25 Easy Italian AppetizersPHOTO: ANTONIS ACHILLEOS; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE
You know what’s missing from your Italian dinner? A killer appetizer. No matter what type of occasion you’re having, don’t let the pasta, pizza, or prosciutto on your plate be the only Italian food you’re enjoying. Instead, start the gastronomical delights early by preparing one of these 25 Italian appetizers to go along with your meal too. Buon appetito!
While the pizza is baking (or the pasta is boiling), whet your appetite with the best flavors of Italy. In truth, so many Italian mainstays (like tomatoes, mozzarella, and prosciutto) need very little embellishment to become appetizer-ready, but we’ve got a few clever spins that make these classic combos something magical. Arrange a few of these before you dig in at dinner (or maybe even during an aperitivo hour), and you’ll have an excellent Italian feast on your hands. Now you’ve got the beginning of your meal down, don’t forget about the end! Check out our favorite Italian desserts guaranteed to end (or start, no judgment from us!) your meal with a “chef’s kiss.”
Parmesan Tortellini Bites
As far as stuffed pasta goes, tortellini is highly versatile, convenient, and—the best part—filled with cheese. You may have heard of toasted ravioli, but these crispy Parmesan tortellini bites will soon become your new favorite appetizer.
Get the Parmesan Tortellini Bites recipe.
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON
Melon Prosciutto Skewers
If you haven’t experienced the flavor combo of prosciutto + melon, get on it STAT. It’s the ultimate in sweet and salty.
Get the Melon Prosciutto Skewers recipe.
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: BARRETT WASHBURNE
Carbonara Deviled Eggs
If deviled eggs had a classy Italian cousin, she would be these carbonara deviled eggs. Loaded with cheese and topped with crispy pancetta bits, these carbonara deviled eggs are coming to rock whatever party they join.
Get the Carbonara Deviled Eggs recipe.
PHOTO: LINDA PUGLIESE; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE
Garlic Bread
Our top tips for homemade garlic bread? Keep it simple, and use plenty of garlic. All you need are a handful of staple ingredients and less than 30 minutes to create this herby, garlicky side to complete all of your pasta dinners right at home.
Get the Garlic Bread recipe.
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE
Meatball Parm Skewers
We’re turning the classic meatball Parm sandwich bite-sized with homemade meatballs, marinara, melty mozzarella, and fresh basil all in one perfect bite.
Get the Meatball Parm Skewers recipe.
PHOTO: MURRAY HALL; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER
Bruschetta
Easy to throw together and made up of simple, classic ingredients, bruschetta was made for chill warm weather snacking. While you can make it all year round, the best time to enjoy this appetizer is summer, when fresh tomatoes are at their peak.
Get the Bruschetta recipe.
Hearst Owned
Bagna Cauda
Looking for a fancy last-minute appetizer? Look no further than bagna cauda, an Italian dip that comes together in just 20 minutes with only 6 ingredients (including what you pair it with for dipping). It’s a buttery sauce made from lots of garlic and anchovies (stick with us), that somehow work together to create a dip that’s a little pungent, a little sweet, and will keep you coming back for more.
Get the Bagna Cauda recipe.
PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER PHOTOGRAPHY; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER
Baked Caprese Bites
While we love our Caprese skewers, we decided to use one of our favorite store-bought ingredients (puff pastry, of course) to transform these classic flavors into a new, poppable app: baked Caprese bites.
Get the Baked Caprese Bites recipe.
PHOTO: ANTONIS ACHILLEOS; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE
Air Fryer Cacio E Pepe Arancini
Dishes that can transform humble leftovers into a mind-blowing appetizer will always have a place in our heart, and this cacio e pepe arancini is no different. These air-fried bites turn yesterday’s risotto into today’s crispy, cheesy, peppery snack. Whether you choose to dunk them in marinara or garlicky basil pesto, you’ll keep coming back for “just one more.”
Get the Air Fryer Cacio E Pepe Arancini recipe.
PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON
Antipasto Bites
Fresh tortellini make these the hearty bite-size appetizer of our dreams. Feel free to swap in and out your favorite ingredients (or have guests build their own from a topping bar!).
Get the Antipasto Bites recipe.
Erik bernstein
Sheet-Pan Panzanella
Rather than toast the bread cubes on their own for this summery salad, you’ll roast them alongside all the veg. The tomatoes burst as they roast, mixing their juices with the bread and fresh arugula. The combination ends up tasting like pizza. Yum!
