Mwachikhalidwe, Isitala (Pasqua) imasonyeza kutha kwa nthawi yayitali, yopanda phindu pa nthawi ya Lent, nthawi imene zakudya monga nyama, mazira, batala, ndi mafuta a nyama sizinadyedwe, choncho inali nthawi ya phwando lambiri (ngakhale, kwenikweni, kodi tchuthi ya Italy siiti?).
Ngakhale kuti Lent sichiwonetsedweratu monga momwe kale linakhalira, ndipo m'dziko lamakono la zakudya zakutulutsidwa ndi firiji sitili ndi zovuta zowonjezera zakudya zomwe mwachibadwa zimayikidwa nyengo ndi zochepa, Isitala ikadali nthawi ya chikondwerero, makamaka patebulo.
Mawu otchuka a ku Italy akuti, " Natele con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi ," amatanthauza "Khirisimasi ndi makolo anu, Easter ndi aliyense amene mukufuna." Mwa kuyankhula kwina, ndizozoloŵera kugwiritsira ntchito Khirisimasi ( Natale ) ndi banja, koma Pasitala (ngakhale kuti izi zikuphatikizapo banja, mobwerezabwereza, maholide ambiri a ku Italy), ndi ochepa kwambiri, ndipo ndinu mfulu kukondwerera ndi anzanu .
Kumayambiriro kwa zaka za zana la 15, Italiya amaika mazira ophika kwambiri kwa Pasitala ndi zitsamba, maluwa, ndi zikopa za anyezi. Masiku ano, mazira osakaniza okhutira okhala ndi zozizwitsa zamatope ndiwo Easter wotchuka kwambiri kwa ana a Italy.
Zosakaniza kwambiri mu Italiya Zakudya za Isitala ndi mazira ndi mwanawankhosa, zizindikiro zonse zotsitsimutsa ndi kubwereranso. Mtsinje wa brodetto wa m'dera la Basilicata umaphatikizapo zonsezi, monga mtundu wa nkhosa ndi masamba frittata. Kumwera kwa Italy kumapanga mitundu yambiri ya mikate yopatsa chidwi ya Easter yomwe nthawi zambiri imakhala ndi nyama, tchizi, ndi mazira onse, mu chipolopolo.
Mankhwala ochokera ku Naples ndi amodzi a mkate wotere, ophikidwa mu mphete yodzaza ndi mazira onse. Mzinda wa Liguria unkapangidwa ndi zigawo 33 zochepa za mtanda, umodzi wa chaka chilichonse cha moyo wa Yesu.
Chikhalidwe cha ku Italy Chakudya cha Pasaka chingayambe ndi msuzi, monga mchiroma wa brodetto pasquale, msuzi wokhutira ndi dzira ndi kuphika ndi ng'ombe ndi mwanawankhosa, kapena chipinda cha Naples chomwe chakhala chotchuka padziko lonse monga Msuzi wa Chikwati wa ku Italy .
Pali mikate yambiri ya Isitala yokoma, yomwe imafala kwambiri monga colomba , mkate wophikidwa ndi yisiti woboola nkhunda, womwe umakhala ndi ma amondi opangidwa ndi nkhunda komanso mapuloteni a shuga. Keke ya colomba inachokera ku dera la Lombardy, koma tsopano ili yotchuka ku Italy ndi ku Italy komwe kumayiko ena.
Chakudya china chodziwika bwino cha Isitala ndi pastiera napoletana , yotchuka kwambiri kuti tsopano idyedwa chaka chonse. Ndiwotchi yamakono ndi semolina keke yomwe imatulutsa madzi a mandimu ndi maluwa a lalanje, ndipo nthawi zambiri amapangidwa ndi zipatso za tirigu (kusonyeza kubereka) ndi mchere wonyezimira. Ndondomeko yanga ndi yowonjezera, yofulumira, yopanda utoto yomwe ili ndi zoumba m'malo mwa zipatso za tirigu . (Chikhalidwe chimatenga masiku angapo kuti apange).
(Lembani: The Oxford Companion ku Chakudya cha Italy ndi Gillian Riley)