St. Joseph’s Day: 7 yummy ways to celebrate March 19 – and learn the difference between sfingi and zeppole (2024)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — On Saturday, March 19, break out the red clothes for good luck and get ready to indulge. On this annual feast of St. Joseph, Italian bakeries and restaurants will celebrate all things “Joe.”

If you are a Joseph (or of a name that is derived from that of the holy patriarch) this day is dedicated to you, courtesy of the saint himself. St. Joseph is the father of Jesus Christ, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the patron saint of workers. The date of March 19 is also Father’s Day in Italy.

The name “Joseph” is ubiquitous in cultures around the globe — a person doesn’t have to be Italian to partake in the festivities. Just bring that one thing universal to us all — a decent appetite!

Here’s what to expect on St. Joseph’s Day in the food department.

1) SARDINES

Fish is important. In fact, St. Joseph’s Day should be a meat-free day. It’s a great time to crack open a can of sardines, the main ingredient in the famed dish of the day — pasta con sarde. This creation generally centers around sautéed fennel fronds, raisins and pignoli nuts tossed with strand pasta. Sometimes the dish includes a bit of tomato sauce. But there are always breadcrumbs sprinkled on top. (Go, Joe!) Hollow pasta like bucatini No. 6 and perciatelli (pronounced: perch-ah-telly) are expected vehicles for the combination.

2) PROLIFIC BREADCRUMBS

Joseph, a carpenter by trade, is revered in Sicily because of a time of drought back in the Middle Ages. And as a nod to the woodworker, breadcrumbs can be found liberally on foods this day as breadcrumbs look like sawdust, a byproduct of the craftsman.

3) PASTRIES

Be sure to indulge in plenty of zeppole (custard piped into a deep-fried pastry) and sfingi (filled with cannoli cream). Be a pro when ordering the dessert: “Sfingi” is pronounced “su-feen-gee.”

4) CITRUS AND FENNEL

These two foods are fine ways to help complete a meal. They naturally cleanse the palate and ease the digestive process, a great way to take the custard edge off of those fried pastries and sardine-centric specials. Lemons, oranges and the licorice-tasting fronds of the bulb vegetable fennel are bountiful at this time of year in Italy.

5) ARTICHOKES

Perfectly in season in March in some parts of the world, one may offer them as part of an antipasto — buy the stem-on, grilled and marinated kind from a salumeria’s prepared section -paired with fresh mozzarella, olives and roasted or atop risotto. To kill two birds with one stone: serve or eat stuffed artichokes. They are generally in good supply and can be a great vehicle for those aforementioned breadcrumbs.

To prep a ‘choke at home, first snip off the thorny tips of leaves and rip out the tender leaves covering up the center. Scoop out the hairy thistles with a spoon, gently so as not to remove the meat of the artichoke. Steam the vegetable with chicken broth for extra flavor with maybe a little anchovy, lemon and white wine in the mix. Stuff with seasoned breadcrumbs toasted in olive oil seasoned with roasted garlic.

6) BREAD

“San Giuseppe Bread” can be found at most Italian bakeries. La Dolce in Rossville and Pleasant Plains bakes it with fennel as does Alfonso’s in Castleton Corners and Eltingville.

7) FAVA

Fava beans blessed by a priest make them lucky. Carry a dried one around for the year and you will be blessed with good fortune. You’ll never be broke, as Sicilian custom has it. Get the fever for the fava!

To present food on this day, build yourself a three-tiered altar with St. Joseph prominently in the background or at the apex. Dress it up with oranges and fava. Feel free to decorate with family photos of passed loved ones, especially if he or she was “Joe” you used to know.

St. Joseph Day Fun Facts:

Tug a “Giuseppe” or “Josephine” you know by the ear to express “Happy day to you!” And bury a St. Joe’s statue upside down when selling a home to ensure a speedy transaction.

Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.