The word antipasto comes from Latin and means “before the meal.” In the strictest sense, an antipasto is a little something extra as a starter. It is a small snack meant to awaken the appetite, not to satisfy it. In Italy, unless it is a special occasion, homecooked meals rarely start with an antipasto, though restaurant meals often do. Antipasto dishes also vary a lot by region. In the north, especially in the Piedmont, a long succession of antipasto dishes are served one at a time at formal dinners. The classic antipasto in Tuscany is crostini (toasted bread) with chicken livers and a few slices of salami such as finocchiona, a regional specialty made with ground pork and flavored with fennel seeds. In southern Italy, antipasti are simpler, often just a few slices of dried sausage or prosciutto, pickled vegetables, and olives. When I have company, I often serve an antipasto. Olives, sliced salumi (a collective word for cold cuts), and cut up raw vegetables are the easiest antipasto, and a nice way to welcome guests as they gather. More elaborate dishes can serve as a first course, and a group of antipasti can form the basis for a buffet meal.
Antipasto dishes can be served hot, room temperature, or cold. With the exception of dried sausages and cured meats like salame, prosciutto, or mortadella, meat is used sparingly, usually ground or chopped as a vegetable stuffing. Though shellfish is often offered as an antipasto, whole fish is usually not, except for tiny fish such as anchovies or whitebait.
Many other dishes throughout this book can be served as antipasti. From the vegetable chapters, fried artichokes or cauliflower, any of the stuffed or grilled vegetables, and salads are always good choices. Many of the sautéed vegetable dishes are good as starters, served warm or at room temperature.
Slices of focaccia or olive- or cheese-flavored breads are good companions for vegetable antipasti. Pasta salads are rarely seen in Italy, but Italians do serve rice salads frequently as part of an antipasto assortment. Cold seafood salads are popular, as are stuffed shellfish, such as clams, mussels, and oysters.
An assortment of antipasti is a great way to start a casual meal or a special dinner. Platters of sliced meats, cheeses, and preserved vegetables decoratively arranged are great for parties. Use your imagination to place the ingredients so that the colors and shapes complement one another. For best flavor, the ingredients should be at room temperature or just slightly chilled. Here are some suggestions for a typical antipasto assortment. Serve accompanied by crunchy breadsticks and crusty Italian bread or focaccia.
Salumi Serve one or two slices per person of three of the following meats. Fold or roll up the slices for easier serving.
mortadella: a specialty of Emilia-Romagna; large, mildly spiced smooth-textured pork sausage, with chunks of fat and sometimes pistachios.
prosciutto: from all over Italy (the best-known here is from Parma or San Daniele in Friuli– Venezia Giulia); a whole pork leg cured with salt.
capocollo: from all over Italy; cured pork shoulder, can be either mild or spiced with hot pepper.
salami: from all over Italy; usually ground pork, though other meats may be used, with various spices and seasonings including black peppercorns, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper, wine. There are many different varieties. sopressata: from all over Italy; a large, wide salame made of coarsely ground lean pork and pork fat, flavored with black peppercorns, or crushed red pepper, salt, and red wine.
pepperoni: in North America, a long, thin dried sausage made of coarsely ground pork with either black peppercorns or crushed red pepper. In Italy, the word peperoni means bell peppers, not a dried hot sausage.
Cheeses Serve one wedge of one variety of cheese. Buy cheeses in large chunks and cut them into wedges for serving. Look for aged cheeses imported from Italy. provolone: from all over Italy. Do not use the bland, sliced variety. Imported provolone is sharp and slightly smoky-flavored.
young pecorino: mostly from central and southern Italy; semifirm and mild to sharp in flavor, depending on the variety and origin. fresh or smoked mozzarella: mild, soft and creamy; can be either salted or unsalted. Fresh mozzarella should be very moist and eaten the same day that it is made. Smoked mozzarella is drier, with smoky flavor and firmer texture.
ricotta salata: a pressed and salted version of ricotta, mild, firm, and crumbly.
Pickles and vegetables One or two varieties of the following preserved vegetables should be sufficient. marinated artichokes, mushrooms, or dried tomatoes. hot or mild vinegar peppers or peperoncini. giardiniera: mixed pickled vegetables (page 45).
Garnishes Decorate the platter with anchovy fillets, sliced tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, lettuce or radicchio, and carrot and celery sticks. An Antipasto Platter
Cheese Antipasti Goat Cheese with Herbs Caprino alle Erbe
Capra is Italian for “goat,” and caprino is the name given to Italian goat cheese. Look for a mild, fresh goat cheese for this recipe. If Italian goat cheese is not available, use an American or French goat cheese. Their flavors are very similar.
8 ounces fresh mild goat cheese 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as chives, rosemary, parsley, basil, thyme 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Fresh herbs for garnish Thin slices of toasted Italian bread
1. Mash the cheese in a medium bowl with a fork or spoon. Stir in the herbs and pepper.
2. Spoon the cheese mixture onto the center of a piece of plastic wrap. Bring one end of the plastic over the cheese to meet the other end. Tuck the plastic around the cheese and shape the cheese into a log. Roll the log to secure the shape. Refrigerate one hour up to overnight.
3. Unwrap the cheese and place it on a serving plate. Drizzle with the oil. Garnish with sprigs of fresh herbs. Serve with toasted Italian bread. Goat Cheese,
Valle d’Aosta Style Tomini di Courmayeur
MAKES 6 SERVINGS Courmayeur, a popular ski resort in the Valle d’Aosta, is just across the border from France through the Mont Blanc tunnel. The local dialect sounds more French than Italian. Though the region is best known for its cow’s milk cheeses, such as Fontina Valle d’Aosta, small goat cheeses, known locally as tomini, are eaten with the local dark rye bread, or drizzled with honey for dessert. I enjoyed goat cheese with a crunchy, flavorful topping at La Maison de Filippo, a rustic country inn that serves hearty meals in a charming setting.
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons wine vinegar 1 garlic clove, minced 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme Pinch of crushed red pepper Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 cup finely chopped tender celery 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 2 sage leaves, chopped 8 ounces fresh mild goat cheese Thin slices toasted Italian or French bread
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, thyme, red pepper, and salt and black pepper to taste. Stir in the celery, parsley, and sage.
2. Place the cheese on a serving plate. Pour the sauce over the cheese. Cover and let stand 1 hour at room temperature. Serve with toasted bread.
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