90 italian appetizer recipes

Pesto stuffed mushrooms filled with basil pesto, Italian bread crumbs, and horseradish. Serve hot from the oven or cold with pimento for a versatile party 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.

Onion caviar with black-eyed peas, sweet Vidalia onions, green bell pepper, pimentos, and garlic in Italian dressing. A Southern marinated appetizer or side dish, best made overnight.

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.

Quick pita bread pizza topped with pan-fried eggplant, roasted red pepper, pepperoni, and spaghetti sauce. A Greek-meets-Italian snack or appetizer baked in just 5 minutes.

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.

Italian oil-packed tuna blitzed with mascarpone, kalamata olives, capers, anchovy paste, and lemon zest into a luxurious tapenade spread. Pile it on grilled crostini for a cocktail party appetizer that disappears fast.

Sweet cherry peppers stuffed with lemony tuna, capers, and optional anchovy, finished with a balsamic vinegar drizzle. These bite-sized Italian-style appetizers are the life of any New Year's Eve party and ready in under 30 minutes.