Antipasto Like A Pro: Pinwheels, Kabobs, Salads & More

No Comments | Written on July 5, 2012 at 3:00 pm, by Amy Keyishian

antipasto recipes Raise your hand if you watched too many episodes of The Sopranos and now say “gabagool” and “anny-past’” at unexpected moments. Anyone?

Whoops. Just me?

Oh well. Even if you pronounce it “auntie-pasto,” you know what I’m talking about: Italian appetizers. Literally, “antipasto” means “before the meal,” but if you use the Italian term, people are going to expect certain ingredients: marinated vegetables (or maybe even fruit!), thin slices of cured meat, olives, tomatoes, and toast. And cheese. Lots and lots of cheese. (Cue Homer Simpson drooling noise.)

There’s more to the story, though. You can do what every Italian I’ve ever met does and open jars of artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and beautiful olives, combining them with hearty cheeses on a platter; we have one recipe that gives you a solid, basic layout.

But of course, cooking is all about improvisation, and of the alternate delivery methods for antipasto, we think the pinwheels are the cutest. Looking to marinate it all yourself? You can. You should. And a big jar is involved. Plus, if you’ve never wrapped delicate, lacy ham slices around a piece of melon, well … you don’t know what you’re missing. And you won’t be missing it for long!