Passover, the Jewish weeklong spring holiday that commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Ancient Egypt, is a solemn occasion, yet it’s also a delicious one.
At the Passover Seder, where the story of liberation in the Book of Exodus is read, wine is drunk, and food from the Passover Seder Plate, including bitter herbs, charoset, also called haroset, a dish with parsley, hard-boiled eggs and roasted lamb bones, are eaten. Traditional foods like matzo (or matzah or matza, depending on how you spell it), charoset, brisket, hummus, macaroons, and flourless cakes, are also enjoyed.
Whether you’re looking for Passover seder dinner ideas, easy Passover desserts, or a great homemade matzo recipe, Fine Cooking has delicious Passover recipes for families to come together, remember, celebrate, and nosh on some really yummy fare.
P.S.: Looking for Kosher for Passover wines? Check out these delicious bottlings that pair well with the flavors of the Passover table.
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RecipeChocolate-Dipped Macaroons
Bittersweet dark chocolate is the perfect foil for sweet coconut, but if milk chocolate is your thing, that’s delicious, too. -
RecipeRed-Wine-Braised Brisket with Cremini, Carrots, and Thyme
To get a jump start on this recipe, you can season the brisket up to 1 day ahead. -
RecipeRoasted Asparagus with Lemon & Olive Oil
These roast quickly, so just pop them in the oven 10 or 15 minutes before you plan to serve them. -
RecipeFig Charoses
Our Southern contribution adds figs to the classic sweet apple-and-nut mixture that symbolizes mortar for the bricks the Jews made in Egypt. -
RecipeSweet Wine & Honey Roasted Pears
If you want to get fancy, you can top the pears with ice cream, Devon cream, crème fraîche or mascarpone, but plain old heavy cream is awfully good, and has the virtue of simplicity. A scattering of toasted almonds would also be welcome. -
RecipeLamb Shanks Braised with Tomatoes and Coriander
You can't make a tastier Passover meal than this meltingly tender meat braised for several hours. -
RecipePomegranate Sangria Gelatin
An icy sweet and refreshing palate cleanser or dessert. -
RecipeStrawberry-Rhubarb Compote with Vanilla & Cardamom
Cardamom gives this compote an alluring flavor. It’s excellent spooned over ice cream, cheesecake, or panna cotta, and even as a spread for a pork sandwich. It will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 4 days. -
RecipeOlive Oil Braised Carrots with Warm Spices
A tiny bit of nutmeg and cinnamon and a few sliced garlic cloves complement the sweetness of the carrots. -
RecipeClassic Matzo Ball Soup
Let’s set the record straight: the secret to great matzo ball soup is not the matzo balls (though these are light and fluffy and delicious, flavored with schmaltz, or chicken fat, as is traditional) but the broth. The homemade broth in this rendition is made from roasted chicken wings and is rich but clear, tasting first of chicken and second of sweet aromatic vegetables. -
RecipeAlmond Cake
This is a classic Passover cake from cookbook author and food historian, Claudia Roden. -
RecipePotato, Thyme & Olive Oil Gratin
The recipe can be made completely up to 4 hours ahead; let the dish sit on the counter and, 20 minutes before serving time, reheat it in the oven until warmed through. -
RecipeChocolate Cherry Coconut Macaroons
These rich macaroons are moist and fudgy inside—they’re something like a cross between a cookie and a chocolate truffle. -
RecipeChilled Beet Soup with Horseradish Sour Cream
If you find golden beets at your market, by all means use them here. And don’t worry about draining the horseradish; the water in it will help thin the sour cream. -
RecipePot-Roasted Mediterranean Chicken
Part of this dish’s bright flavor comes from preserved lemons, which are fresh lemons that have been cured in salt. You can make your own), or buy them in grocery or specialty shops. We like to serve this with couscous mixed with garlic and parsley. -
RecipeRoasted Salmon & Fennel with Pistachio Gremolata
