Italian Appetizers

When one talks about Italian appetizers, there is a huge range and variety. I guess such a huge variety of dishes in the appetizer section is only available in the Italian cuisine. There are the antipasto dishes, salads, herbal breads, etc. from which one can choose to make an Italian appetizer. As a matter of fact, Italian cuisine is also known for a wide variety of sauces it has to offer. One can make use of these sauces as salad dressings as well. You can make use of the Italian appetizer ideas to charm people at home. Having said that, we see some Italian appetizer recipes now.

Easy Italian Appetizers

Today's fast paced world, not all of us have the time to make the elaborate recipes. I would say, when there are numerous easy Italian appetizer recipes out there, why would you not want to try them? Let's see the appetizer recipes.

Spaghetti Rolls
This may not be the most healthy recipe, but it is nevertheless counted among good Italian appetizers. This Italian food recipes uses spaghetti (doesn't the name suggest that already?) along with potatoes, onions and ginger, chili powder, etc. If you are a vegan, then this is a great Italian appetizer recipe for you.

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked spaghetti
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
• 2 tbsp chopped green chilies
• 1 tbsp red chili powder
• White Sauce
• 1/2 cup cooked potatoes
• 1/4 cup cooked peas
• Salt, according to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Bread crumbs
• Cooking oil (preferably olive oil)

Method

• Put about 1 tsp cooking oil in a pan and heat it.
• Then add onions and sauté them till they are soft and translucent.
• Now add ginger, green chilies, chili powder along with salt and pepper.
• Let the mixture cook for about 3 to 4 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl, add the onion mixture, potatoes, peas, white sauce and cooked spaghetti.
• Mix all the ingredients well.
• Form a roll with the ingredients and roll them in bread crumbs.
• Pour some oil on a skillet and fry the roll till light brown in color.
• Serve the Italian dish hot.

Bruschetta
All of you will agree with me, when I say bruschetta is among the most famous as well one of the authentic Italian appetizers. Once you know how to make bruschetta, you will make and enjoy them regularly.

Ingredients

• Italian bread (cut into slices of 1 inch thickness)
• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh basil, chopped
• 2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
• ½ sweet onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
• ¼ cup mozzarella cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp virgin olive oil

Method

• Heat the oven to 400º Fahrenheit.
• In a mixing bowl, combine chopped tomatoes, onion, oregano, parsley, basil and olive oil.
• Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and one spoon of the mixture on the slices.
• Now sprinkle grated cheese and bake the bread in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes.
• Check the bottom of the slices to know, if bruschetta is ready.
• When the bruschetta is ready, let it stand for 5 to 7 minutes, before you serve it.

Antipasto Appetizer Salad
The antipasto appetizer salad is an important part of the Italian recipes. There are different ways of making the Italian pasta salad. However, now we will see the antipasto appetizer salad, which is a cold appetizer.

Ingredients

• 16 ounces roasted sweet red pepper strips, drained
• 1 cup grape tomatoes
• 7 1/2 ounces marinated quartered artichoke hearts, undrained
• 7 ounces pimiento-stuffed olives, drained
• 6 ounces pitted ripe olives, drained
• 1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, cubed
• Romaine lettuce, torn
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• Pepper to taste

Method

• In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients other than the lettuce.
• Place the mixing bowl in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 to 5 hours.
• Add torn lettuce to the mixture and serve.

These were some of the Italian appetizers, which you may want to try. From the appetizers mentioned above, I am sure you now know, that they are not necessarily unhealthy. You can certainly enjoy some great appetizers without having to worry about the calories.