Italian Dinner Party Menu: Focaccia, Osso Buco & Cheat’s Tiramisu
There’s something special about an Italian dinner party — good friends, great conversation, and food that feels generous without being complicated. This menu brings together simple, crowd-pleasing dishes with classic flavours. For entrée, there’s creamy burrata with homemade basil pesto and focaccia topped with cherry tomatoes, olives, and rosemary. The main is a slow-cooked osso buco with buttery mashed potatoes — hearty and comforting in all the right ways. And for dessert, a quick cheat’s tiramisu delivers the creamy, coffee-soaked flavour everyone loves. Check out the full menu so you can host your own Italian dinner party at home!
Serves
4
Prep time
70 minutes
Cooking time
250 minutes
Ingredients
Burrata with Homemade Basil pesto:
For the pesto:
- 2 cups (firmly packed) fresh basil
- 1 small garlic clove
- 2 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
To serve:
- 2 fresh burrata balls
Cherry Tomato and Olive Focaccia
- 500g bread flour
- 1 sachet (about 7g) instant yeast
- 2 tsp salt
- 280ml lukewarm water
- Olive oil, for greasing and drizzling
For the toppings:
- 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup green olives, halved
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
- Flaky sea salt
- Olive oil, for drizzling
Slow-Cooked Osso Bucco:
- 5 pieces of osso buco (around 300g each)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup plain flour
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 800g tin crushed tomatoes
- 1½ cups beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- A few sprigs of thyme and rosemary
Mashed Potato:
- 1.5kg white potatoes
- 100g butter, chopped
- ½ cup milk, more if needed
- Salt, to tast
Cheat's Tiramisu:
- 32 ladyfinger biscuits (savoiardi)
- 2 cups strong espresso or coffee, cooled
- 1½ cups cold heavy cream
- 6 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup mascarpone, softened
- Cocoa powder, for dusting
Directions
Burrata with Homemade Basil pesto:
- In a food processor, blend basil, garlic, nuts, and Parmesan until finely chopped.
- Slowly drizzle in olive oil until creamy and smooth. Season to taste.
- Spoon pesto onto a serving platter and place the burrata on top. Serve with focaccia.
Slow-Cooked Osso Bucco:
- Pat the osso buco dry with paper towel. Season generously with salt and pepper, then coat lightly in flour. Shake off the excess.
- Heat a generous splash of olive oil in a heavy-based pot over medium-high heat. Sear the osso buco for a few minutes on each side until golden. Don’t overcrowd the pan, do it in batches if needed. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, add a little more oil if needed, then cook the onion, carrot, and celery for about 5–7 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for another minute.
- Pour in the wine and scrape up all the flavourful bits from the bottom of the pot. Let it bubble for a minute or two.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Return the osso buco to the pot, the liquid should mostly cover the meat.
- Bring everything to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 2½ to 3 hours, or until the meat is soft and pulling away from the bone. Check occasionally and give it a gentle stir if needed.
- Spoon the mash onto plates and top with the osso buco and plenty of sauce.
Mashed Potato:
- Peel the potatoes and cut into even chunks. Place in a large pot of cold, salted water.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 15–20 minutes or until completely soft when pierced with a knife.
- Drain the potatoes and let them sit for a minute or two to release steam, this helps prevent soggy mash.
- Use a masher or a fork to mash until smooth. Add the butter and warm milk bit by bit, mixing until you get your desired texture.
- Taste and adjust with salt. Serve!
Cheat's Tiramisu:
- In a large mixing bowl, whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the mascarpone until smooth and fluffy.
- Quickly dip each ladyfinger into the coffee (just a brief dunk so they soften without going soggy!)
- In a large tray, arrange a layer of dipped biscuits to cover the base. Spread half of the mascarpone cream over the top. Repeat with another layer of dipped biscuits and the remaining cream.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight) to allow the flavours to develop.
- Just before serving, dust generously with cocoa powder.
Ingredients
Burrata with Homemade Basil pesto:
For the pesto:
- 2 cups (firmly packed) fresh basil
- 1 small garlic clove
- 2 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
To serve:
- 2 fresh burrata balls
Cherry Tomato and Olive Focaccia
- 500g bread flour
- 1 sachet (about 7g) instant yeast
- 2 tsp salt
- 280ml lukewarm water
- Olive oil, for greasing and drizzling
For the toppings:
- 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup green olives, halved
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
- Flaky sea salt
- Olive oil, for drizzling
Slow-Cooked Osso Bucco:
- 5 pieces of osso buco (around 300g each)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup plain flour
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 800g tin crushed tomatoes
- 1½ cups beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- A few sprigs of thyme and rosemary
Mashed Potato:
- 1.5kg white potatoes
- 100g butter, chopped
- ½ cup milk, more if needed
- Salt, to tast
Cheat's Tiramisu:
- 32 ladyfinger biscuits (savoiardi)
- 2 cups strong espresso or coffee, cooled
- 1½ cups cold heavy cream
- 6 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup mascarpone, softened
- Cocoa powder, for dusting
Directions
Burrata with Homemade Basil pesto:
- In a food processor, blend basil, garlic, nuts, and Parmesan until finely chopped.
- Slowly drizzle in olive oil until creamy and smooth. Season to taste.
- Spoon pesto onto a serving platter and place the burrata on top. Serve with focaccia.
Slow-Cooked Osso Bucco:
- Pat the osso buco dry with paper towel. Season generously with salt and pepper, then coat lightly in flour. Shake off the excess.
- Heat a generous splash of olive oil in a heavy-based pot over medium-high heat. Sear the osso buco for a few minutes on each side until golden. Don’t overcrowd the pan, do it in batches if needed. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, add a little more oil if needed, then cook the onion, carrot, and celery for about 5–7 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for another minute.
- Pour in the wine and scrape up all the flavourful bits from the bottom of the pot. Let it bubble for a minute or two.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Return the osso buco to the pot, the liquid should mostly cover the meat.
- Bring everything to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 2½ to 3 hours, or until the meat is soft and pulling away from the bone. Check occasionally and give it a gentle stir if needed.
- Spoon the mash onto plates and top with the osso buco and plenty of sauce.
Mashed Potato:
- Peel the potatoes and cut into even chunks. Place in a large pot of cold, salted water.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 15–20 minutes or until completely soft when pierced with a knife.
- Drain the potatoes and let them sit for a minute or two to release steam, this helps prevent soggy mash.
- Use a masher or a fork to mash until smooth. Add the butter and warm milk bit by bit, mixing until you get your desired texture.
- Taste and adjust with salt. Serve!
Cheat's Tiramisu:
- In a large mixing bowl, whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the mascarpone until smooth and fluffy.
- Quickly dip each ladyfinger into the coffee (just a brief dunk so they soften without going soggy!)
- In a large tray, arrange a layer of dipped biscuits to cover the base. Spread half of the mascarpone cream over the top. Repeat with another layer of dipped biscuits and the remaining cream.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight) to allow the flavours to develop.
- Just before serving, dust generously with cocoa powder.
Helpful Tips
Storage
Substitutions
Serving Suggestions
Watch How to Make It
Related Recipes
Easy Entertaining
Dinner parties
Date night