The bright flavors and beautiful colors in this one-pan meal make it a company-worthy meal, but it’s quick enough for a weeknight, too. -
RecipeSalted Sesame Caramel Macaroons
These were originally created for Urbanbelly,a restaurant in Chicago. Tahini in the macaroons and seeds on top give a double dose of rich sesame flavor. -
RecipePineapple Matzo Brei
Matzo brei (rhymes with “fry”) is a traditional Passover dish made from matzo fried with eggs in a sort of pancake or a looser scramble, like this one. Here, it’s sweetened with orange juice, fresh pineapple, and maple syrup. -
RecipeMediterranean-Style Brisket
Sumptuous and satisfying, this brisket will be a regular on your table whether it's Passover, or not. -
RecipeFlourless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Glaze
Bittersweet chocolate stars in this gooey warm, yummy dessert. -
RecipeBarbecue-Braised Moroccan Lamb Shanks with Honey-Mint Glaze
While Ashkenazi Jews avoid lamb for Passover, it is an important element of Sephardic tradition. Sweet and savory flavors—a hallmark of Moroccan food—combine in this dish. To make it kosher for Passover, serve The vegetables and lamb over quinoa instead of couscous. -
RecipeOrange and Hazelnut Cake with Orange Flower Syrup
This is a wheat-free cake, very light and fluffy, soaked in a zesty syrup. Cakes are not as popular as filo pastries in the Eastern Mediterranean, but this is a specialty of the Jewish quarter on the Asian side of Istanbul. -
RecipeAlmond Macarons
The subtly sweet almond flavor of these meringue cookies makes them incredibly versatile: They serve as a blank canvas for different flavor variations. -
RecipeRadish & Parsley Salad with Lemon
Try this salad with red globe, icicle, or watermelon radishes. -
RecipeFlourless Chocolate & Vanilla Marble Cake
This dense, luscious cake has a texture a little like fudge and a little like cheesecake. A small slice goes a long way. -
RecipeSweet Noodle Kugel
At Passover time, this sweet kugel is ideal for a light lunch, especially the day after the large Seder meal. If you are serving it during Passover, make sure to buy noodles that are Kosher for Passover. -
RecipeMatzo-Stuffed Cornish Game Hens
For some reason, you never see Cornish hens in restaurants anymore. Too bad, because this recipe, stuffing the birds with matzo and chicken livers and serving them with chicken jus (a brown chicken stock reduced to a glaze consistency), is a winner. -
RecipeHomemade Matzos
Homemade matzos are worlds better than the store-bought kind. Making them, however, involves a bit of a race against the clock because for the bread to be truly unleavened (as tradition requires), you have just 18 minutes to make the dough and get it into the oven before fermentation takes place. Have everything ready before you begin, and you’ll find the result to be well worth it. -
RecipeMatzo Brei with Fresh Chives
Matzo brei is a simple dish of eggs, butter, and matzo (an unleavened cracker-like bread). Although typically served during Passover, it makes a delicious anytime meal. If using salted matzo, halve the amount of salt in the recipe. -
RecipeMolten Chocolate Tarts
These flourless chocolate desserts are perfect for Passover. If you like, garnish with candied lemon or orange zest, berries, or kosher-for-Passover confectioners’ sugar. -
RecipeTunisian Braised Short Ribs
Dried figs and a Mediterranean spice blend give these short ribs a North African twist. Serve them over a fluffy herbed quinoa pilaf. -
RecipeRoasted Asparagus with Garlic & Coriander Oil
Zesty, charred, and with a light garlic flavor, this is the perfect side to serve on Passover. -
RecipeMinty Quinoa Tabbouleh
Tabbouleh, a lemony Middle Eastern parsley and grain salad, is traditionally made with bulgur wheat. This version, fragrant from a touch of cumin and cinnamon, uses quinoa instead. -
RecipeOlive-Oil-Braised Leeks with Thyme
The leeks’ delicate flavor deepens as they cook, becoming sweet, robust, and complex. Leeks can be gritty, so wash them well before cooking. -
