Rustic Italian Dinner Party

A few years ago, I hosted a late summer Tuscan dinner party on the patio. It was such a magical evening that I have dreamt of recreating it ever since. When it began to look like a dinner party gathering was a real possibility this summer, Italian seemed like the obvious choice for a theme. I put together a menu that draws inspiration from a variety of Italian regions and paired it with a rustic Italian tablescape that would help to transport my guests from the vineyards of Tuscany to the shores of Sicily.

The Setting

This meal naturally calls for dining al fresco. The perfect place to host is your backyard patio. This will allow your guests to immerse themselves in the surrounding nature and greenery and will add to the rustic aesthetic that might be difficult to create indoors.

Given the unprecedented heat wave we have been experiencing here in BC, I wasn’t at all concerned about the weather being anything other than gorgeous for my party. Imagine my dismay when a week before it looked like the first and only day of rain for this summer to date was forecasted the day of the party! While I was still hoping for the best, I began to accept we may need to go with plan B and host the party inside. I consoled myself by saying it would be a good opportunity to talk about dealing with the unexpected when hosting dinner parties. In the end however, the rain stopped mid-afternoon and we made the irreversible decision to set up the table outside. By evening the sun had come out and I was able to have the party that I had envisioned!

Table Setting and Décor

To create that rustic style of décor, neutral colours are the way to go. The tablecloth and napkins are beige linen from H&M Home (I couldn’t find the exact napkins I bought to link on the site, but these match the tablecloth). The candle centerpiece is a new item that my family picked up this year on our Okanagan wine tour. It is made from the stave on an oak wine barrel. We purchased it at Tightrope Winery in Penticton, BC. It adds the perfect amount of height to the candles and is so versatile! I expect to be using this for a lot of tablescapes in the future.

I completed the tablescape with bunches of fresh rosemary and sage from the garden along with store-bought flowers. This was both fragrant and gorgeous, creating a lush and natural aesthetic.

Each setting had a printed menu card decorated with sprigs of fresh lavender and wrapped with twine. Customizable menu card templates can be easily purchased and downloaded on Etsy and are an elegant addition to the table setting. Here is the menu card template that I used.

Party Favours

It’s always fun to have a small party favour for your guests! For the rustic Italian dinner party, I was inspired by one of my favourite Italian liqueurs – Limoncello. I made a batch of homemade Limoncello using fresh lemon peels, vodka, and simple syrup. I found cute little jars at a local craft store to serve them in. While they looked great, they turned out not to be completely watertight!

Rustic Italian Dinner Music

When it came to selecting music for the party, I wanted both an old-world feel and the feeling of timelessness. My goal was to create a magical atmosphere that could transport the guests to a fantasy world – the rustic Italian countryside of their dreams.

Instrumental music from the films of Fellini perfectly evokes that Italian dreamy/luxury aesthetic
1950’s Italian pop tunes add some liveliness and a vintage jazzy atmosphere
Traditional folk music brings out a rustic countryside ambience
And of course, a few songs from The Godfather, just because you have to!

Get my playlist on Spotify here!

Rustic Italian Dinner Party Menu

This menu features dishes inspired from regions all over Italy. For the meal progression, I like to have several dishes for each course served family style. In order to do this, you need to limit the number of courses.

Cocktails

I serve two cocktails: Limoncello Basil Fizz and Rosemary Aperol Spritz. The Limoncello Basil Fizz is an old favourite that I created for a Tuscan dinner party in the past. My second drink is a twist on the classic Aperol spritz with the addition of rosemary simple syrup and fresh rosemary garnish.

Antipasti

For the antipasti course, I serve mozzarella stuffed arancini (always a crowd pleaser) and a chilled mixed seafood salad with fennel and a Limoncello vinaigrette. I also serve a simple platter of fresh tomatoes from our garden topped with fresh basil and olive oil and served with Burrata cheese and toasted baguette.

Main Course

For the main course, I serve two pasta dishes: one tomato-based and one cream-based. Pasta alla Norma is the perfect tomato-based dish for vegetarian guests. Linguine with lemon, ricotta, and mascarpone cheese provides a nice, creamy contrast with a bright lemony flavour (recipe in my newsletter). It’s also the perfect excuse to offer both white and red wine pairings!

Dessert

For dessert I just had to make something with Nutella. Semifreddo – which means half frozen – is essentially a frozen mousse. Add Nutella and a sprinkle of toasted hazelnuts and you have the perfect make-ahead dessert. And to end the meal, warm, sweet Italian ricotta doughnuts provide the perfect contrast to the cool and creamy semifreddo.

Plan Ahead

At the end of the day, dinner parties should always be fun for you and your guests! While it can be a lot of work throwing a party like this, I am a big proponent of doing things ahead of time. I found this menu to be one of the lower maintenance menus I have done. I was able to make a number of the dishes ahead of time, including:

Mixed seafood salad
Risotto for the arancini – I breaded and deep fried the arancini on the day of the party
Semifreddo
Syrups for the Limoncello Basil Fizz and Rosemary Aperol Spritz

The tablescape, music, and party favours can all be planned ahead as well.

Overall, I found my guests were incredibly happy with the experience and I was able to spend a lot of time with my guests throughout instead of being glued to the kitchen.

Whatever party you’re planning, the key to making it memorable and unique is to decide on an aesthetic (theme, time, place) and let that guide your tablescape, music, and menu.