Italy is a beautiful country that stretches into five seas. In addition to being known for high fashion and fine music, Italian cuisine is an integral part of the world’s cultural heritage.
Known for their simplicity, Italian chefs guard their recipes and expertise. However, they have shared a few things with the rest of the world. Italian cuisine is the way to go if you are planning a dinner at home for a larger group of people or for that special someone and want to play it safe with the dishes.
There are many specialties in the category of Italian food to make the starter. Whether you’re thinking of preparing Italian bread appetizers or an Italian cheese appetizer, here are a few to bring the spirit of Italy into your home.
Bruschetta as a light starter
Italian bread appetizers may not be the first association when mentioning Italian cuisine, but they are something to pay attention to. If you serve perfectly crispy Italian bruschetta, your guests will have a true feast for the senses.
The Italians are, above all, practical. They often advise that “less is always more,” so you won’t need many ingredients for bruschetta. With some stale bread, herbs, and olive oil, you’ll have a starter worthy of the finest restaurants.
In its simplest form, known as fettunta, those classic Italian bread appetizers consist of a toasted slice of bread, grated garlic, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Today, many variations of bruschetta exist – with tomatoes, pesto, various Italian cheeses, and olives.
Antipasto
The antipasto platter is essentially a starter plate. A few ingredients are fairly standard for every platter. Fresh mozzarella or marinated mozzarella balls are key for this Italian cheese appetizer.
Then come the cured meats, such as delicious mortadella, world-famous prosciutto, and various salamis, which are an indispensable part of this starter.
Alongside this Italian cheese appetizer, you can arrange fresh fruit, olives, and nuts. An antipasto platter pairs perfectly with a white wine from Tuscany.
Caprese salad
This salad is a favorite starter for many. It’s easy to make, and the rich taste of balsamic vinegar against the juicy perfection of tomatoes is simply stunning.
When combined with fresh basil leaves and authentic Italian mozzarella, everyone will enjoy this perfect classic Italian starter.
If you like experimenting, you can create a variation of the classic Caprese salad – Caprese skewers.
This starter is also very simple and quick to make. You’ll only need cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, mini mozzarella balls, and the best balsamic vinegar.
Arrange the ingredients on a wooden skewer and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Your special guest will be delighted by the taste and by your creativity.
The perfect ending
Italian starters are a great choice when preparing the perfect dinner for a special person. Feel free to experiment with suggested starters; there’s no wrong way to assemble them.
All you need are fresh, authentic Italian ingredients paired with a good Tuscan wine, and you’re good to go.
