Family Dinners, Italian Style

Compensation was provided by Bertolli Frozen Meals. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Bertolli Frozen Meals.
Italian food is one of my favorite things to eat. Eating Italian food has always seemed like a special occasion to me. I think it is just inherent in the meal itself. Something about a big bowl of pasta, garlic bread, and some flavorful sauce makes me feel like I need to call the whole family over for a big dinner party. Family dinners feel so special when I serve Italian food.

There is some truth to the idea that Italian food is inherently celebratory. A recent survey found that Italians handle meals differently than the average American. According to the survey¹, Italians are two times more likely to say dining with friends is important and three times more likely to have wine with their meal. Italians also have different table habits than Americans. Roughly 84% of Italians eat at the table with their family and 97% eat pasta each week. Mangia! Check out the details in the fun infographic below. 

Bertolli just released a completely reformulated line of delicious frozen meals with real ingredients so now you can easily dine like an Italian at home and bring elements of Mangia! to your family’s dinner table. My family was lucky enough to sample two of these authentic meals: Chicken Florentine & Farfalle and Bertolli Chicken Marsala & Roasted Redskin Potatoes. Both were a huge hit with my family and the portion sizes were perfect for family-style dining.

Creating a Mangia! Atmosphere

I created a Mangia! atmosphere when serving my family these new Bertolli meals by presenting dinner family-style with breadsticks and a colorful drink. We do not drink wine, but we were able to add color and fun to the meal by serving sparkling juice in what my daughter called “the fancy glasses.” Of course, we all sat at the dinner table and talked to each other. It was an inspiring evening.

Another important element of Italian-inspired family dining is setting the table. Typically, setting the table at my house means everyone grabs a fork before they sit down. We used to set the table, but somewhere along the way that ritual faded away. A surprising 83% of Italians set the table for their family meals. If you do not already set the table, try it at your next meal. It creates a more inviting atmosphere and adds a warm feeling to dinnertime. There is no need to go crazy here; the basics will do.

Get your Mangia! on by following the tips I shared. Make it even easier and more rewarding by serving Bertolli. All Bertolli Italian meals are crafted from authentic recipes and real ingredients. Bertolli even has an authenticity expert whose job is to ensure that Bertolli meals stay true to the brand’s Italian heritage. Now wouldn’t that be an incredible job to have!

Enjoy restaurant-quality Italian meals at home with Bertolli premium frozen meals. Mangia! Explore more ways to mangia here.

[1] These results are from an online survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of Bertolli of over 2,000 nationally representative individuals in the United States and Italy. The U.S. survey with 1,074 completes was conducted between July 28-29, 2016. The Italy survey of 1,013 individuals was conducted from July 29 – August 4, 2016. The margin of error in each country is +/-3.1%