I have to confess that making an Italian Antipasto Platter always makes me happy because it usually marks some type of celebration, even sometimes a small one. For many years, an Italian Antipasto Platter marked the beginning of our weekend, when Rob would arrive home from his weekly commute to Saudi Arabia. While that commute is no longer part of our lives, the Italian Antipasto Board is still an important part of our weekend.
This platter recipe will give you some ideas on how to make the perfect antipasto platter, and you will be able to create your own signature Italian board by choosing among some of the suggested ingredients.
WHAT IT ANTIPASTO PLATTER?
In Italian the word antipasto (the singular form of the term) translates to “before the meal” (from the Latin “anti,” or “before,” and “pastus,” or “meal”). Antipasto varies widely depending on the region of Italy. In the area where I grew up is usually a small dish such a cold cur meat from the area or some local cheese from the nearby Dolomites. In Tuscany, crostini are very popluar in Puglia you have burrata and in Rome maybe some fried artichockes.
In general, a traditional antipasti include cheese, cured meats, olives, marinated or pickled vegetables, and bread or crackers. Seafood is usually present if you are on the coast. Fresh vegetables and fruit are often featured too, and they vary according ti the season. Very common is cantaloupe with Prosciutto Crudo in the summer or fava beans with Pecrino in the spring.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ANTIPASTO AND ANTIPASTI?
In Italian Antipasto is the singular form of the word, while antipasti is the plural form. So, for example, if you set out just a small plate of cheese, it’s an antipasto, but if you also include a bowl of olives, a selection of cured meats, and some crackers or breadsticks, they are called collectively antipasti.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS POST
– Everyone loves an appetizer board as it means sharing food and laughter with family and friends.
– This the ultimate antipasto platter to serve all summer long: it is like having Italy on a plate – literally!
– This platter will appeal to vegetarians (cheese), meat-lovers (cold cuts), and vegans (veggies, bruschetta, dips)
WHAT GOES ON AN ITALIAN ANTIPASTO PLATTER
A great board is a combination of tastes, textures and colors. It should have some cheese, some meat, something briny and salty, something sweet, fruits, nuts and an assortment of breads and crackers. And why not a surprise element too? I outlined for you a small description on how to arrange all these ingredients. It is important to remember that there is not a fixed rule here. You can really pick your favorite cheese and meat and create any combination to present an antipasti board with different taste, textures and flavors that will be different every time!
Let’s go by order!
1. ANTIPASTO TRAY or ANTIPASTO BOARD
Your choice of board can reflect something about you or your mood – it can be classic, rustic or modern. Most importantly, it just needs to hold lots of food. Depending on your personal preference, you could choose among a wooden, marble or slate board. I recommend a regular shape, either circular or rectangular, to make it easier to arrange your composition. Make sure you also have the right cheese knives.
In picking the size of your board, keep in mind that your serving sizes will vary based on whether this is the main event or just an aperitive before the main dinner. If this is the main event, go for 2 ozs per person of each cheese and charcuterie. If this is just an aperitive, consider just 1 oz or less per person of each.
If you go instead for a more simple antipasto platter, just use a serving plate of your choice, round or oval are better shape.
2. CHEESE
Italian cheeses for antipasto platter can never miss on that grazing board! In picking your cheese, go for high quality! I suggest you select them from your trusted local deli or cheese shop (“latteria”, as we call it in Italian). So no processed cheese here, please!
I recommend having at least 3 different types of cheese, with 5 being the ideal number. But of course you can go for more depending on the number of guests.
You should also pick cheese made from different types of milk (cow, goat and sheep).
Most important is to focus on a variety of textures. There are generally 5 textures of cheese, which I list below along with some Italian examples of each:
Soft: for the most delicate and creamy flavors on your board, choose among Mozzarella ( either cow or buffala), Taleggio, Robiola or Ricotta.
Semi-soft: on to something that is still milky but with a bit more bite, you can consider Asiago Pressato, Fontina, Caciotta or Scamorza.
Semi-hard: moving now to cheeses that are more aromatic and have even stronger flavors, consider Pecorino, Truffled Pecorino (Moliterino), Provolone or Caciocavallo.
Hard: finally we reach the sharpest flavors on the board – what about choosing among Asiago Stagionato, Grana, Parmesan, or Piave Stravecchio?
Blue: and of course we must include the unique pungent flavors – pick among Gorgonzola Dolce, Gorgonzola Piccante, Monteblu, or CastelMagno
If you go for 3 varieties, choose one soft or semi-soft, one hard or semi-hard and one blue. If instead you go for 5 cheeses, pick one from each group.
3. CHARCUTERIE
A great Italian Antipasto Platter definitely calls for tasty charcuterie! An Italian meat platter should offer a variety of cold cuts, and it will be reflective of a specific area, since every region has its own star charcuterie. A good tasting starts with 3-5 cold cuts so that you can enjoy a variety of tastes and textures.
Mild: These are typically the most popular charcuterie and are particularly famous from the regions of northern Italy – Emilia Romagna, Friuli and Veneto. Prosciutto Crudo di Parma, Prosciutto San Daniele, Soppressa, Mortadella and Prosciutto Cotto are all great choices.
