The flavours and aromas of Sardinian Easter
Alongside traditional engaging rituals, there’s plenty of good food and interesting flavours to celebrate the most beloved festival on the island.
Easter is the most celebrated festival in Sardinia, feted in every village with engaging rituals handed down by tradition.
On such a special occasion, good food takes centre stage with the typical flavours of Easter and Easter Monday in a blaze of recipes and aromas that vary from the coast to the hinterland: ritual breads, IGP lamb, desserts, all unique dishes to be enjoyed only during the Easter holiday period.
Easter and Easter Monday’s typical dishes in Sardinia
Among the dishes that can never miss from the Easter table in Sardinia stands out, without a doubt, bread. Not surprisingly, Sardinians are masters in the art of baking and the preparation of special breads linked to the various holidays.
For Easter, the ritual bread is Su coccoi: it is a durum wheat semolina bread embellished with decorations and an egg in the centre, of variable shapes and sizes, an authentic work of gastronomic art.
In addition, on Palm Sunday it is customary to give children a doll made out of bread called Sa Pipia, the Easter variant of the Advent Calendar: it has seven legs and children detach one a day to count how many days are left to the big holiday.
Queen of the table, always linked to bread, is then the classic Panada, “bread basket” made with lard, re-milled semolina, water and salt prepared with lamb and artichokes: the lamb is cooked stewed while the artichokes, cut into strips, are sautéed in a pan with garlic, parsley and a splash of white wine.
The dough, as soon as it is ready, is given the shape of a “pot”, the ingredients are placed inside and covered with a “lid” of carefully sewn bread. It is then cooked in the oven until the dough becomes golden.
Equally delicious are the meat dishes among which first to be mentioned should be the IGP lamb, a true symbol of Easter, which is cooked stewed with parsley, garlic and wild thistles. It can also be stewed or baked with fresh sheep’s milk cheese or potatoes.
A traditional recipe that recalls family conviviality is sa tratalia in which the heart, lung, spleen and liver of the lamb are cut and alternated on the spit for an hour on the grill.
Immediately after, they are wrapped with a fat net called nappa and then in the intestine of the animal: cooking continues for half an hour until the meat appears golden.
Sa tratalia is served by giving each diner at least a part of each ingredient.
Do not miss the kid goat roasted on a spit or cooked in the fireplace.
The delicious desserts of the Easter tradition deserve a separate chapter starting from the Formagelle (the Casadinas or Pardulas) prepared according to numerous local variations. The main ingredients for the filling are ricotta or fresh cheese with aromas such as orange and saffron or, in some areas, raisins.
They have a soft texture and round shape and are encased in a basket of lard dough with raised edges, like a star.
Other classics are the Papassinas, made of flour, eggs, raisins, lard, almonds and/or chopped walnuts dough, the crunchy almonds (the “Gattò“) and the Piricchitus a simple but delicious lemon desserts.
The traditional Easter and Easter Monday flavours at Palazzo Doglio
To spend a relaxing Easter holiday in Cagliari and have the opportunity to taste the flavours of the Sardinian tradition, Palazzo Doglio, an elegant resort in the city centre, awaits you in the name of good food and music.
Easter Lunch
For the traditional Easter Lunch scheduled for Sunday, April 9th, Chef Alessandro Cocco will present a special menu, dedicated to spring flavoura, expertly enhanced with creative flair.
The lunch will start with the appetisers “Salted Seadas with burrata, lime, red shrimp and asparagus” and “Frattau bread with tomato, egg and pecorino cheese” to continue with “ravioli with cuttlefish ink stuffed with grouper, asparagus and fresh tomato” and “gorgonzola and walnut risotto”.
This will be followed by the “Traditional Lamb stewed with potatoes and thistles” and the “slice of sea bass with spring herbs with baby vegetables” to conclude with dessert.
Price per Person: 50 € drinks not included with choice of appetiser, first and second course
Easter Monday at Palazzo Doglio
On Monday, April 10th, to celebrate Easter Monday, the Osteria del Forte of Palazzo Doglio will organise an outdoor barbecue in the splendid setting of the Court, with entertainment and live music.
The proposal includes different types of panadas (lamb and potatoes or vegetables) and various corners including the cheesemaker with mozzarella, ricotta and mixed cheeses, the vegetable pinzimonio and the traditional Sardinian one dedicated to the region’s cured meats.
The gastronomic offer is completed with grilled dishes, such as “roasted casizolu with honey, sausage and bacon”, “suckling pig with myrtle” and kid goat carvings.
To conclude, a “grand buffet of traditional Sardinian desserts”.
Would you like to taste the traditional dishes of Easter and Easter Monday in Cagliari and enjoy a holiday full of charm and elegance? Book a stay at Palazzo Doglio in Cagliari
