Is Spaghetti a somewhat traditional Christams Meal

[low-key]

reading all yuor response, it would make sense its normal for me, the area I grew up and live is a majority of Italians

 

[Jennasis]

No it's too simple. Pasta should be something like lasagna or baked ziti for a holiday. Then, whatever else you're serving.

What do you mean whatever else you're serving?

 

[quandrea]

What do you mean whatever else you're serving?

We will do pasta (two kinds, red and white), turkey, filet of beef, roasted red peppers, a traditional Italian soup with greens and Parmesan, potatoes, cranberry sauce, a relish tray (pickles, olives, beets), meatballs, bread, green salad, probably roasted root vegetables, stuffing, stuffing cranberry balls, gravy, cookies, terrone, Italian cream cake. It a lot of food!

 

[DisneyRobin]

What do you mean whatever else you're serving?

We're Italian so on holidays, a pasta dish like I mentioned above is always the 1st course. It's followed by the main course which is usually a turkey, ham and/or roast with sides - veggies and potatoes, etc. Then dessert.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I have never heard of that, but I don't have an Italian bone in my body.

 

[dclpluto]

Never heard of it but enjoy what you want

 

[Lilacs4Me]

Tamales go with everything and they're never out of place.

That's what we are having!

Well, at least to snack on.

Our traditional Christmas meals are: canned cinnamon rolls, fresh squeezed OJ, and sausage links for breakfast, then tamales to be warmed up and eaten any time of the day. YUM!!!

This year we are actually making dinner for SIL and BIL's family since they will be in town. They have requested lasagna. I was surprised to see it mentioned on here so many times as a "traditional" food on Christmas. I make it probably once a month.

I make spaghetti about once a week because it is cheap and easy. DH loves it, DD12 hates it, as does DS10. DS16 will eat it and so will I, but we both agree that we only eat it because it is cheap, easy, and DH likes it. Otherwise, we could go the rest of our lives without it and never miss it. The kids would hate if I made spaghetti on Christmas. DD12 is already hating that I am making lasagna.

 

[VandVsmama]

Can be for some, depends on your ethnic background. My father's side is Sicilian and growing up in NYC, we had some type of pasta every holiday. Or, as we Italian-American NYers would say, some type of macaroni. (We never used the term "pasta", macaroni was the catch-all term.) There were always a lot of courses. Some of the ever present dishes would be, antipasto (usually roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, sopressatta, olives, marinated mushrooms, provolone, and on one of the trays, anchovies, because not everyone liked them), stuffed artichokes, then we would have the soup with the little meatballs (tiny veal meatballs in a lovely broth with escarole), and then our macaroni of some kind. Usually with meat sauce. The rich tomato sauce was loaded with meatballs, pieces of beef, sausage, pork neck bones, and either beef brascoile or pork cotenne (Sicilians say, agodina instead of cotenne and with us IA NYers, it sounds like agoudina.) The latter two are rolled and stuffed meats. The beef braciole is just like thin cut of normal beef, like flank steak or something, but the pork contenne is actually pig skin. We would have spaghetti or some other short macaroni, and then have a meat ball and or some other pieces of meat. Sometimes, instead of the spaghetti or other macaroni, my great grandmother would make lasagna, or ravioli, or even more rare, manacotti. These days, carrying on some traditions, my father usually always makes the antipasto and lasagna and the meat sauce every holiday now. (Sometimes not all that meat, in the sauce though. He may just use leftover sauce and make the lasagna) But he does a ham (Xmas) or a turkey (usually Thanksgiving), too. He will make me rack of lamb on Easter in addition to ham, if I ask nicely and bat my big brown eyes, cause he likes lamb, too. I think it's just the two of us though.

Christmas Eve, we would also usually do some pasta. But there was a lot of fish. Which is very traditional for Italians. We would do linguini and clams and maybe some fishcakes, as an early dinner. Then later at night, like after mass, at midnight I also remember they would make a ring of Italian sausage. It was so good. Also remember them making the fish salad on Xmas Eve. Had shrimp, calamari, scungilli, scallops, mussels, clams and octopus.

The above is the feast that my Italian friend from New Jersey has often described...his mom and his grandmother (both from Sicily) would make all of that at Christmas time. And often on other special occasions. Or "just because" for Sunday dinner. Friend said that you really had to pace yourself with the eating so you'd have room for everything. His grandma was thrilled and impressed with how much his high school friend ate at Sunday dinner there 1 time.

I live in the southwest and around here, it's very traditional to have tamales for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day dinner. In fact, I just bought 2 dozen from a coworker...she, her mom, and her siblings made them last weekend and they sell some each year. OMG they smell so good. I can't wait to eat one. This year, my sister is cooking Christmas Eve dinner and she's going to do a roast beef. And her roast beef tastes good, but to be perfectly honest, I'd rather have the tamales, some yummy rice, and homemade refried beans.

