The art of antipasti

Today the antipasto course remains fundamental to Italian dining, in large part due to beliefs concerning digestion and the importance of prepping the stomach for foods, and temperatures, to come. (Interestingly, the still-observed habit of serving a small salad at the start of a meal derives from this notion.) While Italians tend to serve their salad course at the close of a meal, their antipasto plates invariably feature different preparations of vegetables: crudo (fresh vegetables sliced like crudités), sott’olio (grilled or roasted vegetables packed in olive oil), or sott’aceto (vegetables pickled in vinegar and spices). In addition to vegetables, a traditional antipasto platter will include an assortment of salumi, cold cuts such as prosciutto crudo, culatello, and salame, together with olives, crostini or fried polenta squares topped with sauces or pâtés, and devilled eggs.

An antipasto course can vary from an abundant and colourful display brimming with Italian delicacies to a simple plate of a few topped crostini and cured meats. Have a look at a few of our favourites as you plan your next multi-course, authentic Italian meal.

These dollops of deep-fried dough, whose name translates to 'cuddles', could well be the ultimate Tuscan comfort food. Served with soft stracchino cheese and slices of prosciutto crudo, coccoli are usually served as an antipasto in Tuscany, though, being on the heavy side, they easily make for a main course or sharing plate.

These stuffed peppers originate in the southern Italian region of Calabria, where chilli peppers and spicy pepper products like ‘nduja figure greatly in local cuisine. To make them, Italians typically use a pepper variety that goes by the commercial name papecchia – small, round peppers that are very red when ripe and have a thick, medium-hot flesh – yet any type of cherry pepper will work as long as they are round and semi-flat in shape.

Hailing from Tuscany and Piedmont respectively, these two traditional, delightfully easy dipping sauces served with raw or cooked vegetables are popular antipasto dishes.

Pinzimonio, from the Italian verb pinzare (‘to pinch’, yet in this context referring to a biting or spicy quality) is a simple blend of best quality extra virgin olive oil and spices. It is served in small, individual dipping saucers or bowls (one for each guest) at the beginning of a meal.

The savoury Piedmontese sauce bagna cauda (‘warm sauce’) owes its punchy quality to garlic and anchovy, relying on small portions of ‘poor’ yet pungent ingredients to flavour a large batch of sauce. To keep the sauce warm, Italians serve bagna cauda in a terra cotta warming stove fitted with an underside opening to hold a votive candle. This sauce is presented communally, for all to share around the table, accompanied by steamed or roasted root vegetables.

This classic antipasto dish is comprised of a variety of seasonal pickled vegetables, flavoured with herbs and spices like bay leaves, rosemary, peppercorns, or garlic cloves. Serve the vegetables on a large antipasto platter together with cold cuts, olives, and cheeses with toothpicks set out for guests to use for tasting.