If Mother’s Day brunch reservations are already packed or the idea of battling crowded restaurants sounds more exhausting than celebratory, staying home may be the more Italian approach anyway. In Italy, some of the best family gatherings happen around the table at home, where fresh pastries, pastas, frittatas, ricotta cakes, and strong coffee stretch into long afternoon conversations.
Whether you are planning a full brunch spread or simply looking for something thoughtful to cook for the mothers in your life, these are the Italian inspired brunch recipes Appetito editors would gladly make this Mother’s Day.
- Zucchini and Onion Frittata by Joey Maggiore
Arizona chef and restaurateur Joey Maggiore's new book, Brunch King, includes over-the-top recipes from his Hash Kitchen restaurants, which feature a Build-Your-Own Bloody Mary bar and Italian-American brunch mash-ups like Breakfast Lasagna. This zucchini and onion frittata is one of the more straightforward recipes from the new book.
2. Spring Zucchini Bruschetta by Lowcountry Bella
Bruschetta (pronounced broo-SKET-ta) is a classic Italian appetizer made with grilled or toasted bread topped with flavorful ingredients. Light and bright, it’s the kind of appetizer that feels effortlessly elegant.
3. Spring Filini with Wild Garlic Pesto and Samphire by Mark Gowan
With spring and wild garlic season just around the corner, this is a pesto that garlic lovers will want to make on repeat.
4. Spring Tortellini in a Light Lemon Shallot Dressing by Michele Sessa
The basil in the dressing for this spring tortellini recipe infuses so much flavor to the dish and really makes it pop. You can serve this tortellini warm, cold or room temperature, and it’s perfect for a barbecue or picnic with some grilled sausage.
5. Chicken Mama Cotto by Andrew Cotto
Editor-in-Chief Andrew Cotto shares a recipe from his mother and pays tribute to her for instilling a love of food in him.
6. How to Make My Mother’s “Fall Apart” Artichokes by Joanna Moeller
This recipe has likely evolved over generations, shaped by memory and personal touches along the way. It originally came from Joanna Moeller's grandmother on her father’s side and was later passed down through her mother. Variations of Sicilian artichoke recipes featuring onions and pecorino cheese are fairly common, though exactly when the garlic and deeply caramelized onions became part of this version remains unclear. What is certain, however, is how irresistibly delicious the final dish has become.
7. Vinny DelGiudice’s Crispy Pork Chop Milanese with Spring Salad by Vinny DelGiudice
Real Italian, Real Fast is Vinny DelGiudice's new Appetito series focused on everyday Italian home cooking, with simple, affordable recipes built for busy weeknights and real life.
8. Castagnaccio is a Decadent, Vegan and Gluten-Free Italian Cake by Justin Patulli
In Italy, chestnut recipes are often reserved for the colder autumn and winter months. Chestnut flour is the key ingredient in one of my favorite recipes: castagnaccio. So, if you've been looking for a light but decadent treat, be sure to give this recipe a try!
9. Easy Strawberry Mascarpone Shortcakes by Lowcountry Bella
May is the perfect season for a simple shortcake recipe. The buttery Southern biscuits pair perfectly with rich Italian mascarpone and fresh spring strawberries.
10. Tortoni, an Italian American Dessert Classic by Chiara Montalto Giannini
If you grew up within a stone’s throw from a really good red sauce joint, or in an old-school Italian-American neighborhood, you probably remember a wonderful dessert. It's a sort of almond-flavored gelato, almost always served in a white paper cup with a maraschino cherry on top. But it’s absolutely a classic worthy of its own exalted place in the high canon of Italian and Italian-American sweets.
11. Gluten Free Amaretto Raspberry Cake by Paola Marocchi
This versatile gluten free amaretto-raspberry cake is moist, effortless to make, and perfect for breakfast, an afternoon treat or served as dessert with a scoop of gelato. Inspired by Italian baking traditions, this aromatic cake is light and moist with a sugary crust that echoes the taste of the iconic amaretti cookies. The tart raspberries folded into the batter add brightness to the cake and if you don’t tell your guests that it’s gluten free, they’ll never suspect a thing.
12. Pasta Broccoli Danielle Simone Arata
You only need a few ingredients and one pot. It’s quick enough for a weeknight and easy enough for a beginner but still feels like a little celebration of good home cooking. The final touch is a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese to bring everything together.
