Antipasti: Italian Appetizer Recipes
From classic caprese salad to new spins on bruschetta, here are 36 reasons to be pro-antipasti.
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©2009, Jeremiah Alley
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Italian Flatbread (Piadina) with Fontina and Prosciutto
Piadina is a lot like pizza, except the crust doesn't rise and it's grilled instead of baked. The topping possibilities are endless, but an easy go-to is Giada De Laurentiis' ricotta, fontina and prosciutto combination.
Get the Recipe: Italian Flatbread (Piadina) with Fontina and Prosciutto
Chickpea Bruschetta
Instead of pureeing your chickpeas for hummus, leave them whole and add sun-dried tomatoes and parsley for an easy toast topper.
Get the Recipe: Chickpea Bruschetta
Broccolini with Anchovies and Garlic
If you're trying to eat more vegetables, an anchovy-and-garlic-spiked pile of baby broccoli will make healthy eating painless.
Get the Recipe: Broccolini with Anchovies and Garlic
Bruschetta Pizzaiola
A cross between bruschetta and pizza, covered in melted fresh mozzarella? Sign us up.
Get the Recipe: Bruschetta Pizzaiola
Grilled Seafood Salad
Garlic and citrus provide a subtle yet flavorful dressing for this mixed-seafood salad that can be served either warm or at room temperature.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Seafood Salad
Roasted Fig Salad with Goat Cheese, Prosciutto and Arugula
Need a salad you can throw together quickly? Roasted figs are the only mildly time-consuming part of this dish — the rest is just an assembly process.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Fig Salad with Goat Cheese, Prosciutto and Arugula
Chicken Parmesan Sticks
Skip the forks and knives, and dig into a bite-size version of chicken Parmesan — on sticks! These bites are perfect for dipping in marinara sauce.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Parmesan Sticks
Simply Dressed Bocconcini
Crafting the perfect antipasto platter is a cinch with marinated bocconcini around.
Get the Recipe: Simply Dressed Bocconcini
Roasted Tomato Tart
Change up your pizza routine with roasted tomatoes, fresh basil and fontina cheese melted over flaky, buttery puff pastry.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Tomato Tart
Roasted Fennel with Oranges and Greens
Licorice haters will love the sweeter flavor of roasted fennel, complemented by orange juice and crunchy pine nuts.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Fennel with Oranges and Greens
Caprese Salad
Justine Simmons' take on a classic caprese salad uses colorful heirloom tomatoes, making it almost too pretty to eat.
Get the Recipe: Caprese Salad
Roasted Sunchokes with Salsa Verde
Salsa verde is a vibrant green sauce — packed with parsley, capers, anchovies, garlic and lemon — that would taste good on anything, but tender-crisp roasted sunchokes are one of our favorite vessels.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Sunchokes with Salsa Verde
Insalata Tre Colori
Technically, there are four colors in this salad if you count the copious amounts of shaved Parmesan cheese.
Get the Recipe: Laura's Insalata Tre Colori
Grilled Ciabatta with Ricotta and Snap Peas
Instagram-worthy and delicious? That's how Tiffani serves her appetizers.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Ciabatta with Ricotta and Snap Peas
Panzanella
Even the biggest salad haters can get behind a bread salad with an almost-even ratio of croutons to vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Panzanella (Stale Bread Summer Entree)
Crispy Ribollita
It may seem strange to make a butternut squash and cannellini bean soup only to add bread to it, chill it and pan-fry it, but once you try Laura Vitale's ribollita, you'll understand why it's such a popular Italian dish.
Get the Recipe: Crispy Ribollita
Pear with Prosciutto and Gorgonzola
This appetizer won't cause a stink at your next party when tangy Gorgonzola and sliced pears get cozy, wrapped up with prosciutto.
Get the Recipe: Pear with Prosciutto and Gorgonzola
White Beans and Rosemary Crostini
There's nothing better than carbs on carbs, so stack baguette slices high with rosemary-infused white beans.
Get the Recipe: White Beans and Rosemary Crostini
Cheesy Tomato Bruschetta
Roasting tomatoes with garlic and breadcrumbs is an easy way to amp up bruschetta's flavor and texture — and melted mozzarella doesn't hurt, either.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Tomato Bruschetta
Insalata di Fagiolini Verdi: Green Bean Salad
Snake beans (Chinese long beans) are fun to look at, but make sure to cut them into bite-sized pieces for your guests for easy eating.
Get the Recipe: Insalata di Fagiolini Verdi: Green Bean Salad
Tapenade
Briny olive tapenade is a versatile spread that keeps well in the fridge if you don't eat it all in one sitting. It works as a bruschetta topping, a pasta sauce or a salty dip.
Get the Recipe: Tapenade
Figs Wrapped in Prosciutto with Gorgonzola and Brie
Gorgonzola and figs are often paired, but sneaking in creamy Brie makes this dish even more addictive.
Get the Recipe: Figs Wrapped in Prosciutto with Gorgonzola and Brie
Mini Pizzas
Embrace your inner kid with bite-sized pies, but satisfy your grownup palate with toppings like bacon and onion, olive and feta, and grilled eggplant and mushrooms.
Get the Recipe: Mini Pizzas
Italian Stuffed Artichokes
Stuffing vegetables with garlicky, cheesy breadcrumbs never hurt anyone. Artichokes are a lot of work to eat, but it's worth the extra effort to get to the tender heart.
Get the Recipe: Italian Stuffed Artichokes
Cheese and Spinach Puff Pastry Pockets
Giada gives Greek spanakopita an Italian makeover by substituting fontina and Parmesan for feta cheese in poppable puff-pastry bites.
Get the Recipe: Cheese and Spinach Puff Pastry Pockets
Porcini Carpaccio
Whether you're a vegetarian or not, this mushroom rendition of beef carpaccio will keep you coming back for seconds (and thirds).
Get the Recipe: Porcini Carpaccio
Antipasto Di Ricotta
Get the Recipe: Antipasto di Ricotta: Simple Ricotta Antipasto
Open-Faced Carpaccio Sandwich
David Rocco gives his beef carpaccio a little flash in the pan before serving it sandwich-style.
Get the Recipe: Crostone di Carpaccio: Open-Faced Carpaccio Sandwich
Schiacciata
This crisp, delicate flatbread is a thinner, crunchier version of focaccia. Top with tomatoes to add a bright burst of flavor.
Get the Recipe: Schiacciata
Arugula and Roasted Fruit Salad
Get the Recipe: Arugula and Roasted Fruit Salad with Panettone Croutons
Risotto Croquettes
Get the Recipe: Risotto Croquettes: Arancini Di Riso
Bruschetta With Sauteed Mushrooms
Get the Recipe: Bruschetta with Sauteed Mushrooms
Caramelized Pancetta Salad
Get the Recipe: Caramelized Pancetta and Fennel Salad
Potato Croquette
David Rocco's creamy potato croquettes have a surprise inside: gooey fresh mozzarella.
Get the Recipe: Potato Croquette
Fried Zucchini Flowers
Italians never discard zucchini blossoms; when lightly battered and fried, they are a crispy treat.
Get the Recipe: Fiori Di Zucchine: Fried Zucchini Flowers
Porcini and Nepitella
Nepitella is a wild Italian herb that tastes similar to a cross between mint and oregano. David Rocco pairs it with porcini mushrooms for this bruschetta.
Get the Recipe: Porcini and Nepitella
Chopped Salad with Roasted Vegetables
A trio of roasted vegetables transforms classic chopped antipasto into a hearty salad.
Get the Recipe: Chopped Salad with Roasted Vegetables