Get the Sheet-Pan Panzanella recipe.
ANDREW BUI
Gazpacho With Burrata
Creamy burrata on top of a tomato and basil gazpacho is the most refreshing no-cook summer app we can imagine. Some gazpacho has bread in it for added texture, but for this version, we liked the idea of serving toasted bread alongside to dip into the soup and spread the burrata on.
Get the Gazpacho With Burrata recipe.
RACHEL VANNI
Fried Gnocchi Bites
Warning: Once you take a bite of these crispy gnocchi, you may never stop! These crunchy, little, pillowy bites are absolute perfection and an excellent bite-sized appetizer to serve at any type of holiday gathering.
Get the Fried Gnocchi Bites recipe.
PHOTO: BRYAN GARDNER; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON
Crispy Fried Calamari
Fried calamari doesn’t have to be reserved for beachfront restaurants. It’s easy to make at home and comes out extra-crispy and crunchy. A squeeze of lemon juice and fresh marinara and you’re ready to go. After you master this, give fish and chips a go!
Get the Crispy Fried Calamari recipe.
Andrew bui
Caprese Salad
This is one of our favorite ways to show off those juicy, in-season farmer’s market tomatoes, by complementing them with fresh basil and creamy mozzarella.
Get the Caprese Salad recipe.
PHOTO: JOSEPH DE LEO; FOOD STYLING: TAYLOR ANN SPENCER
Burrata Salad
Think of burrata salad as Caprese salad’s fancy cousin. Peak-summer tomatoes are topped with this luscious cheese (think a shell of mozzarella filled with a soft, creamy filling) and garnished with a shower of peppery basil leaves and savory chives. 😍
Get the Burrata Salad recipe.
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON
Focaccia Bread
All you need is a little patience (and a LOT of olive oil), and you can create the classic crackly-on-the-outside, soft-and-pillowy-on-the-inside-texture that’s synonymous with the Italian flatbread.
Get the Focaccia Bread recipe.
PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE
Summer Panzanella
Panzanella is one that you want to make in peak season—when the tomatoes are extra juicy, the squash slightly sweet, and the basil extra cheap. To give this classic Italian dish more flavor, we grill the bread, zucchini, and onion until charred, then toss those with the remaining ingredients.
Get the Summer Panzanella recipe.
ANDREW BUI
Garlic-Rosemary Marinated White Beans
Whether you make these beans as a healthy side or appetizer for toast, these marinated beans will be a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Get the Garlic-Rosemary Marinated White Beans recipe.
Erik Bernstein – Hearst Owned
Caponata
Five cups of this classic Sicilian dish may seem like a lot, but when you realize it is the perfect summer condiment, toast-topper, pasta mix-in, and poultry and seafood accompaniment (among many other things), you’ll be wishing you made double.
Get the Caponata recipe.
Andrew bui
Caprese Bites
This is the easiest appetizer that always wins, particularly when you make your own balsamic glaze. What can’t Caprese flavors do?
Get the Caprese Bites recipe.
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE
Toasted Ravioli
Breaded and fried, it’s so fun to eat ravioli with your hands and dipping it in plenty of marinara. Bonus! Toasted ravioli works in the air fryer too, meaning you can skip all of the oil for an even more perfect appetizer.
Get the Toasted Ravioli recipe.
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON
Olive & Fig Tapenade
This one skips the fish and instead combines olives with figs and balsamic vinegar for a fabulous combination of sweet, salty, and tangy notes that will keep you coming back, bite after bite.
Get the Olive & Fig Tapenade recipe.
PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER PHOTOGRAPHY; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON
Arancini, 3 Ways
The Italian dish is prepared by forming cooled risotto into balls, filling them with some sort of filling (typically cheesy!), then breading and deep-frying them into golden, crispy perfection. We’ve got three different flavor options here, but our fave for spring is pesto provolone!
Get the Arancini, 3 Ways recipe.
Lucy schaeffer
Winter Rainbow Panzanella Salad
This rainbow salad is packed with in-season veggies, crunchy sourdough croutons, and coated in a tangy grapefruit vinaigrette, making it the perfect way to brighten a bleak winter day. It’s time to toss the tomatoes and cucumbers (for now) and fall in love with beets and squash instead.
Get the Winter Rainbow Panzanella Salad recipe.
PHOTO: KATE JORDAN; FOOD STYLING: BROOKE CAISON
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