A savory-sweet scent hangs in the air, filling your head with a comforting, familiar warmth. the smell of toasted, crispy, melty cheese and rich, mouthwatering ragu instantly floods your chest with the ache of nostalgia. Ah, lasagna. This slowly braised short rib ragu layered with a simply perfect bechamel sauce makes for a lasagna worth celebrating over. Don't be afraid of the timing. Yes, it will take time, but we promise it is worth it.

One of our favorite ways to incorporate fish into a tradition Sicilian Christmas dinner is by baking it to perfection in a dome of salt. Trapping moisture within its crust, salt baking a fish results in delicate, melt in your mouth bites of fish. Serve with our preserved lemon salsa to bring a fresh taste of the Mediterranean to your Christmas table this year.

Filled with figs, spiced rum, toasted pistachios, ginger, nutmeg, and orange zest, buccellati are a delicious and decorative cookie to make with the whole family. Brimming with soul-warming spices, they speak to Sicily's history, bursting with flavors from its time under Muslim, Greek and Roman rule.

As one of the world's leading almond producers, the delicious nut flavors many Sicilian dishes. From pastas, to fish, salads, and of course desserts, almonds have been worked into various shapes, tastes and uses to flavor local cuisine for centuries. Crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, Pasticcini Siciliana alle Mandorle (or amaretti) are a holiday favorite.

Some cook seven courses; some just put seven types of seafood in a stew and call it a feast. Many families abide by their own traditions, but all Italian-Americans can agree that seafood is a part of Christmas Eve.

Learn more about Colomba and it's history, an Italian Easter tradition similar to the Christmas Panettone.