What is another Italian Appetizer?!
Answers: I am already making Bruschetta.. What is something else I can do? The easier the better.. But bring on some ideas. Thanks!
Easy? I'll say . . . Here are some antipasti you would probably be served in an Italian home. None requires any cooking.
Olives.
Prosciutto and melon
Shaved parmiggiano-reggiano
Marinated anchovies
Marinated mushrooms
Marinated artichoke
Peppers stuffed with prosciutti and provolone
All of these should be available at any good Italian deli, and only the prosciutto and melon would require any work on your part -- and very little at that.
Buon appetito!
Asparagus with feta wrapped in prosciutto, sprinkled with olive oil and pepper, and broiled. Cook the asparagus first though!
Layered Italian Appetizer Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup sour cream
1-8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon pizza seasoning or Italian seasoning
2 ounces pepperoni, chopped
1 cup lettuce, chopped/shredded
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons black olives, sliced
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Breadsticks, Crusty Italian bread slices, crackers to serve.
Directions
In a medium bowl, stir together sour cream, cream cheese and seasoning.
Spread onto a serving plate, leaving about an inch at the edge.
Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Top with pepperoni, lettuce, tomatoes, olives and mozzarella cheese.
Serve with breadsticks (parmesan and/or rosemary flavored), Italian bread, and/ or crackers for spreading.
You could do fried ravioli, or meatballs. Both are good to dip in marinara sauce, and are very tasty.
You could also make a frittata...it's usually good cold, and if you cut it into little squares, it's easy to eat by hand.
Maybe you could try caesar salad bites...Get some of those chicken strips from Costco, and toss them with some caesar salad dressing, then scoop a bit into some hearts of romaine. It would be pretty, too. You could try the same thing with a pasta salad, if you like that better.
Calamari, sliced brasheut. Cooked ground beef rolled in dough baked then sliced. I don't know what its called ?
Melanzane alla Parmiggiana (Baked aubergines with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese) A great appetizer if you bake them in ramequins.
I attended a wedding in Florence...here are just few of the things on the menu:
Pomodorini con Ovoline (cherry tomatoes stuffed with hard-boiled quails eggs) and a drizzle of pesto sauce on top.
Paté di Olive (Make a paste out of black olives spread on small squares of toast adorn with a piece of pimento)
Prugne al Formaggio (Pitted prunes stuffed wih a small piece of pecorino cheese).
Belga Farcita (Endive leaves spread with mascarpone and chopped walnuts).
Focacce con prosciutto e medaglioni di Mortadella (hot pieces of focacce bread with parma ham or medallions of mortadella)
The menu was 3 pages long...and half of it was different aperitivo-antipasto. The above are some of the simplest to make.
Hope this helps you out
SICILIAN ANTIPASTO
Olive oil
4 stalks celery, sliced
4 - 6 carrots, sliced
2 - 4 onions, coarsely chopped
6 - 8 cloves garlic, minced
1 head cauliflower, florets sliced
1 - 2 heads fennel, sliced (optional)
2 - 4 zucchini, sliced
2 (6 oz.) cans tomato sauce
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 c. chopped parsley
1 - 2 tbsp. each oregano and basil
1/4 - 1/2 c. capers (optional)
1 - 2 (8 oz.) jars pearl or cocktail onions, drained (more is better)
1 - 2 (16 oz.) jars mixed sweet pickles, drained and sliced
6 oz. can (drained weight) pitted black olives, drained
5 3/4 oz. jar (drained weight) stuffed green olives, drained
16 oz. jar cherry peppers, mild or hot, drained
13 1/2 oz. jar peperoncini, drained (banana pepper)
3 (6 oz.) jars marinated artichoke heart and juice (quarter artichoke hearts)
1/4 - 1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. sugar
Salt and lots freshly ground black pepper
1 (or none) of the following: 6 oz. anchovies, finely chopped; 2 - 3 (7 oz.) cans tuna, packed in oil and undrained; 1/2 lb. salami, cut in julienne strips (best with mozzarella)
In very large heavy pot with lid, pour enough olive oil to cover bottom. Add celery, carrots, onion, garlic, cauliflower and fennel (if used). Cover and cook vegetables in oil for 5 minutes. Add sliced zucchini and steam 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients, including your choice of anchovies, tuna or salami. Stir gently to mix, return to heat and simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes, just to blend. Refrigerate antipasto for 3 days, stirring daily. Can be served over the next 10 days, storing remainder in refrigerator.
Serves 8 as a main dish, 20 as a vegetable side dish or to a crowd as an hors d'oeuvre.
Testing Results: Use a very large pot to hold all these ingredients, though don't feel constrained to follow the recipe exactly. If you don't like olives, omit them and compensate with more artichoke hearts or onions. Add julienne strips of mozzarella if you like. Play with peppers according to your palate. Some ingredients, like peperoncini (small hot peppers) may have to be purchased in an Italian food store where you might also buy Italian salami if that's your choice among the last 3 ingredients.
What about a plate of cold cuts, cheeses, olives, pickles? Serve with crackers, bread sticks.
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