You Say Antipasti.
I Say Antipasto.

There’s nothing quite as beautiful as a well-appointed antipasti sprawled out onto a platter. An abundance of meats, cheeses, fruits, and spreads makes for an elegant appetizer and is so simple to prepare.

Antipasti means “before the meal” in Italian and usually consists of cured meats, cheeses, and vegetables. There are no hard and fast rules regarding the contents of an antipasti platter and it’s dependent on what kinds of gourmet goodies you can find in your local store and what you want to pay.

Start with a large serving platter and some small bowls. Roll slices of fresh meats, cube some of the cheese and leave some cheeses intact and serve with a cheese knife. Place spreads, olives, and other interesting edibles in small bowls on the tray and fill in the open spaces with your bread slices and crackers. If you can find thin breadsticks (called grissini), they look really nice placed in a champagne flute in the center of the tray.

Here are some suggestions:

Meats and Fish
Thinly sliced prosciutto Capocollo slices
Dry salame Hot or mild soppresetta
Anchovies Sardines
Tuna in olive oil Mortadella (get it with pistachios if you can find it)

Cheeses
Gorgonzola A wedge of Brie
Asiago Mozzarella balls
Goat cheese logs Pecorino Romano (it’s great with black peppercorns in it)
Fontina Ricotta salata (a dry, semi-hard ricotta)
Parrmigiano Reggiano (The King of Cheeses. Try dipping in a small amount of good balsamic vinegar.)

Fruits, Nuts, and Vegetables
Roasted red peppers Marinated artichoke hearts
Marinated mushrooms Cooked asparagus
Dried apricots Baby gerkin pickles
Almonds Capers
Cherry or grape tomatoes Hot and mild cherry peppers
Assorted black and green olives (watch out for those pits!)

Print this feature!

Relish! A menu-planning service built around the love of effortless cooking, simplifying our lives, and taking advantage of those extra moments lingering around the dinner table. So step inside and see how easy it is to reclaim the family dinner. Visit www.relishrelish.com.