The Ultimate Antipasto Platter

One of our favorite starters to serve is The Ultimate Antipasto Platter. This impressive platter has something for everyone..roasted vegetables, cheeses, meats, marinated vegetables, and a lot of variety and taste. And it makes a beautiful presentation and who doesn’t like to ogle over a giant platter of delicious bites?

When I entertain a large group of friends for Pasta night, you bet this is going to be on the table. It’s non-negotiable. It is the perfect way to start the conversation with a glass of wine, or a cocktail. And everyone has their favorites! My favorite antipasti are the red cherry peppers, the olives, and of course cheese. Half of the fun of serving this is building the platter and finding the perfect assortment of antipasti to serve. My first dabbling into Antipasto was when we lived on the East Coast living in Massachusetts and being around incredible Italian American restaurants. Various forms of Antipasti or Antipasto were often on menus. My husband and I have always entertained. When we were young, there were many beer parties and as we got older, our tastes also matured as did our palate. This Ultimate Antipasto platter has evolved over the years and I suspect will continue to do so as other ingredients become more available.

Best ingredients for an epic Antipasto platter

When I make The Ultimate Antipasto Platter, I try to find as much variety as possible. What is definite though is the trifecta of meats, cheeses, and lots of veggies. I grill or roast my vegetables first and use my recipe for Balsamic Grilled Vegetables – 3 WAYS or my Simple Balsamic Roasted Vegetables. This is always my base for the platter and from there, I build it out. If you don’t have time to grill or roast vegetables, feel free to buy frozen or from a good Italian deli.

Cheeses

I suggest buying three cheeses. In this Antipasto platter, we opted for marinated fresh mozzarella balls or Ciliegine. This size of fresh mozzarella is also available marinated with spices in olive oil and either is perfect. These are perfect bite-size. Next, I like thinly sliced Smoked Mozzarella. It’s creamy, slightly smokey, and a perfect complement to the other flavors happening on this incredible platter. Third I suggest a rolled mozzarella and salami also sliced thinly.

• Rolled mozzarella cheese with salami, 8-ounce package
• Smoked mozzarella, 8-ounce package
• Marinated mozzarella balls, 8-ounce package

Meats

So no Antipasto platter goes without a little meat in it. I add smaller amounts of meats in my platters and more veggies and cheeses. But make no mistake, I like to add some to the mix. I love a spicy Calabrese Salami. It’s salty and spicy. Feel free to substitute regular Salami. I do recommend Genoa or Soppressata. Next on the list is Prosciutto which is also salty, but light in texture and flavor. Think of ham but paper thin and the flavor refined. Lastly, Capocollo leans more towards prosciutto rather than a salami.

• Calabrese salami, 3 ounces
• Capocollo, 3 ounces
• Prosciutto, 3 ounces

Vegetables

The vegetables are the best part of this Antipasto platter. Much of the vegetable part is purchased ready to serve like Red cherry peppers, Grilled marinated artichokes, Italian giardiniera (pickled cauliflower, carrots celery, and peppers), and Roasted red peppers if you choose so.

• Red cherry peppers – 8 pieces
• Grilled, marinated artichokes – 8 pieces
• Olive mix – Bella di Cerignola, Nocellara, Leccino, or any Italian olives that you prefer – 1 cup
• Italian giardiniera – 1 cup
• Roasted red peppers, cut into strips (homemade or store-bought) – 1 1/2 cups

Vegetables part 2

• Balsamic roasted eggplant + zucchini – my recipe or store-bought frozen or from a good deli. – 3 cups
• Pan roasted mushrooms – saute 8 ounces of cleaned mushrooms with one clove of sliced garlic. Add oil to a pan, add mushrooms and sauté. Add 1/4 cup of dry white wine or water and cook until wine or water evaporates. Add extra virgin olive oil as needed. Pan roast for about 10 more minutes until tender. Remove from heat. These pan-roasted mushrooms can be served warm or at room temperature.

Best place to shop for ingredients

The best places to shop for The Ultimate Antipasto Platter ingredients are deli sections of grocery stores and condiment aisles where you find pickles and olives. Keep an eye for the upper shelves and lower shelves where sometimes smaller brands are hiding…often the best stuff is found there! Of course, if you have access to a gourmet food shop or Italian grocer double bonus because it will be a one-stop shop. Other places that sometimes have hidden treasures are discount stores like Home Goods which have rows upon rows of interesting food items. Another great option is Trader Joe’s if you have one in your city and of course, Whole Foods and the like.

How to make an Antipasto platter

I recommend using a very large platter for the antipasto platter. The one pictured is 14 inches by 18 inches. It’s the size of a turkey platter. I like to arrange my roasted vegetables first. I like to place items that have a little more moisture in tiny bowls amongst the meats, cheese, and vegetables.

How to estimate servings

These platters can vary in size and volume. A platter this size will serve 6-8 people comfortably as a single starter. If you have other starters, you can stretch this a bit more.

How to serve

I serve my Ultimate Antipasto Platter with Grissini and Crostini. Grissini are thin breadsticks that are crisp, dry-baked bread. They are the perfect balance between all the savory bites. Serve with some crostini which are toasted or grilled sliced bread with a little olive oil. In addition, have good quality dipping olive oil and extra aged Balsamic vinegar for those who like a little extra drizzle of oil and vinegar. Preferably don’t serve large portions of bread with the antipasto platter. I serve just enough to nibble on with the meats, cheeses, and assorted vegetables.

Do you have leftovers?

Rarely, yes, you have leftover ingredients. A few extra pieces of cheese, meats, and some vegetables. Well when I worked on this post, we did too. Enter the Chopped Antipasto Salad with a simple Balsamic dressing that works seamlessly with these leftovers. I also have this Hearts Salad with Prosciutto that would be perfect!

Enjoy!

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