Italian Easter brunch menu for 8

The delicious dishes my mother makes every Easter morning are one of my favourites. Our traditional Italian brunch rarely deviates year to year with good reason. It's rich with eggs, fresh unripened cheese and flavourful young spring herbs. The food reflects a time when winter stocks were depleted and summer harvest had not yet begun. 

Recipes for this menu are listed below. Be sure to serve fresh sliced fennel as a side dish, tiny juice glasses filled with fresh-squeezed orange juice and topped with spumante (a fizzy Italian wine), and brew some good coffee to enjoy with dessert.

Italian Easter brunch work-ahead plan:

• Two days ahead: Make Taralli and Ricotta Cookies
• One day ahead: Make stock for Italian Easter Soup. Cook bacon and sausage for Sausage, Bacon and Green Onion Frittata. Make Sweet Ricotta Crostata.
• Just before serving: Squeeze oranges for Orange Juice with Spumante. Bake frittata. Heat stock and finish soup. Slice fennel sticks for serving alongside main dishes.