I recently hosted an Italian Summer Themed Dinner Party and it was delicious, fun and surprisingly not stressful to prepare! I created new recipes as well as selected existing ones from my blog in order to create an easy, healthy and memorable menu that was right on theme.
Keep reading for my preparation timeline as well as my full menu with links to the recipes!
Click here to watch a video of the dinner party set up where I walk you through the steps!
The Table Setting
Click here for the links to everything I used (or similar items) to create this table setting!
The TIMELINE
This dinner party was one of the most low stress hosting experiences I’ve had. Here is a rough outline of how I prepared in the days leading up to the dinner!
Week Prior:
- Draft a menu and grocery list, inclusive of dietary needs and taste preferences of your guests
- Take inventory of plates, linens & serve ware to ensure you’re covered based on the amount of guests and types of dishes/drinks
- Order any supplies or ingredients that need to be purchased online
Week Of:
- Main grocery shop of everything that can be purchased in advance
- Make handwritten menus as a fun (and completely optional) touch!
Day Before:
- Gather and organize all serve ware so it’s ready to be set out
- Prep and recipes that can be made in advance, such as the dessert, in this case!
Morning Of:
- Secondary grocery shop as soon as the store opens to get any final needs and so you have as much time as possible
- As soon as you get home, measure and prep all ingredients that can be prepared in advance and set aside into stations based on each dish
1-2 Hours Before:
- Finish any dishes that need cooked
- Set the table while the dishes finish cooking
During:
- Enjoy!
The MENU
Having a hand written menu is totally optional but adds such a nice touch! I like to personalize them with each guest’s name and I write the dietary notes next to each menu item so no one has to guess if they are able to have something or not.
Below is everything that I included on the menu. All of the recipes are customizable and in turn dietary inclusive, all while being so delicious that even those without allergies will love them. They are also super easy to prepare, so you won’t be stressed putting these together!
To Sip:
Hugo Spritz – click here for the recipe!
To Start:
Bread Dipping Oil + Baguette – click here for the recipe!
Cantaloupe & Prosciutto Skewers – no recipe needed!
To Serve:
Creamy Pesto Pasta – click here for the recipe!
Creamy Pesto Zucchini Noddles – click here for this option!
Zucchini Ricotta Roll Ups – click here for the recipe!
Breaded Oven Baked Chicken – click here for the recipe! I subbed additional almond milk for the pickle juice, added Italian seasoning to the breading mixture and used thin slices of chicken breast!
To Savor:
Creamy Lemon Sorbet – click here for the recipe!
Affogato – no recipe needed!
A NOTE ON CALORIE COUNT, NUTRITIONAL INFO AND SERVING SIZES
Due to my past experiences, I do not include most of the above information within my recipes as it is unsafe for me to do so personally. While I try to share a rough estimate when it comes to the serving size, please note that it is very subjective as we all have different hunger levels both from person to person and even from meal to meal.
If any of the above information is important to you, I understand! We are all different and have various goals and needs. If you’d like, you are welcome to calculate the information needed based on the ingredients you use when making one of my recipes.
I hope you understand! This comes from a place of love and protection both for myself and others like me. If you ever have any questions, send me an Instagram message for the quickest response time! Thank you for being here!
FOLLOW ALONG
Be sure to follow me onInstagramandTikTokto see all of the behind the scenes of recipe creation as well as how to videos to watch them come to life! You can also head over to myPinterestto save all of my recipes in one spot that you plan whip up in the future.
PS – If you make this recipe or any of my other recipes, I would be so grateful if you left a review so I can hear what you think! I also am happy to answer any questions you may have on here, but if you want a quicker response, be sure to shoot me a message on Instagram. Thank you so much and talk soon!
