Antipasto and Salads - Italian Recipes

Antipasto - antipasti

Antipasto - antipasti in the plural - literally means 'before the pasta'. It consists of a varied combination of foods, and should be colourful and served cold.

Two of the most popular Italian ingredients of the antipasti are melon or tomatoes, accompanied by raw ham (prosciutto) that has been cut into very thin slices. Italian varieties of lettuce, such as the slightly bitter endives or rocket, or other green leaves, such as the aniseed-tasting fennel, are usually used as a garnish, placed around the edges of the serving dish. Salami, mortadella, coppa and zampone (meaning big leg) are manufactured meat products common in antipasti.

The look of food, as well as the taste, is important to Italians. For example, salami is reddish and provides a good contrast to the green lettuce. Fish may also be included, especially highly salted anchovies or sardines, served with slices of roasted red capsicum, sometimes in a cold sauce (pepperonata) or chopped garlic.

Some other seafoods may also be used in antipasti and, of course, olives (black, green or capsicum-stuffed) and artichokes are also common servings, as are mushrooms (funghi) seasoned with salt, pepper and lemon juice

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Eggplant parmesan - Melanzana Parmigiano
Bruschetta
	Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 red onions, cut into a small dice Fresh basil leaves (12-15), chiffonade 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar 3 large tomatoes, diced 1 loaf of Italian bread, sliced ¼ cup olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Directions: 1• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté it for 2-3 minutes. 2• Add salt, pepper, and basil and sauté for another minute. 3• Add balsamic vinegar and tomatoes and cook for two minutes. 4• Remove the pan from the heat and add the mozzarella cheese to it. Do not let the cheese melt. 5• Cut the bread slices into 4 pieces and brush them generously with olive oil and bake in 350-degree oven for about five minutes or until golden. 6• Top each slice with a spoonful of the tomato mixture and serve. Serves 6 to 8 people. back to top
	Ingredients: 5 eggplants, cut into 1/4 inch slices salt 1/4 vegetable oil 250 grams ricotta cheese 6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 egg, beaten 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 1 liter pasta sauce Directions 1 Fry egglplant slices to a light brown using vegetable oil. 2 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Mix in egg and basil. 3 In a lasagna baking dish, evenly spread spaghetti sauce. Arrange a single layer of eggplant slices on top of the sauce. Top the eggplant with 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layering process until all the eggplant and cheese mixture is used. Pour remaining sauce on top of layers, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. 5 Bake 30 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until sauce is bubbly. back to top
	Fried calamari - Calamari fritti
	Ingredients: 3 lbs. squid-cleaned, and cut into rings oil for frying 1 cup of flour salt lemon wedges Description: Heat 1 inch of oil in a deep skillet/dip calamari in flour, and shake off excess/fry until golden,drain on paper towels and serve with lemon wedges back to top
	Rice balls - Arangini with ricotta
	Ingredients: 1 container ricotta (325 grams) 500 grams of rice 1 cup of grated cheese romano or parmesan 3 eggs 1 cup breadcrumbs parsley basil black pepper vegetable oil for frying Description: Cook rice until tender. Drain and rinse. Pour rice in a large bowl and add eggs, ricotta, cheese, parsley, basil, black pepper and a little salt. Mix well. Take rice mixture in your hands (a little bigger thant he size of a golf ball) and form into ball. Roll in breadcrumbs and put aside. Heat oil and fry rice balls until a golden brown. Remove and put on paper towel. Serve after cooling for 10 minutes. back to top
	Stuffed peppers
	Ingredients: 1• 4 large green or red peppers 2• 1 onion, chopped 3• 1/2 cup celery, chopped 4• 1 cup. cooked rice 5• 1/2 lb. ground beef, browned 6• 2 slices white loaf bread, moistened with water 7• 2 eggs, slightly beaten 8• 8 ounces tomato sauce Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds with table spoon out of peppers. In a pan with a little oil cook chopped onions, celery, and browned beef until vegetables are done. Add rice, moistened bread (remove crust) and egg. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stuff peppers and place in a greased broiling pan. Sprinkle with tomato sauce and bake until shells are done, but don't over cook.