View source for Colomba pasquale

{{Short description|Italian traditional Easter cake}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Italics title}}
{{Infobox food
| name            = ''Colomba pasquale''
| image           = Colomba pasquale, edizione 2013 - ND0 4662 (8564331585).jpg
| image_size      = 
| caption         = 
| alternate_name  = {{lang|it|Colomba di Pasqua}}
| country         = [[Italy]]
| region          = [[Milan]]
| creator         = [[Angelo Motta]]
| course          = [[Dessert]]
| type            = 
| served          = 
| main_ingredient = [[Flour]], [[Eggs as food|egg]]s, [[sugar]], [[butter]], [[Candied fruit|candied peel]], [[Nib sugar|pearl sugar]], [[almond]]s
| variations      = 
}}

'''{{lang|it|Colomba pasquale}}''' ({{IPA|it|koˈlomba paˈskwaːle|lang}}) or '''{{lang|it|colomba di Pasqua}}''' ({{IPA|it|koˈlomba di ˈpaskwa|lang}}) ({{literally|Easter dove}}) is an [[Italian cuisine|Italian]] traditional [[Easter bread]], the [[Easter in Italy|Easter]] counterpart of the two well-known [[Christmas in Italy|Italian Christmas]] desserts, [[panettone]] and {{lang|it|[[pandoro]]}}.

The dough for the {{lang|it|colomba pasquale}} is made in a similar manner to panettone, with [[flour]], [[Eggs as food|eggs]], [[sugar]], natural yeast, and [[butter]]; unlike panettone, it usually contains [[Candied fruit|candied peel]] and no [[raisin]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Redazione |date=2019-04-15 |title=La colomba di Pasqua è milanese o veronese? |url=https://www.lacucinaitaliana.it/article/in-primo-pianocolomba-di-pasqua-storia/ |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=La Cucina Italiana |language=it-IT}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pacelli |first=Laura |date=2022-04-10 |title=La colomba pasquale in 3 ricette degli chef da copiare |url=https://www.lacucinaitaliana.it/gallery/colomba-pasquale-ricette-chef-da-copiare/ |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=La Cucina Italiana |language=it-IT}}</ref> The dough is then fashioned into a [[Columbidae|dove]] ({{lang|it|colomba}} in [[Italian language|Italian]]) shape and finally is topped with [[Nib sugar|pearl sugar]] and [[almond]]s before being baked. Some manufacturers produce other versions, including a popular bread topped with chocolate.

{{lang|it|Colomba pasquale}} was commercialised by Dino Villani, who worked as the advertising director for the [[Milan|Milanese]] company Motta, which was already famous for its Christmas speciality, panettone. Villani had the idea to create an Easter bread using the same machinery and the same dough as panettone.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Mattioli |first=Silvia |date=2023-04-09 |title=Motta e la colomba, il dolce di Pasqua Made in Italy |url=https://madeinitaly-community.com/blog/food-beverage/motta-e-la-colomba-il-dolce-di-pasqua-made-in-italy/ |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=Made in Italy |language=it-IT}}</ref> The owner of Motta, Milanese baker and businessman [[Angelo Motta]], sent the new creation to many journalists and writers to test the new creation and it was met with wide success. As a result, another Milanese company, Vergani, followed suit making {{lang|it|colomba pasquale}} there in 1944.<ref name=":0" />

==See also==
{{Commons category-inline}}
{{Portal|Italy|Food}}
* [[Easter bread]]
* [[List of almond dishes]]
* [[List of Italian desserts and pastries]]
* {{lang|it|[[Pandoro]]}}
* [[Panettone]]
* {{lang|it|[[Panone]]}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Lombard cuisine}}
{{Cakes}}

[[Category:Italian breads]]
[[Category:Italian desserts]]
[[Category:Italian pastries]]
[[Category:Cuisine of Lombardy]] 
[[Category:Easter traditions in Italy]]
[[Category:Easter bread]]
[[Category:Sweet breads]]
[[Category:Yeast breads]]
[[Category:Almond dishes]]


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{{Italy-dessert-stub}}
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