Italian Appetizer Recipes

Food is a celebration, but Italian food is more of a celebration. It is a celebration of life, family and friends. Italian cuisine is a combination of various sauces, meat, seafood, and pastas. There are a lot of variations which can be made to whip up some great appetizers using basic Italian cooking knowledge. The beauty of Italian food is that most of the recipes do not take very long to be made and the sauces can be used in other foods as well. Some of the Italian sauces have become my all time favorite and I use them while making dishes from various cuisines, however, they all taste different nevertheless. It's time for some appetizer recipes.

Best Italian Appetizer Recipes

These recipes can be used to make appetizers for a party as well. It will depend on the number of people you have invited over for the party. If the number is large, then you will have to make appropriate changes to the recipe, so that it does not become cumbersome to be made for the party.

Bruschetta with Double Tomatoes
Bruschetta is one of the well-known and easy to make Italian appetizer. Since there is a huge variety in them, a number of permutations and combinations can be carried out with them, and this makes them a favorite with a number of people.

Ingredients

• Plum Tomatoes (chopped) 6
• Sun Dried Tomatoes (packed in oil) ½ cup
• Garlic (minced) 3 cloves
• Olive Oil ¼ cup
• Balsamic Vinegar 2 tablespoons
• Fresh Basil (without the stem) ¼ cup
• Salt ¼ teaspoon
• Ground Black Pepper ¼ teaspoon
• French Baguette 1
• Mozzarella Cheese (shredded) 2 cups

Method

• Preheat the oven on broiler setting, till you do the other preparations.
• Combine plump tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt and pepper in a bowl.
• Let the mixture sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Till then cut the baguette into ¾ inch slices and arrange them on a baking sheet in a single layer.
• Broil the baguette for 1 to 2 minutes, till slightly brown.
• Divide the tomato mixture evenly and spread it over the baguette slices.
• Top it with mozzarella cheese and broil till the cheese melts.

Italian Stuffed Mushroom Recipe
These little stuffed mushrooms are a great appetizer for parties, but make sure you make them in sufficient quantities, as they go fast. The quantity mentioned in this stuffed mushroom recipe is sufficient for a family of four.

Ingredients

• Baby Mushrooms 12
• Hot Italian Sausage 1 pound
• Long Green Onions (finely chopped) 1 bunch
• Garlic (chopped) 1 clove
• Olive Oil 2 tablespoons
• Prosciutto (finely chopped) 4 slices
• Plum Tomatoes 3
• Seasoned Bread Crumbs ¼ cup
• Parmesan Cheese (grated) ¼ cup
• Mozzarella Cheese (shredded) ¼ cup
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

• Carefully remove the stem from the mushrooms and chop fine.
• Toss them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Sauté stems, onions, garlic and prosciutto for about a minute with the remaining oil.
• Add sausage and cook as you break the sausage into little pieces.
• Drain the mixture and let it cool.
• Now stir in tomatoes, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper.
• Stuff the mushrooms with the mixture and top it with mozzarella cheese.
• Place the mushrooms on a baking sheet and broil for about 5 minutes, but be careful you do not burn the tops.

Italian Dip Recipes

Italian food is famous for its dips. There are many dips which you can use for various occasions or also simply with bread.

Mushroom Dip
This dip is very easy to make and can be made at short notice as well. I will not recommend making it in advance, as it may not taste the same.

Ingredients

• Olive Oil 2 tablespoons
• Butter 2 tablespoons
• Yellow Onions (finely chopped) 2
• Green Onions (finely chopped) 2
• Mushrooms (sliced) 16 oz
• Gorgonzola Cheese (crumbled) ½ cup
• Red Pepper Flakes

Method

• In a sauce pan heat butter and oil together.
• Add chopped onions to the saucepan and let the onions cook till they are brown in color.
• Then reduce the heat and add in chopped mushrooms and cook till the mushrooms become tender.
• Last add cheese and red pepper flakes and let it cook, till the cheese is dissolved.
• Remove from heat and serve with bread or pizza, etc.

Eggplant Dip
Although a simple recipe, it is the cooking time in this recipe which bothers a lot of people, but once you have tried it, you will keep coming back to the recipe again and again.

Ingredients

• Eggplant 1
• Tomatoes 2
• Salt 1½ teaspoon
• Italian Seasoning 2 teaspoons
• Onion Powder 1 teaspoon
• Garlic Powder ¼ teaspoon
• Olive Oil 2 tablespoons
• Lemon Juice 1 tablespoon
• Black Pepper to taste

Method

• While you trim the stem portion of the eggplant and prick it with a fork in several places, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Place the eggplant on a foil lined pan and let it bake for 20 minutes.
• In the mean time, prick the tomatoes with a fork and place them in the same baking dish with the eggplant.
• Bake for about 10 minutes, till the tomatoes and eggplant are tender.
• Remove from the oven and let it cool.
• In a blender, blend all the ingredients, till pureed.
• Chill the puree and serve as a dip for crackers or cut up vegetables.

These are just some of the many Italian appetizer recipes. You can change some of the ingredients as per your choice. I hope you enjoy these appetizers.