Salt Cod, Artichokes & Anticipation: Lent in Italy 🇮🇹

In Italy, Lent — La Quaresima — doesn’t mean dull food or empty tables.

It means the table shifts.

For 40 days leading up to Easter, many Italians traditionally eat more simply — often avoiding meat on Fridays and leaning into what the season offers instead.

But across Italy’s 20 regions, “simple” looks very different.

And almost everywhere, it still tastes extraordinary.

Rome & Lazio: Salt Cod and Artichokes

In Rome, Lent is unmistakable on the menu.

Salt cod — baccalà — appears everywhere. Soaked, stewed with tomatoes, fried and eaten hot in paper wrappers.

Roman-style (carciofi alla romana) — braised with garlic and mint. Or Jewish-style (carciofi alla giudia) — crisp and golden.

And of course, puntarelle alla romana — those crisp, curly shoots of chicory dressed simply with anchovy, garlic, olive oil and vinegar. Bitter, sharp, refreshing. The kind of dish that wakes up the palate and reminds you winter is giving way to spring.

Ale grew up with these flavours. For him, Lent never felt restrictive. The kitchen simply pivoted: anchovies instead of meat, cavolo nero in soups, beans dressed generously with olive oil.

It wasn’t about going without. It was about cooking differently.

Campania: Village Rhythm & Preparation

In Campania, where Ale’s grandfather lived, Lent followed an even deeper rural rhythm.

In the weeks before Lent began, families would butcher and prepare meat to preserve for later — practical, seasonal, organised. Everything had its moment.

During Lent, the table leaned into legumes, greens, preserved fish and whatever the land offered.

And as the season drew to a close, you became aware of the pause. The absence made Easter feel intentional — not extravagant, just celebratory in the way only anticipation allows.

Tuscany: Cucina Povera at Its Best

In Tuscany, Lent fits naturally into its peasant cooking traditions.

Ribollita bubbling with cavolo nero. White beans on toasted bread. Thick vegetable soups enriched with good olive oil.

No excess. No drama. Just deeply satisfying food built from humble ingredients.

Venice & The Veneto: Bigoli and the Lagoon

In Venice, meat-free days mean bigoli in salsa — thick pasta tangled with anchovies and slow-cooked onions.

Seafood risottos reflect the lagoon. Dishes are simple but layered.

Again, it’s not deprivation. It’s adaptation.

Northern Italy: Polenta & Winter Comfort

In the north, Lent tables often feature polenta, mushrooms, cheeses and warming vegetable stews — hearty enough to carry late winter into early spring.

Different region. Same principle.

Use what you have.Cook it well.Respect the season.

The Real Tradition

Across Italy, Lent isn’t about removing joy from the table.

It’s about contrast.

Feast.Pause.Crave.Celebrate.

Ale always says that growing up, Lent never felt like a compromise. The flavours were bold. The plates were full. The rhythm just changed.

And perhaps that’s the quiet wisdom of Italian food culture — even in a season of “less”, the table is abundant.

Just differently so.