23 italian appetizer recipes

Italian asparagus. How to cook asparagus Italian-style. Classic flavor-packed cold marinated asparagus with an onion, caper, lemon and mint dressing. Perfect to make ahead and serve anytime with simple ingredients. It's even vegan and vegetarian.

Insalata verde e rossa, an Italian red and green salad with dandelion leaves, watercress, and radishes in olive oil and red wine vinegar. A bitter greens salad with peppery bite.

Roasted bell pepper rolls stuffed with tuna, capers, and parsley in a lemon-garlic olive oil marinade. An elegant Italian appetizer that can be assembled a day ahead.

Black olive paste (pure di olive nere) blends pitted Italian or French olives with olive oil, lemon, pepper, and bread crumbs. Italian-style spread for crostini, sandwiches, and pasta. Vegan, keeps for weeks.

Fettunta Toscana is Tuscan grilled bread rubbed with raw garlic and topped with fresh tomatoes, basil, and olive oil. The original Italian bruschetta, simple and seasonal.

Italian rice and endive soup with fresh tomatoes, carrots, and basil. A light vegetarian meal ready in 45 minutes, simmered in vegetable stock with curly endive for a pleasantly bitter depth.

A simple and delicious recipe that can be served with pasta, polenta or as a soup!

Focaccia Pugliese made with durum flour and mashed potatoes for a soft, chewy crumb. Topped with fresh tomatoes, capers, oregano, and olive oil.

Broiled polenta crostini topped with a woodsy porcini and fresh mushroom ragout with tomatoes and parsley. Vegetarian Italian comfort food with deep, earthy flavor.

Bread machine focaccia topped with tomato, mozzarella, and prosciutto, finished with fresh basil and Parmesan. Italian appetizer bread, sliceable for sandwiches.

Dive into this easy Italian sausage pizzaiola with vegetables recipe: savory sausage, mushrooms, peppers, and tomatoes stuffed into crispy rolls for a quick dinner. Perfect for beginner cooks seeking authentic Italian sausage sandwich ideas or healthy veggie-packed subs at home. Serves 8 as an appetizer, 4 as a main.

Stuffed baked mussels on the half shell topped with reduced tomato sauce, chiffonade basil, and crisp breadcrumbs. Restaurant-style Italian appetizer in under an hour.

Sicilian caponata with sauteed eggplant, olives, capers, and a sweet-tangy vinegar sauce. A rustic Italian appetizer or side that tastes even better the next day.

Sicilian-style caponata with tender eggplant, olives, capers, and tomatoes in a tangy vinegar sauce. Make it ahead and serve cold as a rustic Italian appetizer.

Prosciutto di Parma with warm fig tartlets drapes salty-sweet prosciutto over individual pastry rounds baked with fresh fig halves. A stunning Italian appetizer for summer or early fall entertaining.

Italian baked clams on the half shell stuffed with herbed bread crumbs, garlic, Romano cheese, basil, oregano, and lemon juice, finished with a splash of white wine. A classic Italian-American appetizer.