16 antipasto recipes

Eat heartily, accompanied by much loud Italian conversation. In fact, I typed this accompanied by much loud Italian conversation. My parents were here, and both were shouting instructions over my shoulder. They disagreed about the arrangement of the lettuce - my mother said that the hole in the middle of the platter was necessary; my father insisted that it wasn't, saying you can just dump the tuna on top of the lettuce. I finally had to give up on this reply until they went home. So now, in the peace and quiet of the aftermath, I've finished it. Hope you had a wonderful holiday.

One-pot Italian rice cooked in tomato juice with artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives finished with Parmesan for a flavorful Mediterranean side dish.

Fresh Italian antipasto salad with marinated mushrooms and artichokes over crisp vegetables drizzled with balsamic herb dressing for a light, impressive no-cook meal.

Classic Italian antipasti platter with roasted red peppers, marinated vegetables, olives, and Parmesan served with crusty bread for an elegant no-cook appetizer.

Refrigerator pickled mushrooms: button caps simmered to firmness then jarred in a sweet-tart vinegar marinade with peppercorns and bay leaves. Eastern European style for canapes, salads, and antipasto.

Pickled cauliflower with pearl onions in a tangy mustard-seed brine. Crunchy, bright, and fiery from a single red chili. A classic canning recipe perfect for antipasto plates.

Lemon macerated okra with Kalamata olives, garlic, bay, and thyme. Raw okra pods marinate in lemon juice and olive oil for 2 to 3 days, turning into a tangy Mediterranean antipasto snack.

Marinated eggplant in olive oil: salt-pressed, vinegar-soaked strips layered with garlic, oregano, and chile in extra-virgin oil. An Italian antipasto that gets better for months.

Concia is a Roman Jewish dish of fried zucchini layered with garlic, fresh basil, and white wine vinegar. A make-ahead antipasto that improves overnight.

Garlic marinated olives with lemon, bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns, and sherry. A make-ahead antipasto jar that gets better every day in the fridge.

Pickled string beans: a prize-winning, old-fashioned canning recipe that turns fresh green beans into a sweet-tart, spiced jar staple. Crisp, snappy, and ready for the antipasto platter.

Hot pickled peppers brined overnight in salt water, then water-bath canned in vinegar, sugar, garlic and horseradish brine. Crisp, snappy and shelf-stable for a year of nachos, sandwiches and antipasto plates.

Sicilian eggplant caponata, a sweet-and-sour relish of roasted eggplant, onion, celery, tomato, capers, and raisins. Vegetarian, low-fat, and a classic Mediterranean antipasto.

Italian antipasto tray assembly with rolled salami and cream cheese pinwheels, cherry tomatoes stuffed with horseradish-spiked tuna, olives, and cold cuts. A classic party platter roadmap.

Crunchy Italian taralli made with white wine and cracked peppercorns. These boiled-then-baked bread rings from Southern Italy are the ultimate snack for antipasto boards and wine night.

Italian tomato and anchovy antipasto with ripe tomato wedges draped with anchovy fillets, dressed in anchovy oil, lemon juice, and fresh oregano. Simple, no-cook, and bursting with umami.