Vegetable-Based Antipasti
Standbys
Canned Artichoke Hearts: Carciofi
Sott'Olio
Artichokes packed in oil are tasty antipasti, and an
excellent side dish too.
Difficulty: Moderate
Canned Vegetables: Sott'Oli
The
simplest of antipasti: Vegetables pickled and packed in oil.
Difficulty:
Moderate
Dried Tomatoes: Pimmaduori Siccati
Zesty sun-dried tomatoes, Calabrian style.
Difficulty: Easy
Grilled Bell Peppers: Peperoni alla
Griglia
One of the tastiest summer antipasti or side dishes
known, and easy to make too!
Difficulty: Easy
Eggplant Parmesan: Melanzane alla
Parmigiana
One of the finest dishes known to man! An
excellent recipe, with several variations; cut into small squares it's an
excellent appetizer.
Difficulty: Intermediate-Advanced
Grilled Eggplant: Melanzane alla
Griglia
Marinated eggplant grilled and returned to the
marinade to be eaten cool -- very nice!
Difficulty: Easy
Hot Peppers Stuffed with Tuna: Peperoncini al
Tonno
Tiny round hot peppers stuffed with tuna fish: They're
addictive!
Difficulty: Easy
Mozzarella and Tomatoes: Insalata
Caprese
In small portions this is a nice summer appetizer; in
larger amounts it is refreshing summer meal or fine picnic food.
Difficulty: Easy
Pickled Vegetables: Giardiniera
A
medley of pickled vegetables: one of the classic elements of an Antipasto
Misto
Difficulty: Moderate
Pinzimonio
A big bowl of
fresh, tasty chopped raw vegetables served with oil and vinegar that your
guests can mix and season to taste in their own little bowls makes for a
perfect antipasto or side dish.
Difficulty: Easy
Other Antipasti
A Light Euro Dinner
A
light, quick vegetable-based meal for two that's a perfect way to break the
ice, from my review of Eat Dangerously!
Difficulty: Easy
Asparagus Flan: Sformato di
Asparagi
Light, elegant curry-laced flans that will work nicely
as antipasti or a main course in a light lunch.
Difficulty:
Moderate
Asparagus & Pea Flan: Sformato di Piselli e
Asparagi
This asparagus and pea flan will be nice either as an
antipasto or a main course, depending upon how big the portions
are.
Difficulty: Moderate
Asparagus with Eggs and Pecorino Romano
Very quick and quite simple: A perfect spring
antipasto!
Difficulty: Easy
Bruschetta with Garlic Cream: Bruschetta con
Crema di Aglio
Something for the garlic lovers among us to
enjoy!
Difficulty: Easy
Calabrian Eggplant: Melanzane
Calabre
Zesty Calabrian eggplant with garlic and hot pepper, a
perfect summer antipasto.
Difficulty: Easy
Caper Crostini
Quick, easy, and
zesty -- ideal before the meal, or to perk flagging appetites during.
Difficulty: Easy
Cardoons Torino Style: Cardata alla
Torinese
A tasty cardoon-based antipasto to keep winter at
bay.
Difficulty: Easy
Celery with Cheese Foam: Sedanini alla Spuma di
Formaggio
Celery boats with a creamy cheese foam make a
perfect antipasto.
Chilled Eggplant: Melanzane
Fredde
Chilled eggplant, which will work nicely as an antipasto
or side dish.
Difficulty: Easy
Cured Olives: Olive in
Concia
Olives cured with lye or wood ash.
Difficulty:
Moderate
Deft Chicken and Vegetable Salad
Seasoned with a cheerful herb-laced sauce made with hard-boiled eggs:
Perfect in summer!
Difficulty: Easy
Dried Fried Tomatoes: Pomodori Secchi
Fritti
Dried tomatoes are quite common in southern Italy, and
are enjoyed both as antipasti or snacking foods and as ingredients. Trapanesi
give them a delightful twist.