RecipeApple & Almond Haroset
One of the six elements on the Passover seder plate, this spiced chunky spread symbolizes the mortar that the Jewish slaves used for constructing buildings in ancient Egypt. You can serve it spooned over matzo, though it’s also a fine topping for roast chicken or beef. I like to start light with the prominent flavors (cinnamon, honey, and red wine) and then add more to taste. -
RecipeLamb Stew with Parsnips, Prunes, and Chickpeas
North African in spirit, this hearty sweet and savory stew is perfect for the season. You can substitute olive oil for the butter if you prefer. -
RecipeFlourless Chocolate-Almond Cake with Almond-Cherry-Caramel Glaze
This chocolate cake concludes the Passover meal on a rich note (just as a holiday dessert should). Dried cherries and toasted almonds are folded into a caramel topping and then drizzled over the cake, giving it a crisp (think peanut brittle) topping. I don’t often use margarine, though it ensures that this cake keeps with kosher rules. Most large supermarkets carry matzo cake meal around the holidays. -
RecipeCinnamon-Chocolate-Cayenne Macaroons
These spicy-sweet concoctions are inspired by chile-spiked Mexican chocolate. -
RecipeMatzo Ball Soup with Root Vegetables
This matzo ball soup is made with light and tender dumplings and pumped up with lots of flavorful vegetables that would make any grandmother proud. -
RecipeChocolate Walnut Tweed Torte
Loads of ground bittersweet chocolate and walnuts held together with meringue produce a moist, deceptively light cake with a speckled (tweedy) appearance and intense chocolate flavor—without flour or even egg yolks. It’s perfect for Passover, and, of course, it’s gluten free. Whipped cream on top accentuates the flavor of the nuts and balances the jolt of bittersweet. Glorious, and simple as can be. -
RecipePotato Salad with Smoked Trout and Horseradish
Yukon gold potatoes and hot-smoked trout are dressed in horseradish dressing. -
RecipeBlood Orange Crème Brûlée
This is a very simple, dairy-free Passover dessert that is easily prepared a day or so in advance. Just before serving, add the turbinado sugar and glaze the top with a small handheld torch or under a broiler. -
RecipeQuick-Braised Baby Artichokes with Garlic, Mint, and Parsley
This classic Roman dish includes two of the artichoke’s best friends: fresh herbs and lemon juice. Its simplicity requires the freshest artichokes you can find. -
RecipeRoasted Parsnips with Cinnamon & Coriander
The cooking method and the spices play up parsnips’ sweetness, counterbalanced by last-minute additions of lemon juice and chopped fresh cilantro, which add brightness. If cilantro isn’t to your liking, use parsley. -
RecipeBraised Lamb Shanks with Garlic & Vermouth
The inspiration for my recipe comes from Richard Olney’s Simple French Food, where the shanks and garlic are cooked with nothing more than a bit of water. I’ve updated Olney’s version by adding dry white vermouth and a few bay leaves to give the braising liquid an elusive, herbaceous flavor that permeates the meat and intensifies the dish. -
RecipePistachio Meringues with Toasted Coconut
If you can’t find superfine sugar, pulse granulated sugar in a food processor to a fine grind; measure after grinding. Pistachios and coconut are one of my favorite meringue flavoring combinations, but feel free to substitute with other additions. Fold in any ground nut, or even tiny chocolate morsels, if you like. -
RecipeRed Potato Slices with Lemon & Olives
Fresh, sprightly and lemony, this is a unique take on a potato salad. -
RecipePeas and Carrots with Lemon, Dill, and Mint
Remember the frozen version of peas and carrots? The dish gets an update here: no square carrots in sight. -
RecipeRed-Wine-Poached Pears with Star Anise & Pistachios
Pears are cooked in a sweet wine syrup and served up with star anise and nuts. -
RecipeCoconut Macaroons
Bake the cookies right away once they’re scooped onto the baking sheet to preserve their nice rounded shape.
