Italian-American Thanksgiving Menu: Antipasto, Pasta, and Then the Turkey

By Chef Samantha Tilley, executive chef at The Market CT and former chef-owner of Mockingbird Kitchen & Bar.

In a lot of Italian-American homes, Thanksgiving doesn’t start with the turkey. It starts with a platter of antipasto, moves on to a full pasta course, and only then gets to the bird, followed by fruit, nuts, dessert, and espresso. It’s the Sunday-dinner structure applied to an American holiday, and it’s one of the best examples of how immigrant families made Thanksgiving their own.

I’ll be honest: I didn’t grow up with this. Until I moved to New York at 29, I thought every Thanksgiving menu was the same. Then I sat down to my first Italian-American Thanksgiving, and before the turkey ever appeared, out came a pasta course: lasagna and eggplant parm, side by side. I love pasta, so I was very happy to be on that learning curve. It taught me that Thanksgiving isn’t one menu. It’s whatever each family carries to the table.

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Why This Menu Works

The Italian-American table is built in courses, so the cooking can be spread out. The antipasto and pasta course are made ahead, which keeps the oven free for the turkey on the day. Guests eat slowly, the meal lasts all afternoon, and nobody is waiting on one overloaded oven.

The Menu

Antipasto

• Italian-Sausage Stuffed Long Hot Peppers: assemble the day before, bake while guests arrive.
• Focaccia: the overnight-ferment version fits neatly into holiday prep.
• A board of cured meats, sharp provolone, olives, and marinated vegetables to round it out.

The Pasta Course

• Butternut Squash Lasagna: autumn flavors, and it can be assembled two days ahead.
• Or Meatballs with Sugo al Pomodoro over pasta, the most traditional choice in many families.
• Eggplant parm, often served right alongside the lasagna. It bakes ahead and reheats beautifully.

Keep the portions small. The pasta course is a welcome, not the main event.

The Turkey

• Dry Brine Turkey: crisp skin, seasoned all the way through, and no bucket of brine taking up the fridge.

Stuffing and Sides

• Tuscan Sausage, Sage, and Fennel Stuffing: the Italian take on the classic, made with day-old ciabatta.
• Sautéed broccoli rabe or escarole with olive oil and garlic, to cut through the richness.
• Roasted squash or sweet potatoes with rosemary and olive oil.

Dessert and Espresso

• Classic Tiramisu: no oven needed, and it’s better made the day before.
• A bowl of fruit and nuts in the shell, the old-school finish, with espresso and a little anisette or amaro.

Make-Ahead Plan

• 3 days before: salt the turkey for the dry brine.
• 2 days before: assemble the lasagna or make the meatballs and sugo; cube and dry the bread for stuffing.
• 1 day before: make the tiramisu; stuff the long hots; start the focaccia dough if doing the overnight version.
• Thanksgiving morning: roast the turkey; bake the focaccia and stuffing while it rests.
• As guests arrive: bake the long hots and set out the antipasto; reheat the pasta course.

Wine

Start with Prosecco for the antipasto. With the pasta and turkey, a Chianti Classico or Montepulciano d’Abruzzo has the acidity to handle tomato, sausage, and gravy without overwhelming the bird.

Italian-American Thanksgiving FAQ

Do Italian-Americans really serve pasta on Thanksgiving?
In many families, yes. A lasagna, baked ziti, or meatballs and macaroni before the turkey is a long-standing tradition, carried over from the multi-course Sunday dinner.

Won’t a pasta course make the meal too heavy?
Serve small portions and keep the sides bright, like greens with olive oil and lemon. The meal is meant to be long and slow.

What’s a good Italian-style stuffing?
Sausage, fennel, and sage with day-old ciabatta and Parmigiano. See the Tuscan version in Stuffing Ideas.

What can I make ahead?
Almost everything except the turkey: the lasagna, meatballs, tiramisu, stuffed long hots, and stuffing bread can all be done one to two days early.

For the full traditional spread, see the Thanksgiving Menu: What to Cook and Why It Works.