66 italian appetizer recipes

Oysters Mosca: chopped fresh oysters cooked down with garlic, scallions, lemon, and Romano cheese, then spooned into puff pastry shells. The classic Italian-Creole New Orleans appetizer from the legendary Mosca's restaurant.

Italian-flavored shrimp dip with baby shrimp, cream cheese, sour cream, and Italian dressing mix brightened with lemon juice and chopped bell pepper. No-cook appetizer ready after a one-hour chill.

Buttery garlic mushroom appetizer simmered low and slow with Italian dressing mix. Three ingredients, toothpick-ready, and they vanish off the platter in minutes.

Sliced ripe Roma tomatoes drizzled with olive oil, fresh minced herbs, and cracked black pepper. A 5-minute Italian appetizer or side with only 4 ingredients. Vegetarian and naturally low calorie.

Broiled tomato mozzarella bruschetta with Roma tomatoes, fresh basil, capers, and balsamic vinegar on toasted Italian bread. Ready in 15 minutes as an appetizer or light meal.

Savory shrimp and Gruyere cheesecake on a buttery cracker crust, baked silky with sauteed shrimp and peppers, then chilled and served with warm Italian tomato sauce. A make-ahead party appetizer that wows.

Smoked mozzarella focaccia topping with cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, fresh basil, and garlic. Italian bruschetta-style appetizer ready in under 20 minutes.

Mini mushroom pizzettes topped with silky bechamel sauce, sauteed mushrooms, nutty Gruyere, and a snowfall of Parmigiano-Reggiano. A French-Italian hybrid appetizer baked to golden perfection.

Pop the Cork Pasta Crunch: deep fried corkscrew macaroni tossed in Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and garlic salt. A crispy, addictive party snack or appetizer.

Marinated shrimp kabobs with picante sauce and Italian dressing, threaded with broccoli florets and cherry tomatoes. A make-ahead cocktail appetizer with three-color visual punch.

Scampi Principessa with butterflied shrimp poached in white wine, flambéed with aquavit, then served in cold yogurt sauce. An elegant Italian-Scandinavian appetizer ready in 20 minutes.

Dried tomato crostini with sun-dried and fresh tomatoes, olives, capers, balsamic vinegar, and garlic on toasted baguette. An Italian bruschetta-style appetizer with optional melted cheese.

Parmesan toasts rub Italian bread with raw garlic, drizzle with olive oil, top with parmesan and fleur de sel, then oven-bake until golden. Easiest appetizer going.

Ham and Swiss appetizer pizza on a prebaked Italian bread shell with Dijon mustard and scallions. A 5-ingredient party snack that bakes in under 10 minutes and tastes like a hot ham and cheese sandwich in pizza form.

Mussel and tomato soup: a quick four-ingredient Italian-style seafood soup with garlic, olive oil, plum tomatoes, and fresh mussels. Ready in 40 minutes for a light appetizer or main.

Sausage-stuffed mushrooms: caps filled with hot Italian sausage seasoned with fennel and red pepper, bound with a creamy bechamel, studded with olives and topped with Parmesan, then baked until bubbling and browned. A standout party appetizer.