Dried Tomatoes: Pimmaduori Salati
How to preserve tomatoes if you lack refrigeration, but not less tasty for
that.
Difficulty: Easy
Dried Tomatoes with Tuna: Pomodori Secchi al
Tonno
A Puglian specialty, sun-dried tomatoes with tuna and
spices.
Difficulty: Easy
Eggplant Boats with Mushrooms & Sausages:
Barchette di Melanzane Con Funghi e Salsiccia
Eggplant boats
filled with mushrooms and sausages: A hearty antipasto!
Difficulty:
Moderate
Eggplant in a Carriage: Melanzane in
Carrozza
Sandwiches made with eggplant and mozzarella, fried
-- a Neapolitan classic.
Difficulty: Moderate
Eggplant Scapece Style: Melanzane a
Scapece
A refreshing summer eggplant dish that will also be a
nice appetizer.
Difficulty: Easy
Fried Cauliflower
Very tasty
with a stew or roast, and also in a platter of mixed fried
foods.
Difficulty: Easy
Fried Peppers: Peperoni Impanati e
Fritti
Peppers, sliced, breaded, and fried: nibble food!
Difficulty: Easy
Fried Radicchio: Radicchio Fritto
This will work well in a platter of mixed antipasti.
Difficulty:
Moderate
Fried String Beans: Fagiolini
Fritti
Fried string beans are a tasty antipasto or side dish.
Difficulty: Easy
Friselle
Puglia's dried bread
rings are heavenly topped with fresh tomatoes, olive oil, and hot
peppers.
Difficulty: Easy
Green Salad with Cheese: Insalata di Verdure al
Fromazdo
A tasty salad with lots of things including cheese,
and an unusual (for Italy) cream-based dressing.
Difficulty:
Easy
Kale on Toast: Cavolo a Fette
Black leaf kale on toasted bread with good oil sounds simple but is fit for a
king.
Difficulty: Easy
King Albert's Cardoons: Cardi di Re
Alberto
A zesty winter antipasto, and the King's favorite.
Difficulty: Moderate
Gorgonzola Pie
Rich, flavorful,
and delightfully creamy: Perfect at the end of a meal, with other cheeses, and
nice too as party food.
Difficulty: Easy
Meatless Stuffed Tomatoes: Pomodori Farciti di
Magro
A rich stuffed tomato dish for days of Abstinence.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Mozzarella wrapped in Eggplant, Prosciutto &
Cheese
Tasty morsels that will wow your guests.
Difficulty: Easy
Mushroom Sauce: Sugo ai Funghi
A sauce that's equally good on Crostini or over pasta.
Difficulty:
Moderate
Olives Cured in Brine: Olive in
Salamoia
Difficulty: Moderate
Olive Salad: Olive in
Insalata
An unusual olive salad from Lazio, which will work
nicely as an antipasto.
Difficulty: Easy
Open-Faced Sandwich with Mozzarella and Eggplant
Though some people primarily associate Italian food with pasta
(with red sauce), minestrone, and veal Parmesan there's a lot more, and modern
cooks are doing all sorts of interesting things. This will be a nice antipasto,
or could work well at a quick, simple lunch if served with a crisp
salad.
Difficulty: Easy
Onions Stuffed with Tuna: Cipolle Ripiene col
Tonno
Onions filled with tuna, a Ligurian treat that will be
perfect in summer.
Difficulty: Easy
Parmigiano Potato Salad: Insalata di Grana
Padano
An interesting salad made with potatos, apples and
flakes of cheese. As well as whatever else you fancy.
Difficulty:
Easy
Pepper Rollups: Involtini di
Peperone
A wonderfully tasty use for bell peppers &
cheese.
Difficulty: Moderate
Pepper Rollups: Involtini di
Peperone
Bell Pepper strips rolled up around a tasty tuna-based
filling.
Difficulty: Easy
Peppers with Bagna Caoda Sauce: Peperoni con
Bagna Caoda
Roast bell peppers cut into strips and served
with this sauce are a fantastic appetizer!
