Antipasto

Antipasto is synonymous with “appetizer” in Italian cuisine, and this assortment of cured meats, cheeses, olives and other nibbles is the traditional starter to a formal Italian dinner.  I cook a lot of Italian food but I’ve never made a formal dinner (with antipasto followed by pasta followed by a meat course, then dessert) – that’s just not the way we eat at home.  I’ve always thought of antipasto as more of a party dish, great as the centerpiece of a big appetizer buffet.  These days I’m more likely to serve a downsized version as a light dinner for John and me, with the platter on the coffee table in front of the TV, and little plates for us to fill up repeatedly with slivers of salami, bites of soft cheeses, and juicy marinated vegetables.

So the platter you see in this post is not the overflowing, table-sized display you might be expecting – it’s a manageable size for a small gathering, or a meal for two to four.  But antipasto is a cinch to scale up or down.  There isn’t really a recipe – no cooking involved, only assembly – and the combination of ingredients and their proportions is entirely up to you.  Improvise, grab what looks interesting at the deli.

I always include several types of salami – in this case I used Genoa, pepperoni and coppa, but you could choose hard salami, prosciutto, soppressata, mortadella, or whatever you like.  There’s always mozzarella cheese (I like the little bocconcini that come already marinated in olive oil and herbs, but slices of fresh mozzarella would do).  Provolone for variety.

Olives and anchovies are both traditional additions to an antipasto.  I don’t eat olives, and I enjoy anchovies only sparingly, but John loves both so I always include them for him.  I keep these ingredients contained by serving them in little bowls, not scattered on the platter, so they don’t contaminate – sorry, I meant intermingle with – the other ingredients.

In place of the more common marinated artichokes, I often include a chickpea salad.  It’s not traditional, but I like the creaminess of the chickpeas, and prefer the subtle acidity over the sharper brininess of artichokes.  Make your own, or pick some up from the deli.

To dress my antipasto, I make an easy garlic vinaigrette; you could use bottled Italian dressing in a pinch.  If you’re serving antipasto on a party buffet or to a large group of people, drizzle some of the vinaigrette over the whole platter before you serve it.  When I make a small spread for just John and me, I set out the dressing on the side so we can each add it to our own servings as we go.  That also makes it easier to deal with leftovers – the meats and cheese can be wrapped and stored for later use in sandwiches or salads, and will keep better when they’re not doused with dressing.

I rarely serve a meal without some kind of vegetables, so when I’m making antipasto for dinner I take some of the same garlic vinaigrette and toss it with a medley of bright and crunchy vegetables to serve alongside.  This too is not really much of a recipe – you can use whatever vegetables you like, but I’ve included a suggested combination below.

Making this ahead and what to do with leftovers:

• You can assemble this dish ahead and keep it at room temperature for up to a couple of hours, or cover it with plastic wrap and chill it for several hours or even overnight.  If you’re making it ahead, don’t drizzle it with dressing until right before serving.
• Leftovers are easy with this one – continue to nibble on them for another meal or snack, repurpose leftover meats and cheese into sandwiches or use them on salads.

For another idea for a downsized appetizer platter, see my post for Saturday February 13, 2021.

If you liked this post, share it!