Italian Food Christmas Ornaments

Pasta is, of course, one of the building blocks of Italian cuisine. The ornaments below either feature classic pasta noodle shapes or finished Italian entrees featuring pasta that we all know and love.

Ah, lasagna...who doesn't love this delicious, decadent pasta entree? Here we have a beautiful glass ornament featuring a hearty slice of ricotta-and-tomato sauce lasagna...topped with fresh basil, of course! The color and beautiful detail on this ornament really stands out. And it's Christmas-colored, too! A great choice to start a collection on an Italian-food theme.

Meatballs and pasta...an Italian-American favorite combination. And don't forget the gravy! Here we have a pot of hot and tasty meatballs in sauce, a plate of ziti topped with meatballs and sauce, and of course the classic spaghetti and meatballs. Made of resin these are well-detailed but sturdy, and sure to last for many years to come.

If you thought the pasta ornaments were whimsical, then get a look at this collection! It features four basic ingredients used so much in Italian cooking: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, prosciutto and salami. There are actually two of each design in this set, so you can really fill up your Christmas tree with tasty ingredients. Or, maybe keep one set of four for yourself and give the other four to someone else as a gift? The choice is yours. These are made of glass and 3.5" in size, so they will definitely make a statement and be a fun conversation piece!

Of course, you can't finish off an Italian meal without at least a little Parmesan cheese! It's a vital part of so many dishes: risottos, lasagna, shaved on salads, served by itself with a little balsamic vinegar. Just hold back on the cheese when eating seafood, please!

Here are several Christmas ornaments celebrating this essential element of Italian cuisine and cooking.

Yes! There are lots of tutorials on-line to show you how to make your own Christmas ornaments and garlands out of dried pasta. These can be fun craft ideas to do on your own or with children who love to make their own Christmas ornaments (they could be good gifts for kids to give out as well!)

Here are just a few links:

• 17 Homemade Christmas Decorations Made from Pasta: Gold glittered bowties, pasta angels, macaroni stars, even entire mini-trees made out of pasta shells! There are some great ideas to explore here.
• How to Make Gorgeous Christmas Ornaments from Pasta: More great ideas here, from pasta snowflakes and flowers to wreaths and even a pasta race car!
• DIY Pasta Ornaments: Here's a super-simple project that's perfect for young children.
• Easy DIY Pasta Christmas Ornaments: Another very simple project to make pasta candy canes and weaths.
• Making a Colored Pasta Garland: Pasta can be great for stringing together to make a tree garland, too!

Don't worry, I didn't forget about pizza! In fact there are so many Christmas ornaments featuring pizza themes that I've created a whole separate page about them. You can check it out at the link below:

Of course no Italian feast would be complete without some finishing sweets... 

If one cannoli isn't enough for you, why not get this pair of glass ornaments from Poland? Colorful and shiny, these also come in a nice box for easy gift-giving.

At the end of a fine Italian meal, you can't leave without a cup of espresso! These ornaments celebrate the classic Italian coffee brew. (Although in Italy, cappuccino is considered a morning drink, not after dinner. Of course many of us non-Italians like to drink it all day long!)