Difficulty: Moderate
Pickled Onions: Cipolline Sotto Aceto
Pickled onions: a perfect antipasto, especially when it's
hot.
Difficulty: Easy
Pickled Eggplant
A recipe from
Anne's grandmother, Josephine Caravetta.
Difficulty: Moderate
Pickled Peppers: Peperoni Sotto Aceto
Pickled bell peppers ate tasty as an antipasto or with bland foods.
Difficulty: Easy
Red Radicchio Salad: Insalata Di Radicchio Rosso
di Treviso
In small portions this will be a mouthwatering
beginning to a meal.
Difficulty: Moderate
Red Radicchio Salad with Turkey: Insalata Di
Radicchio Rosso di Treviso con Tacchino
Similar to the above
but with turkey and truffles. Also mouthwatering.
Difficulty:
Moderate
Rice Pie
Perfect as part of a
quick lunch.
Difficulty: Moderate
Rich Potato Salad: Insalata Ricca di
Patate
A tasty, cheesy potato salad.
Difficulty:
Easy.
Roasted Stuffed Tomatoes: Pumarou a
Grattè
A Sicilian take on roasted stuffed tomatoes
with bread crumbs.
Difficulty: Moderate
Rustic Stewed Peppers: Peperonata
Rustica
Tasty, simple stewed peppers.
Difficulty: Easy
Sauteed Olives: Olive
Soffritte
Dried olives sauteed with hot pepper, a Calabrian
treat..
Difficulty: Easy
Savoy Cabbage Flan with Pecorino Romano and
Guanciale
A simple antipasto that will be quite nice in the
winter months.
Difficulty: Easy
Savory Pie with Peppers, Capers and Tuna: Torta
Salata ai Peperoni, Capperi e Tonno
A tasty savory pie that
will work well as an antipasto or picnic food.
Difficulty: Easy
Sicilian Dried Tomatoes: Pomodori Secchi alla
Siciliana
How to pack sundried tomatoes in oil to enjoy them
throughout the year.
Difficulty: Easy
Spicy Plum Tomatoes: Perine Piccanti
Perine in this case are plum tomatoes, stuffed with a refreshingly zesty
green-sauce based filling and a little cheese
Difficulty: Easy
Spring Onion and Cheese Quiche: Quiche di
Cipollotti e Formaggio
A rich, satisfying quiche with
scallions and cheese. Perfect in spring!
Difficulty: Moderate
String Bean Salad: Fagiolini in
Insalata
A quick, refreshing summer string bean salad from
Friuli Venezia Giulia. Good for a picnic too!
Difficulty: Easy
Stuffed Tomatoes: Pomodori Ripieni
Simple Piemontese stuffed tomatoes with green sauce and
mayonnaise.
Difficulty: Easy
String Bean and Tuna Salad: Fagiolini e Tonno in
Insalata
String beans and tuna, seasoned with lemon juice:
Profoundly refreshing.
Difficulty: Easy
Stuffed Onions: Cipolle Ripiene
Onions stuffed with leftover roast meat, or whatever was handy, traditional
country fare food from the Canavese region in Piemonte, and nice at home
too.
Difficulty: Moderate
Stuffed Tomatoes: Pimmaduori Chjini
Stuffed tomatoes with a Calabrian twist: they're dried, and seasoned with
anchovies and herbs.
Difficulty: Easy
Tomato Sandwiches, or Pomodori Panini
Tomato sandwiches (for want of a better term): a wonderful, quick, very
refreshing antipasto.
Difficulty: Easy
Tomatoes Stuffed with Rice: Pomodori col
Riso
Tomatoes stuffed with rice, and a Roman variation with
pasta.
Difficulty: Moderate
Zucchini Rollups: Involtini di
Zucchine
Zucchini sliced, and the slices rolled up around a
tasty vegetarian filling: What could be easier?
Difficulty: Easy
If you haven't found what you're looking for, please ask!
