Menu ideas for an italian celebratory meal?

[Mercedes]

Im going to be Italy in the summer sharing a villa with the rest of my family. We're going to be celebrating my parents 50th wedding anniversary. We're going to organise a special meal but I'm short of ideas.

My mum likes veal, my dad likes beef and they don't like pasta. The rest of us do like pasta and veg and the kids love pasta,

Ideas for a 3 or 4 course meal please?

I'm picturing that kind of laid back, "ooh this is just what they had at the market" stuff - loads of fresh salad and fruit and salami and olives and anchovies and prawns and

and prosecco. don't forget the prosecco.

bumping for you

Well, I do not know where in Italy you will be - this would help as regional cuisines vary enormously in Italy and so does the availability of ingredients. Also it may be very hot so you are unlikely to want things like heavy meats or stews.

Anyway, I suggest:

• mixed antipasti (any delicatessen will have a good choice - olives, olive ascolane, anchovies,prosciutto crudo/salame/breasola topped with rucola e grana, arancini, mozzarella in carrozza, grilled peppers/zucchine...)
• If pasta is a no no what about a risotto? Something with vegetables and fresh herbs, or with seafood if you are by the sea or have access to a good pescheria? Or perhaps a summer veg minestrone served warm (not hot!), with fresh basil thrown in.
• If fish works, then Grilled seabass, pesce persico o dentice (or local stuff - again it depends where you are!). If not, what about vitello tonnato (Cold veal slices with a tuna and capers sauce - sounds weird but works well, is easy and can be prepared in advance), or beef fillet with a balsamic vinegar reduction if you prefer sth warm. If you are somewhere north and close enough to september you will also find wild mushrooms in the shops - could do a mushroom sauce instead.Or what Italians called "roastbeef", which is veyr thin cold slices of pink beef to be served with olive oil and a dash of lemon. Many butchers sells this - you just buy it
• Ice-cream from local gelateria with perhaps some fruit coulis. Or do what a lot of Italians would do i.e. ordering a bespoke cake in a pasticceria or a torta gelato in a gelateria (more appropriate if very hot... Like a meringata, which is ice-cream and meringue or a St. Honore, which is more sponge and ice-cream).

minervai that makes me so hungry.

in terms of regions we're going to be in umbria. We've also got the option of getting a local farm with a restaurant to cook the meal.

We asked for a sample menu but they just said you tell us what you want and we can cook it. But I can't think of an interesting meal that would be fabulous enough.

More ideas please while I go an get a biscuit...