 

[MataHari22]

Always had pasta growing up (Italian family). Christmas Eve spaghetti had 2 sauce options...red aka gravy with squingele (sp) or oil/garlic with shrimp. I got just spaghetti with gravy aka sauce as I wouldn't and still won't eat shrimp or squid.

Christmas Day (thanksgiving and Easter too) included pasta a salad course #2. It wasn't spaghetti though, either homemade ravioli or homemade cavateli/gnocchi. Oh how I miss those days.

My family has shrunk...cousins eat with their family's, deaths, etc...so now we just do antipasto and some kind of pasta for later or something with gravy aka sauce.

I have to laugh, because I almost wrote, "gravy", instead of "sauce". That can be a very hot debate. Growing up my great grandmother and family always called the slow simmered tomato sauce with all the meat, like I described above, gravy. When she made plain, quick, tomato sauce, it was marinara. Sunday Gravy, was always a staple. My father still makes it about every Sunday.

 

[pryncess527]

No, I would not consider it traditional to my region.

I don't think it matters one whit if you have a traditional meal though. We do a huge breakfast as our Christmas meal

 

[prprincess]

Doesn't matter to me, as long as I'm eating!!

 

[DopeyDame]

My Uncle was very Italian, and every year for Christmas Eve he made a huge pasta spread - all the noodles were homemade - always had lasagna and spaghetti, and sometimes something else too. I had never heard of it until my aunt married him, but he assured us that it was a traditional Italian Christmas Eve feast. And it was *soooo* delicious so I was thrilled to join that tradition!

 

[mjkacmom]

My Uncle was very Italian, and every year for Christmas Eve he made a huge pasta spread - all the noodles were homemade - always had lasagna and spaghetti, and sometimes something else too. I had never heard of it until my aunt married him, but he assured us that it was a traditional Italian Christmas Eve feast. And it was *soooo* delicious so I was thrilled to join that tradition!

I assume he had fish as well? It's baccala season at shoprite right now!

 

[Ciao Mickey]

Can be for some, depends on your ethnic background. My father's side is Sicilian and growing up in NYC, we had some type of pasta every holiday. Or, as we Italian-American NYers would say, some type of macaroni. (We never used the term "pasta", macaroni was the catch-all term.) There were always a lot of courses. Some of the ever present dishes would be, antipasto (usually roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, sopressatta, olives, marinated mushrooms, provolone, and on one of the trays, anchovies, because not everyone liked them), stuffed artichokes, then we would have the soup with the little meatballs (tiny veal meatballs in a lovely broth with escarole), and then our macaroni of some kind. Usually with meat sauce. The rich tomato sauce was loaded with meatballs, pieces of beef, sausage, pork neck bones, and either beef brascoile or pork cotenne (Sicilians say, agodina instead of cotenne and with us IA NYers, it sounds like agoudina.) The latter two are rolled and stuffed meats. The beef braciole is just like thin cut of normal beef, like flank steak or something, but the pork contenne is actually pig skin. We would have spaghetti or some other short macaroni, and then have a meat ball and or some other pieces of meat. Sometimes, instead of the spaghetti or other macaroni, my great grandmother would make lasagna, or ravioli, or even more rare, manacotti. These days, carrying on some traditions, my father usually always makes the antipasto and lasagna and the meat sauce every holiday now. (Sometimes not all that meat, in the sauce though. He may just use leftover sauce and make the lasagna) But he does a ham (Xmas) or a turkey (usually Thanksgiving), too. He will make me rack of lamb on Easter in addition to ham, if I ask nicely and bat my big brown eyes, cause he likes lamb, too. I think it's just the two of us though.

Christmas Eve, we would also usually do some pasta. But there was a lot of fish. Which is very traditional for Italians. We would do linguini and clams and maybe some fishcakes, as an early dinner. Then later at night, like after mass, at midnight I also remember they would make a ring of Italian sausage. It was so good. Also remember them making the fish salad on Xmas Eve. Had shrimp, calamari, scungilli, scallops, mussels, clams and octopus.

It's so nice to see someone else say they would call it "macaroni" instead of "pasta!" Lol. We also call it "gravy" when we make a big pot of tomato sauce with the meats. You are one one the few people who know what pork skin is. My mother would include it once in a while when she made her Sunday pot of gravy. She would stuff it and roll it up like you do with braciole.

I would imagine most southern Italians make the same dishes for the holidays. At least 7 fishes for Christmas Eve. I remember my grandmother also made fresh zeppoli with anchovies inside.

For Christmas it would be antipasto, then homemade ravioli with the meat from the gravy, then we would have ham, roasted chickens and turkey, candied yams, stuffed mushrooms, stuffed artichokes, and salad, etc. Then we would have all the desserts, espresso, coffee, liquors, nuts and roasted chestnuts, stuffoli and torrone and so on and so on.

