Christmas table. My mom has made this Italian sausage casserole for years and years and it is always a hit.
The trick?? Serve it with fresh pineapple! It's a unique choice but is perfect with this dish.
Pesto Chicken Casserole
Creamy pesto chicken casserole is another prep-ahead dish that is fun for Christmas.
Red and green veggies are sprinkled throughout and who could resist that crispy crumb topping??
Meaty Italian Dishes
Italian Christams meals often feature a show-stopping main dish but I like to keep things easy for my family.
I lean towards make-ahead recipes like my baked chicken parmesan or big batch prep-ahead dishes like trays of meatballs.
Baked Chicken Parmesan
My chicken parmesan recipe is a make-ahead dinner you can prep up to 24 hours in advance.
Use my special baking tricks to ensure the breadcrumb coating bakes up perfectly crispy in the oven.
Italian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
You could serve these Italian meatballs in tomato sauce in a slowcooker to keep them warm. Let family enjoy them as an appetizer with toothpicks, layer into rolls for meatball sandwiches, or ladle it over pasta.
Romano Chicken Meatballs
If you want a lighter, lemony main dish to offer a break from all the rich tomato dishes, these chicken romano meatballs with fresh asparagus are perfect.
Olive Garden Crockpot Chicken
If you're hosting a big family gathering, this Olive Garden crockpot chicken is so easy to pull together and it will keep warm in the slowcooker on the buffet table.
Italian Wedding Soup
The savory meatballs are my favorite part of this easy Italian wedding soup. Serve this in a big soup pot with lots of fresh bread and butter.
Italian Appetizers and Small Bites
You can use these easy Italian appetizers and small bites to fill in as side dishes alongside your mains or build an entire menu out of easy-to-nibble options.
Prepare a grazing table with plenty of cheeses, meats, and crostini and a few of these hot appetizers.
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Chicken Parm Sliders
These delicious chicken parm sliders use frozen chicken tenders and prepared slider rolls for an easy appetizer that comes together in minutes.
Pesto Chicken Sliders
You can prep the pesto chicken sliders filling ahead and then just assemble and bake quickly for the party.
Christmas Charcuterie Board
Plan a variety of Italian meats, cheeses, and olives for this absolutely adorable Santa-themed charcuterie board as an appetizer.
Baked Shrimp Scampi
This skilled baked shrimp scampi with breadcrumbs on top works as an appetizer or could be served over pasta for dinner.
Easy Bruschetta al Pomodoro
The red and green colors of this lovely bruschetta al pomodoro are perfect for Christmas.
Italian Salads and Vegetables
Fresh salads and vegetables help to brighten your table and are excellent options for family that wants to keep their plate a little lighter.
Crispy cold salads add crunch and a refreshing accent to the heartier mains.
Caprese Salad
While typically a summer recipe, caprese salad is so festive for Christmas with the bright green basil and pretty red tomatoes.
Serve it with fresh mozzarella and your family will forgive you for serving a summertime classic.
Copycat Olive Garden Salad
You can buy a bottle of the Olive Garden Italian dressing and make this simple copycat garden salad right at home.
BONUS: This is easy to scale for a large dinner.
Caesar Salad
Toss together a simple Caesar salad for your green vegetable. Everyone will be so happy with the pasta and bread, but it is nice to have an easy vegetable to go with it.
Italian Breads
No Italian Christmas meal is complete without baskets of warm, fresh bread on the table.
From simple herbed focaccias to easy-to-slice breads, these are perfect for dunking in sauces and bulking up your main course.
Bread Machine Focaccia
Once you have your Christmas pasta chosen, pair it with a yummy fresh bread.
This bread machine focaccia will help soak up all the delicious pasta sauces from your plate. Top it with fresh rosemary before baking for a wonderful aroma.
Homemade Ciabatta Bread
My favorite ciabatta bread is the heartiest bread for your richest sauces. It also makes amazing toast with butter if you want to make a chicken parm sandwich.
Homemade Italian Bread
Bake a loaf of this Italian bread and cut it into wedges to serve alongside olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping. It is the easiest starter to your Italian Christmas dinner.
Homemade Garlic Bread
Homemade garlic bread with a perfectly crispy buttery top is always a family favorite for a holiday dinner. Cut it into wedges for the bread basket.
Italian Desserts for Christmas
My favorite Christmas party when I lived in Milan featured dessert trays filled with panettone that had been cut into bite-sized cubes, piles of parmigiano reggiano cut into small wedges, all served alongside flutes of prosecco.
They had large bowls of amaretti cookies on the table, too.
Italian desserts can be so much easier than you think but here are some of my all-time favorites:
Panettone Bread Pudding
The classic Italian Christmas bread panettone makes amazing panettone bread pudding that works for a Christmas dessert for after dinner but leftovers could hang out for Christmas morning, too!
Sweet Amaretto Sauce
Top the panettone bread pudding with this sweet amaretto cream sauce or stir it into your after dinner coffee for a special treat.
Easy Tiramisu
The classic Italian dessert tiramisu is the perfect ending to your Christmas dinner because you can make the whole thing the day before and let it rest in the fridge. The lady fingers will soak up all that lovely espresso.
Easy Cannoli Dip
Pile up the butter cookies and dunk them into this rich and decadent cannoli dip with chopped pistachios and mini chocolate chips over the top.
More Christmas Dinner Ideas
Looking for a fun new meal plan for the holiday? I love sampling beloved Christmas traditions from other countries!
Here are a few more great Christmas dinner ideas:
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