Italian Antipasto Platter
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An Italian style antipasto platter loaded with thinly sliced meats, smoked salmon, marinated veggies, crostini and cheeses.
I’m totally convinced this is the ultimate way to entertain you guys!
Hello Super Bowl party at the shack!
The Antipasto platter or “ before the meal “ course might as well be your entree in our home!
Filled with mostly store bought ingredients, like thinly sliced prosciutto wrapped around sea salt grissini, salami, roasted peppers, olives and artichokes. Easy, right?
However, It it perfectly safe to assume I usually roast my own peppers, can’t help it.Â
But you guys can pretty much pick everything up at your favorite Italian Deli and throw it together like a boss before your guests arrive.Â
You’ll need a small food processor to whip up the cheese and make the tapenade. But that will take a total of about 15 minutes while your cast iron griddle is getting hot to grill the bread for crostini.Â
I’d suggest to throw in the mix some seasonal fruit as well: strawberries, melon, figs, peaches, whatever is having a moment.
This is what’s on my platter at the present moment:
- cherry peppers stuffed with whipped herbed goat cheeseÂ
- prosciutto wrapped grissini (bread sticks)
- thinly sliced Calabrese and Capocollo salami
- Sicilian green and black olives
- roasted marinated peppers and artichokesÂ
- smoked wild salmon
- crostiniÂ
- fresh mozzarella and heirloom tomatoesÂ
- whipped ricotta cheeseÂ
- a homemade tapenade with roasted peppers and black olives (recipe follows)
Italian Antipasto Platter
Ingredients
- 8 oz Italian assorted meats: prosciutto, Calabrese Salami, Capocollo, Bresaola
- 6 oz smoked wild salmon
- 8 oz mozzarella di Buffala (drained)
- 16 sticks grissini (bread sticks)
- 1 large heirloom tomato
- 6 oz marinated artichoke hearts (drained)
- 5 oz Sicilian Olives (or your favorite mix)
- 5 oz pepperoncini (drained)
- 5 oz oz roasted peppers (drained)
- 6 oz cherry peppers (drained)
- 1/4 c fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 tspq red pepper flakes
Basic Crostini
- 8 slices baguette
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
Roasted Pepper Olive Tapenade
- 8 oz roasted peppers (drained)
- 6 oz olives (drained)
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic (grated)
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + more if needed
Whipped Goat Cheese
- 6 oz goat cheese
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 c fresh chives
Whipped Ricotta
- 1 c ricotta cheese
- 1 lug olive oil
- zest from 1 lemon
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
Crostini
- Preheat a cast iron griddle and grill the sliced baguette until nice char marks form. Gently rub each one with a garlic clove and brush lightly with olive oil. Set on the board.
Tapenade
- To make the tapenade process the olives with the roasted red peppers, garlic, olive oil and red wine vinegar in a food processor until a rustic texture forms. Adjust seasonings with some sea salt and transfer to a small serving bowl.
Whipped Goat Cheese
- Add the goat cheese olive oil and fresh chives to the bowl of a mini food processor and puree for a couple of minutes until whipped. Using a small spoon stuff cherry peppers with some of the whipped goat cheese. Transfer what’s left to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate together with the peppers until ready to plate.
Whipped Ricotta
- Transfer the ricotta cheese with a lug of olive oil and lemon zest to a food processor and process until fluffy and smooth, about a minute or so.
Plate your Antipasto
- Place your serving platter on top of a large cheese board.
- Start with the olive tapenade bowl, followed by the marinated olives in a small bowl, surrounded by the roasted peppers, pepperoncini and artichoke hearts.
- Spoon dollops of whipped ricotta and whipped goat cheese in between. Gently start tucking slices of the salami, prosciutto and smoked salmon all throughout.
- Slice the mozzarella and tomatoes and layer them with basil slices. Place them on the board continuing the spread away from the main plate.
- Use some of the prosciutto slices to wrap around the grissini and place on the platter.
- Finish the entire spread with a light drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of course sea salt and red pepper flakes. Garnish with more fresh basil.
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