My grandmother would also make what I call a sweet ravioli that was deep fried and had a filling of dark chocolate, honey, citron, ground walnuts and ground chestnuts. Have you ever heard of this? I basically remember what was in it but not how much of each.

I use to be amazed that my grandmother would cook and bake from memory, unfortunately it left me with no written recipes for many things.

 

[MataHari22]

It's so nice to see someone else say they would call it "macaroni" instead of "pasta!" Lol. We also call it "gravy" when we make a big pot of tomato sauce with the meats. You are one one the few people who know what pork skin is. My mother would include it once in a while when she made her Sunday pot of gravy. She would stuff it and roll it up like you do with braciole.

I would imagine most southern Italians make the same dishes for the holidays. At least 7 fishes for Christmas Eve. I remember my grandmother also made fresh zeppoli with anchovies inside.

For Christmas it would be antipasto, then homemade ravioli with the meat from the gravy, then we would have ham, roasted chickens and turkey, candied yams, stuffed mushrooms, stuffed artichokes, and salad, etc. Then we would have all the desserts, espresso, coffee, liquors, nuts and roasted chestnuts, stuffoli and torrone and so on and so on.

My grandmother would also make what I call a sweet ravioli that was deep fried and had a filling of dark chocolate, honey, citron, ground walnuts and ground chestnuts. Have you ever heard of this? I basically remember what was in it but not how much of each.

I use to be amazed that my grandmother would cook and bake from memory, unfortunately it left me with no written recipes for many things.

I didn't really eat the pig skin, I would try it every now and then, a tiny piece, but I will say, it definitely flavors the sauce so well. Gives it a sweetness, and velvety yumminess. Pork fat, rules. Lol. My father still makes the stuffed mushrooms.
We would always have roasted chestnuts, too! My great grandfather loved chestnuts. He had chestnut trees at the summer home my great grandparents owned, upstate NY. We didn't have those fried ravioli sweet cookies like you did. We did have the cookies with the figs, Cuccidati , you would grind up dried figs with dates, nuts, orange marmalade.... it would be the filling in the cookies. It was kind of like a fig newton. You baked them. We did have struffoli.
I know in Calabria, they make the zeppole with the anchovy. We didn't have that. We had sweet ones, and my nanny fried choux instead of a more bread like dough. She filled them, with a sweet ricotta mixture that was like a cannoli or cassata cake filling. Had chocolate chips, pistachio and a little orange peel. They are called, Sfinge. She didn't usually make the Sfinge for Xmas, they were a must have every St. Joseph's Day, though! They we definitely my favorite, by far!!! Did you guys do St. Joseph's Day? We would always have the semolina bread, and my nanny would make Pasta con Sarde. Bucatini (or perciatelli) with a tomato sauce with fennel bulb, sardines, and currants.... She would brown bread crumbs to top it, no cheese!

The other thing that was ever present (not just holidays) that my nanny made all the time, was cookies with the sesame seeds, Giuggiulena, but no anise, a she used a little almond flavor, instead. I miss those cookies, too.

My family cooks and never writes anything down, either, now so much has been lost. I'm even guilty of cooking that way, I just hate measuring and I'm not good at following recipes. I just do what I want. I think that is why I hate to bake. You actually have to measure to bake.

 

[DopeyDame]

I assume he had fish as well? It's baccala season at shoprite right now!

I had actually totally forgotten about the fish until you mentioned it. I *hated* fish as a kid, so I think I blocked it out, but you're right - lots of fish too.
(Sadly, he died when I was in college, so it's been a while since we were treated to one of his feasts)

 

[Darcy03231]

While I don't do spaghetti, I do make meatballs in a red sauce in the crock pot. I stopped doing a big sit down Christmas dinner when my kids were little - - no one wanted to stop what they were doing and eat. We do a hot & cold buffet with lots of appetizers and finger food and people eat what they want, when they want. This year's menu is: shrimp cocktail, cheese & crackers, veggies & dip, buffalo chicken dip, crab Rangoon dip, cowboy caviar, meatballs in red sauce, chicken wings, sliced ham and turkey, baked beans, tossed green salad, potato salad, fruit salad and rolls.

 

[Vijoge]

While I don't do spaghetti, I do make meatballs in a red sauce in the crock pot. I stopped doing a big sit down Christmas dinner when my kids were little - - no one wanted to stop what they were doing and eat. We do a hot & cold buffet with lots of appetizers and finger food and people eat what they want, when they want. This year's menu is: shrimp cocktail, cheese & crackers, veggies & dip, buffalo chicken dip, crab Rangoon dip, cowboy caviar, meatballs in red sauce, chicken wings, sliced ham and turkey, baked beans, tossed green salad, potato salad, fruit salad and rolls.

Sounds absolutely wonderful