While we celebrate Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June, Italians recognize fathers on March 19th, as it coincides with the Catholic feast to honor St. Joseph. Though these religious beginnings still hold true, this day in Italy is slowly becoming more family-oriented and serves as a day for the whole family to celebrate the special fathers in their lives.
There is one thing that will always mark this occasion: great food! While Americans generally go for hearty, meaty dishes, Father’s Day in Italy celebrates with sweets and fried pastries. Why not have both? Here are some American and Italian dish ideas that Dad will crave again long after the plates have been cleaned.
Brunch
Let your father sleep in and wake up to the smell of coffee and waffles! While waffles are known to come from France and Belgium, you can transform these completely with this Tiramisu Waffles recipe from Love & Olive Oil! Pile espresso-dipped waffles as high as you’d like, and make sure to add in a layer of mascarpone filling in between each. Then top off this tower with toppings like shaved chocolate or cocoa powder. Even if you don’t have your own waffle iron, you can still improvise and use frozen waffles!
Dinner
Many Father’s Day dinners feature steak, but chicken can be just as delicious. Just try this Caprese Chicken from Delish! You can source everything you need for this right from us, including fresh, boneless chicken breasts, our own mozzarella cheese, and our signature extra virgin olive oil. This recipe perfectly blends a classic caprese salad with everyone’s favorite poultry, so it is a lighter dish than heavy steaks. But, it’s still hearty enough to fill up Dad’s stomach, at least until dessert!
Dessert
We did say that Italy’s Father’s Day was all about sweets, right? We have all of the cookies and pastries to top off your dad’s day the right way. Our cookie and pastry platters are perfect for big family occasions. From cannolis and cream puffs to biscotti and butter cookies, we have a large assortment of all of your favorites at great prices.