Intermediate: This group includes charcuterie that have a more distinct flavor, either smoky (like Speck) or spicy (like Nduja).
Bold: Finally you can include some charcuterie that has a very strong flavor, like the salty Bresaola or the sublime Truffled Salami.
4. THE SIDEKICKS
You will need some accompaniments to add a touch of color and to enhance the tasting experience. Here are some of my antipasto platter ideas.
Salty and briny: Think about Italian Olives, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Marinated Artichokes hearts, Mushroom in Oil and Pickles.
Sweet: Homemade jams are great (peach, strawberry or fig), as well as honey. Fancy something different? Try Italian Mostarda, which consists of chunks of fruit in a sweet-mustardy-spicy jelly. It is great with semi-soft and semi-hard cheeses.
Fruit and Veggies: We need a bit of crunch and freshness. For fruits, consider pears, grapes, apples or strawberries. For veggies, go for carrots, celery, cucumbers or peppers.
Nuts: Walnuts, pistacchios and hazelnuts are the most popular Italian nuts.
Breads: Include a variety of breads and crackers, such as a focaccia, ciabatta bread or a sliced baguette. Flavored and crackers are a great choice too. In Italy, we usually have taralli and bibanesi – these are 2 amazing EVOO crackers and if you can find them I highly recommend them! Or go for
5. THE SURPRISE ELEMENTS
If you want to add a pop to your board, consider adding one of the classic Italian antipasto recipes from my previous posts. For something fresh: try the Bruschetta. For something warm: go for the Easy Italian Meatballs. If you fancy something crunchy: pick Arancini or Olive Ascolane. And for something spicy: make a Red Pepper Pesto.
How to arrange the ingredients on the board
Start by placing all the small cups on the antipasto tray that will contain jam, olives and briny ingredients. In case you have a surprise element, find an appropriate place too. I chose olives, mostarda, artichokes hearts and sun-dried tomatoes. The surprise element is the Tomatoes Bruschetta.
Then arrange the different cheeses starting clockwise from the soft, which in my case is Mozzarella. Then add the semi-soft – I went with Asiago Dolce, a typical Venetian cheese aged for a bit more than a month. Continue with the semi-hard cheese – here I selected a tasty Moliterino, which is an aromatized truffled Percorino. Next add the hard cheese – I chose Parmesan, as it is probably the most popular. And finish with the boldest flavor, in this case I picked the Gorgonzola Dolce.
Then arrange the charcuterie. I chose a Crudo Ham from Friuli region called Crudo di San Daniele, a Venetian salami called Soppressa and some luscious Mortadella with Pistachios, Rob’s favorite.
Now we fill the empty spots. I used some carrot sticks, grapes and walnuts. And finally, bread, olives crackers and taralli, a typical cracker from Puglia.
Italian Antipasto Platter wine pairing
An aperitive such as Aperol Spritz or Negroni Sbagliato will always pair well with the Italian Antipasto Platter. However, if you want to experience the platter with a wine pairing, I suggest the following 2 simple rules.
Rule #1: consider at least 3 different wines – sparkling wine, light white wines, and light and fruity red wines will pair more or less with every food.
Rule #2: If instead, your platter has bolder flavors (think about blue cheese, aged Parmesan and spicy charcuterie) then go for bolder wines.
The board I create here has 5 cheeses and 3 charcuteries. I would therefore consider 3 wines that go well with the selection:
Prosecco: a sparkling from my home in Veneto region, with fruity notes and acidity that will counterbalance the saltiness and the fat of the cheese and charcuterie.
Barbera d’Asti: a light red from the Piemonte region that pairs well with harder cheeses and as well the charcuterie.
Moscato d’Asti: a sparkling sweet wine from the Piemonte region whose fruity and orange blossom notes will enhance the Gorgonzola pairing.
Ingredients
- 2 oz Crudo Ham sliced
- 2 oz Mortadella sliced
- 2 oz Soppressa sliced
- 2 oz Parmesan sliced
- 3 oz Mozzarella
- 2 oz Asiago sliced
- 2 oz Gorgonzola sliced
- 2 oz Moliterino sliced
- ½ cup olives
- ½ cup olives
- ¾ cup artichokkes heart
- ½ cup tomatoes
- ⅓ tbsp mostarda
- 3 oz crackers
- 3 oz baguette
- 3 oz taralli
- 4 unit Bruschetta with Tomatoes
Instructions
- Start by placing on the board all the small cups that will contain the briny ingredients and the jelly: olives, artichokes hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and mostarda.
- Arrange the Tomatoes Bruschettas
- Arrange then the cheese starting clockwise from the mozzarella, then the Asiago Pressato, then the Truffled Pecorino, Parmesan and to end the sharpest one, the Gorgonzola.
- Place now the charcuterie: Crudo di San Daniele, Venetian Soppressa and Mortadella with Pistachios.
- Then use carrots' sticks, grapes, walnuts to fill the empty spots closer to the cheese and charcuteries. Lastly add bread, olives crackers and taralli.
Nutrition
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