What Italian food blog would be complete without an appreciation post for antipasto? While I have posted about bruschetta and pesto, which can 1000% be incorporated into an antipasto plate, I realized I didn’t have any posts about my favorite part of any meal – antipasto!
Antipasto is the first course of every formal and traditional Italian meal. It’s basically just an appetizer that incorporates meats, cheeses, and veggies into one platter. Because it’s like an appetizer, you don’t have to order one when you go out to eat in Italy or at an Italian restaurant. However, I always love being able to snack on something while I’m waiting for the main course.
Antipasti (the plural of antipasto) are so easy to put together and customize. Most antipasti don’t even require any cooking- you just need to put everything together on a plate! It’s super easy to put together if you need to bring food to an event. Sometimes, I’ll even make a mini antipasto to eat for lunch/dinner if I don’t feel like putting something more substantial together.
So, I thought I would write a post about how I make my go-to antipasto! Feel free to have fun with it- use whatever cheeses, meats, and veggies you think will taste best together!
If you’ve read my bruschetta and/or pesto posts, you’ve probably noticed that I love crostini and can always find a reason to make it. You just can’t beat buttery, crunchy bread. So, naturally, I can’t make antipasto without including some crostini.
I started to cut the bread in vertical slices. I tried to slice the bread at a slant so that more of the antipasto goodness could sit on top of the bread.
I then added a tiny bit of butter to each side of each slice and placed it in a hot pan. I just want to brown each side a bit.
While I was waiting for the bread to brown, I started to chop some mini heirloom tomatoes. Because tomatoes were the only veggies I planned to use in this antipasto, I wanted a variety of color. Trader Joe’s sells a really great package of assorted heirloom tomatoes, which is great if you’re looking for a bunch of different colors but don’t want to buy three packages of tomatoes.
Because I was serving the tomatoes with the buttery crostini, I didn’t feel the need to drizzle them in any olive oil. I just sprinkled them with a bit of salt and added them to the plate next to the burrata cheese.
I chose to use burrata for this because it’s one of favorite cheeses ever (and that’s saying a lot coming from someone who literally loves every kind of cheese). It’s basically like mozzarella di bufala (buffalo mozzarella) on steroids. It’s so mild, yet so creamy and OMG so good. If you haven’t tried it, I highly, highly recommend it.
I took the crostini off the stove and added it on the plate along with some prosciutto.
Voilà! A super easy and even more delicious antipasto!!
Cheesin' for Cibo 
Hi Emily, this looks amazing! I love antipasto too and can’t wait to give this a try sometime. Super simple and definitely delicious! This weekend I was really craving pecorino for some reason but alas we don’t have a good Italian deli nearby. I guess I just have to wait until I go home to north Jersey.
LikeLike
Emily, you should seriously consider food blogging full time. Everytime I come to one of your posts I leave hungry (even if I have already had something to eat). You have a way of making everything look delish! The detailed shots really work to your advantage. This is such a simple platter and great for summer get-togethers, I will have to try the burrata cheese. Would love to have some Washington Italian restaurant tips from you, I am looking for new places to try this summer.
LikeLike
Hi Emily! Per usual, this looks delicious. TBH, I never knew was antipasto was…in my head I always thought of it as “anti-pasta”…so like everything but pasta. Glad this post cleared that up for me. I really appreciate the attention to detail you demonstrate in your photos, from the pretty blue plate you used to the different-colored tomatoes. And you plated everything very neatly which was very satisfying. I think the only thing you could have added was a picture of an assembled antipasto, like a piece of crostini with a little of all the toppings on top.
LikeLike
Emily, love this post. I have commented on many of your posts in the past and mentioned that I too studied abroad in Italy this past fall. A great antipasto could always make a meal for me. I still have dreams of some of my favorite antipasti back in Florence. I really liked the the images in this post and will definitely try your recipe. Keep up the great work!
LikeLike
Hi Emily! Beyond the instructions of how to prepare antipasto, I really really appreciate your introduction of what it is, and where we could potentially get the ingredients– it’s extremely helpful for someone who doesn’t know anything about Italian food, or just cooking in general, like me! Hope you’ll continue blogging even after this semester!!
LikeLike