21 Irresistible Antipasto Recipes (2024)

The term antipasto means "before the meal." In Italy, this starter can be as simple as a bowl of olives, or it can take shape as a platter of assorted cured meats, cheeses, and vegetables served family-style. It can also be small-bite appetizers, little dishes meant to awaken the senses without spoiling the appetite. From sausage-stuffed fried olives to prosciutto-topped crostini and herbed ricotta, these are the best of Food & Wine's antipasto recipes.

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Antipasto Salad

At tiny Frasca Food and Wine, 2005 F&W Best New Chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson is famous for his Friulian food. When Frasca moved to a bigger space, he opened a casual cafe serving dishes like chopped salads made with greens grown on the roof.

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Sausage-Stuffed Fried Olives

Buttery, mild Castelvetrano olives add just enough salt and tang to these fried sausage snacks that pair beautifully with a crisp martini or chilled glass of wine. Use a high-quality Italian sausage for the best texture and flavor.

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Fritto Misto with Calabrian Chile Aïoli

A festive mix of shrimp, calamari, anchovy-stuffed olives, and paper-thin lemon slices are dredged in a Pernod-spiked batter and fried to crispy, golden perfection. Jarred Calabrian chiles add a fruity heat to the creamy aïoli dipping sauce.

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Herbed Ricotta with Grilled Bread

F&W culinary director at large Justin Chapple makes this simple herbed ricotta for almost all of his parties because it's such a crowd-pleaser. It's decadent spread on toasted bread but also delicious served with crudités.

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Salad of Pink Radicchio, Citrus, and Mushroom Bagna Cauda

In this recipe from Cooking with Mushrooms by Andrea Gentl, melted anchovies and porcini mushroom powder lend a savory depth to nutty brown butter bagna cauda, yielding a powerhouse sauce that's perfect for drizzling on a wintery salad. The sweetness of vibrant Cara Cara oranges mellows the bitter radicchio and adds a pop of color.

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Fried Zucchini Blossoms with Prosciutto and Mozzarella

In this recipe, delicate zucchini blossoms are stuffed with melty mozzarella and salty prosciutto before being lightly battered and fried into a crispy melt-in-your-mouth treat.

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Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Bruschetta with Pancetta

Peak-season tomatoes make all the difference in this simple bruschetta from cookbook author Susan Spungen. They’re the perfect accompaniment to a bowl of soup or a large salad. To turn them into two-bite hors d’oeuvres, simply cut the bruschetta crosswise into strips.

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Antipasto Salad with Bocconcini and Green-Olive Tapenade

Chef Nancy Silverton is an Italian cooking expert, getting the biggest flavor from the simplest ingredients. She does just that with this hearty salad, which combines crisp iceberg lettuce, milky mozzarella, spicy-tangy peperoncini, and salty olives and salami.

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Grilled Artichokes with Herby Lemon Aïoli

"Artichokes are at their best — and easiest to prepare — when cooked quickly over a hot fire, particularly when served with luscious lemon aïoli made with the smoky juices and pulp of grilled lemons," says cookbook author Paula Disbrowe. "You can serve the creamy dressing on the side for dipping, but I prefer to toss it with the artichokes so it seeps into every crack and crevice."

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Seafood Spiedini

Fish with a firm structure, like tuna and mahi-mahi, holds up best when cut into pieces and skewered. Italian chef Daniele Uditi uses swordfish for these herb-lashed skewers.

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Focaccia with Roasted Squash

Chef Michelle Gayer tops her sensational focaccia with sweet, tender strips of roasted butternut squash scattered with thyme and drizzled with honey.

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Warm Castelfranco with Vincotto and Blu di Bufala

This simple and magical combination of ingredients from chef Carlo Mirarchi includes Castelfranco (a mild radicchio), vincotto (aged vinegar), and the superb blue cheese blu di bufala. It's a very Italian dish, but Mirarchi gives it a personal imprint by adding fish sauce to the dressing.

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Fava Bean Crostini with Prosciutto and Mint

Garlicky and bright, these crostini are fabulous for entertaining. You can prepare the fava-ricotta pesto in advance and top the toasts just before guests arrive. If you love Parmigiano-Reggiano, follow chef Andrew Carmellini's suggestion to "go heavy with the shaved cheese."

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Pinzimonio with Tonnato Sauce

Pinzimonio is a super-simple Italian dish of raw vegetables served with seasoned olive oil for dipping. In his clever variation, chef Nate Appleman replaces the olive oil with tonnato, a creamy sauce made with tuna and lemon.

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Herbed Chickpea Bruschetta

The key to these delicious bruschetta from chef Nancy Silverton is lots of olive oil. After she bakes the chickpeas with a variety of flavorings — including onions, pancetta, and carrots — she purees them with a good amount of oil, spreads the puree on toasts, and drizzles with a little more oil.

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Toasted Pistachio-Cheese Arancini

This recipe for arancini — fried risotto balls — comes from bakery owner Renato Poliafito, who got it from his Sicilian cousin Emanuele Sanfilippo. These arancini are the size of tangerines, filled with creamy, cheesy rice, studded with nuts and green peas, and encased in a great crunchy crust.

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Salted Anchovies, Salsa Verde, Bread, Butter

Chef Missy Robbins found inspiration for this dish in Italy: “Perhaps my biggestahamoment in Italy was the discovery of anchovies doused in an eggy salsa verde. This is not a combination that had ever crossed my mind before and when put atop a chunk of hearty bread swathed with creamy butter, the flavor experience was transformative in its simplicity."

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Warm Olives with Rosemary, Garlic, and Lemon

Chef Marc Murphy serves these olives warm to accentuate the marinade's lemony flavor.

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Fennel and Citrus Salad with Mint

For his light, simple salad, chef Matthew Accarrino of San Francisco's SPQR mixes grapefruit and orange segments with shaved fennel and a sweet-tart honey-lemon dressing.

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Red Pepper Jelly with Grissini and Montasio Cheese

Grissini are svelte, super-crunchy Italian breadsticks. Chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson serves them with a sweet-tart red pepper jelly (a recipe handed down from his grandmother) and wedges of Montasio cheese.

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Grilled Zucchini with Fresh Mozzarella

The delicate taste of fresh mozzarella offers a delicious counterpoint to the garlic and vinegar-macerated zucchini. However, if you prefer a stronger cheese flavor, try goat cheese instead.

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