Antipasto
 Antipasti served in a restaurant | |
| Place of origin | Italy |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Any of cured meats, olives, cheese, pickled meats and vegetables (in oil or vinegar), mushrooms, anchovies, artichoke hearts, capers, dried tomatoes, peperoncini |
| Variations | Seafood platter; calamari, mussels, smoked salmon, tuna fish, capers, olives |
An antipasto (From anti- (“prior to, before”) + pasto (“meal”); pl.: antipasti) is the traditional first course of a formal Italian meal.[1] Usually made of bite-size small portions and presented on a platter from which everyone serves themselves, the purpose of antipasti is to stimulate the appetite.[2] Typical ingredients of a traditional antipasto includes cured meats, olives, peperoncini, mushrooms, anchovies, artichoke hearts, various cheeses (such as provolone or mozzarella), pickled meats, and vegetables in oil or vinegar.
The contents of an antipasto vary greatly according to regional cuisine.
Different preparations of saltwater fish and traditional southern cured meats (like soppressata or 'nduja) are popular in the south of Italy.[citation needed] In Campania, antipasto is not necessarily eaten daily. When hosting guests, small portions of dishes not technically considered antipasto are often served, such as ciambotta, or steamed clams flavoured with garlic and parsley. Neapolitan cuisine holds battered, fried foods—croquettes, vegetables, dough—as the ideal antipasto. These are sold at neighbourhood establishments, and are purchased as Campanians return from work. Popular in Neapolitan antipasto are small peppers, preserved in vinegar, usually purchased from the shops rather than making at home. Other pickled vegetables that feature in such antipasto include fennel, eggplant and carrot.[3]
In northern Italy it is common to serve different kinds of cured meats and mushrooms and, especially near lakes, preparations of freshwater fish. The cheeses included also vary significantly between regions and backgrounds, and include hard and soft cheeses.
See also
[edit]
- List of hors d'oeuvre
- List of ancient dishes
- List of Italian dishes
- Italian meal structure
- Cured meat
References
[edit]- ^ "Definition of ANTIPASTO". www.merriam-webster.com. Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on 1 February 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
- ^ "What is Antipasto?". www.thespruceeats.com. The Spruce Eats. 20 September 2022. Archived from the original on 1 February 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
- ^ Schwartz, Arthur (1998). Naples at Table: Cooking in Campania. New York: HarperCollins. pp. 12–14. ISBN 0-06-018261-X.
Further reading
[edit]- Scicolone, Michele (1998). The Antipasto Table. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780880016278. Retrieved April 20, 2012.