Easy Italian Appetizers

There’s nothing like Italian appetizers to start off a sumptuous Italian meal. From farinata to bruschetta, here are some easy Italian appetizers to please your guests with.

Farinata

3 3/4 cups of water
2 1/3 cups of chickpea flour
1 onion, medium
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
A big pinch of pepper

Pour the water into a bowl and then gradually add the chickpea flour. Mix this using a wire whisk, and then add salt into it and allow it to stand for 4 hours at room temperature or overnight. Remove any foam that forms on the top. Then, grease a 16-inch by 12-inch baking pan with oil, and then add 2 more tablespoons of oil into it. Next, put the chickpea mixture into it, using a fork to mix it and the oil well. Sprinkle the top with pepper. Then, cut the onion into thin slices. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and add the onion into it, cooking it for around 10 minutes on medium heat. Then heat the oven to 400 degrees, top the farinata with the cooked slices of onion and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. Then, take it out of the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes and then cut into pieces.

Garlicky Sausage Bread

1 loaf of Italian bread, cut into half, lengthwise
1 lb Italian sausage
1 cup strips of red bell pepper, roasted
1 large tomato, sliced
1 8-oz pkg mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/4 cup black olives, sliced
1/4 cup green olives, sliced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 tbsp basil, dried
1/4 tsp oregano, dried
1 tbsp garlic, chopped
2 tbsp red onion, diced
1 pinch black pepper
1 pinch salt

Begin by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat a saucepan and crumble the sausage into it. Cover it and cook, stirring every now and then, until the sausage browns completely. Then, drain it out. Put the bread, crust side down, on a baking sheet. Next, spread the cooked sausages over both the bread halves, evenly. Then, place black olives, green olives, slices of mozzarella, strips of red bell pepper, and tomato slices on each bread half, and bake for about 10 minutes. Then, put the garlic, onion, pepper, salt, basil, oregano, vinegar, and olive oil in a bowl, whisk them together, and drizzle this on the baked halves of bread. Then bake for 5 more minutes, remove from oven, cut the baked bread into 2-inch slices and serve.

Garlicky Bruschetta

2 tomatoes cut into cubes
4 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp basil, dried
2 tbsp olive oil
Black pepper according to taste
Salt according to taste

Mix the cheese, tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, pepper and salt in a bowl. Cover it and refrigerate for eight hours, and then serve.

Sun-Dried Tomato and Chicken Bruschetta

2 chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless
8 sun-dried tomatoes, without oil, chopped
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
4 cups spinach, fresh and shredded
1¼ cups Italian salad dressing, divided
1, 1-lb loaf of focaccia bread, cut into 1/2-inch sized slices
¼ cup olive oil

Put one cup of salad dressing and chicken in a bowl, cover it and refrigerate for about 3 hours to let it marinate. Then, preheat the grill to high heat and oil the grate lightly. Drain out the marinade and grill the chicken on each side for about seven minutes, until the juices begin to run. Next, let it cool and then shred it. Put this cooked chicken along with the rest of the dressing, sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese, and spinach in a bowl. Use the olive oil to brush the slices of bread and put them on the grill and toast them lightly. Put some of the chicken mixture on each of these slices of toasted bread and serve.

Mouth-Watering Meatball Appetizers

½ lb beef, ground
1 lb pork, ground
½ lb Italian sausage, casing removed
½ cup Italian bread crumbs
2 eggs
1/3 cup onions, chopped
2/3 cup mixed Italian cheese, shredded
3 to 4 cloves of garlic, minced
1, 14.5-oz can Italian tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Mix together the cheese, bread crumbs, eggs, and meat in a bowl and set it aside. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and brown the garlic and onion. Add half the can of tomatoes and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Then, let this cool down to room temperature. Next, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the vegetable mixture into the meat mixture and combine both. Grease a baking sheet with one teaspoon of oil. Roll small amounts of the meat mixture into balls in the palms of the hands. Once all of them are made, drizzle the rest of the oil on them and bake for about half an hour. Serve with alfredo or marinara sauce.