It's now official: this year we'll be spending Easter at home, and it will certainly be different than usual. But this unusual situation shouldn't detract from our desire to celebrate with tasty, easy-to-prepare recipes!

Here's our idea for an Easter lunch: a complete menu consisting of three recipes, from appetizer to dessert, that are fairly simple to make and use readily available ingredients.
You won't have to spend too much time cooking to serve a rich and delicious Easter lunch.

Easter "express" menu:

• Polenta baskets with gorgonzola and speck
• Grilled chicken with buckwheat and pumpkin
• Quick Neapolitan Pastiera

Enjoy your meal and Happy Easter everyone!

Appetizer - Polenta Baskets with Gorgonzola and Speck

Photo credit: from Il Cucchiaio d'Argento recipes

INGREDIENTS

For the baskets

• Arnaboldi Piedmontese Polenta with Gorgonzola
• 500 ml of water
• 200 ml of milk

For the filling

• 6 slices of speck
• 6 tablespoons of sweet gorgonzola
• Poppy seeds

PREPARATION

To make the baskets, start by preparing the polenta . Bring 500 ml of water to a boil in a saucepan. Once boiling, lower the heat, add 200 ml of milk, and pour in the contents of the bag, stirring well. Bring to a boil again and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes.

After preparing the polenta, prepare the baskets . Butter 6 muffin tins and place a generous spoonful of polenta inside. With damp hands, shape the baskets, making sure to create a hollow in the center. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and proceed to prepare the filling . For each basket, place a slice of speck and a spoonful of gorgonzola. Finally, sprinkle with poppy seeds and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let the baskets set. Once the pan is cool, remove the baskets and serve on a serving platter.

Main course - Grilled chicken with a side of buckwheat, pumpkin, carrots and ginger

INGREDIENTS (for two people)

• Buckwheat with pumpkin, carrots and ginger Arnaboldi
• 2 chicken breasts

For the chicken marinade

• Juice of an orange
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons of oil
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• Salt to taste

PREPARATION

Start by marinating the chicken . Chop the rosemary and add it to a small bowl with the oil, orange juice, white wine vinegar, and honey. Mix everything together thoroughly.

Place the chicken breasts in a bowl, pour in the freshly prepared marinade, and submerge them. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the meat marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Finally, heat the grill thoroughly and cook the chicken , browning it on both sides. Season with salt to taste before serving with the side dishes.

Prepare the side dish . Take the Arnaboldi Buckwheat with Pumpkin, Carrots, and Ginger package and pour it into 700 ml of cold water in a non-stick saucepan. Bring to a boil. Once the water boils, cook for 16-18 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Serve the buckwheat on a flat plate, using a pastry cutter to give it a nice shape and arrange the grilled chicken breast on top.

Dessert - Quick Neapolitan Pastiera

Photo credit: from Il Cucchiaio d'Argento recipes

INGREDIENTS

• Ready-made shortcrust pastry
• 300 ml of milk
• 500 g of ricotta
• 200 g of sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 250 g of cooked wheat
• The peel of an orange
• 1 vial of orange blossom water
• Butter to taste
• Flour to taste

PREPARATION

Start by preparing the filling . Cook the wheat in the milk over medium heat for about ten minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar, adding the ricotta and orange flavoring, and mix well.

Drain the wheat and add it to the bowl with the ricotta. Grate the orange zest into the mixture.

Butter and flour the cake pan, then line it with the shortcrust pastry. Pour in the ricotta mixture and smooth the surface. Use the remaining shortcrust pastry to make strips and arrange them crisscrossing over the top of the cake. Finally, brush the surface with egg white and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 40 minutes.

For those who want to try their hand at the traditional recipe, below is the procedure for making perfect shortcrust pastry at home .

• 300 g 00 flour
• 150 g lard (or butter)
• 90 g sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 vanilla pod

Place the flour in a bowl and place the softened butter (or lard), sugar, and egg yolks in the center. Add the vanilla bean and mix until smooth.

Let the shortcrust pastry rest in the refrigerator, covered with cling film, for about 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.

You can find some of the ingredients used in these recipes in our online shop!