16 antipasti recipes

Classic Italian antipasti platter with roasted red peppers, marinated vegetables, olives, and Parmesan served with crusty bread for an elegant no-cook appetizer.

Eat heartily, accompanied by much loud Italian conversation. In fact, I typed this accompanied by much loud Italian conversation. My parents were here, and both were shouting instructions over my shoulder. They disagreed about the arrangement of the lettuce - my mother said that the hole in the middle of the platter was necessary; my father insisted that it wasn't, saying you can just dump the tuna on top of the lettuce. I finally had to give up on this reply until they went home. So now, in the peace and quiet of the aftermath, I've finished it. Hope you had a wonderful holiday.

One-pot Italian rice cooked in tomato juice with artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives finished with Parmesan for a flavorful Mediterranean side dish.

Fresh Italian antipasto salad with marinated mushrooms and artichokes over crisp vegetables drizzled with balsamic herb dressing for a light, impressive no-cook meal.

Refrigerator pickled mushrooms: button caps simmered to firmness then jarred in a sweet-tart vinegar marinade with peppercorns and bay leaves. Eastern European style for canapes, salads, and antipasto.

Marinated eggplant in olive oil: salt-pressed, vinegar-soaked strips layered with garlic, oregano, and chile in extra-virgin oil. An Italian antipasto that gets better for months.

Pickled cauliflower with pearl onions in a tangy mustard-seed brine. Crunchy, bright, and fiery from a single red chili. A classic canning recipe perfect for antipasto plates.

Crunchy Italian taralli made with white wine and cracked peppercorns. These boiled-then-baked bread rings from Southern Italy are the ultimate snack for antipasto boards and wine night.

Hot pickled peppers brined overnight in salt water, then water-bath canned in vinegar, sugar, garlic and horseradish brine. Crisp, snappy and shelf-stable for a year of nachos, sandwiches and antipasto plates.

Pickled string beans: a prize-winning, old-fashioned canning recipe that turns fresh green beans into a sweet-tart, spiced jar staple. Crisp, snappy, and ready for the antipasto platter.

Garlic marinated olives with lemon, bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns, and sherry. A make-ahead antipasto jar that gets better every day in the fridge.

Concia is a Roman Jewish dish of fried zucchini layered with garlic, fresh basil, and white wine vinegar. A make-ahead antipasto that improves overnight.

Sicilian eggplant caponata, a sweet-and-sour relish of roasted eggplant, onion, celery, tomato, capers, and raisins. Vegetarian, low-fat, and a classic Mediterranean antipasto.

Italian antipasto tray assembly with rolled salami and cream cheese pinwheels, cherry tomatoes stuffed with horseradish-spiked tuna, olives, and cold cuts. A classic party platter roadmap.

Lemon macerated okra with Kalamata olives, garlic, bay, and thyme. Raw okra pods marinate in lemon juice and olive oil for 2 to 3 days, turning into a tangy Mediterranean antipasto snack.

Italian tomato and anchovy antipasto with ripe tomato wedges draped with anchovy fillets, dressed in anchovy oil, lemon juice, and fresh oregano. Simple, no-cook, and bursting with umami.