What Italians Eat on the Biggest Summer Holiday

Ferragosto falls on August 15th, and by tradition it's the one day the whole country seems to eat the same way at the same time — whether that's a backyard grill going since noon, a cooler of rice salad packed for the beach, or a slice of watermelon eaten standing up in the shade. There isn't one Ferragosto menu so much as three fixed points everyone builds around: something grilled, something cold, and watermelon at the end. This is what shows up on the table, from the north to the south.

Grilled Ribs spend two hours marinating in red wine, shallot, and rosemary before they ever touch the grill, then get served with a quick agrodolce sauce built from tomato, mustard, and a hit of chili. It's the centerpiece of the day for most families, the dish that gets people gathered around the grill well before anyone's hungry.

Pro tip: don't skip turning the ribs at the halfway point of the marinating time — it's what gets both sides evenly flavored before they hit the heat.

Grilled Vegetables are the fixed side dish to any Italian grigliata — zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, and tomatoes, grilled in batches and finished simply with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Nothing about them competes with the meat; they're there to cut through the richness.

Pro tip: grill the vegetables in the order they're listed here — peppers first, then zucchini, then eggplant, then tomatoes last — since they cook at different speeds and this order keeps everything from turning to mush.

Fried Mixed Seafood is what shows up on the coast instead of the grill — shrimp, anchovies, red mullet, cod, and squid, all floured in semolina and fried quickly until golden. It's the dish people eat strolling through a seaside town on vacation, or order without thinking twice at a beach restaurant.

Pro tip: keep the oil at a steady 356-374°F throughout — if it drops, the fish won't crisp properly and will turn greasy instead of light.

Rice Salad is the dish that travels best — ham, peas, cherry tomatoes, peppers, tuna, olives, and basil, all folded into rice and packed the night before. It shows up at beach lunches and family tables in equal measure, built specifically to be made ahead and eaten cold.

Pro tip: add the cheese and herbs only just before serving if you're making it a day in advance — they hold up better than if mixed in early.

Sicilian Watermelon Pudding, Gelo di Melone is Palermo's answer to the day — watermelon juice thickened into a silky pudding, scented with cinnamon and jasmine, then chilled for hours and unmolded before serving. It's less known outside Sicily than a simple slice of watermelon, but on August 15th in Palermo, this is the one that's actually on the table.

Pro tip: stir constantly once the mixture hits the heat — the color turns a bright red within the first couple of minutes, and that's the sign it's thickening correctly.

North or south, at the beach or in the mountains, the day tends to end the same way: plates cleared, watermelon rinds piling up, and everyone too full to move for a while.