Antipasto is the first course of a traditional Italian meal. It can be cold or hot and in Italy is often just one dish, like an appetizer. Antipasti misti, an array of shared dishes (like tapas or mezze) can become a meal in itself, a wonderful way to graze, drink and enjoy the company of friends and family. Here are my favourite antipasto recipes.
Broad Bean Bruschetta Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Italian cooking class featuring the food of Liguria! Every meal at Lucio’s Paddington restaurant started with bruschetta, a slice of delicious toasted Italian bread, topped with a mound of something seasonal. I love using tender young broad beans during their short spring season to make […]
Focaccia Join my food & wine tour to Italy to discover more Italian regional specialties! I love authentic focaccia made with a generous amount of olive oil and had such fun working on focaccia recipes for our Month on the Italian Riviera inspired by Lucio Galletto. Lucio uses more water and oil in his recipe […]
Pane Carasau with Rosemary Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Italian cooking class featuring the food of Sardinia! I love Sardinia’s crisp flatbread, called carta di musica or, in dialect, pane carasau – especially the way chef Giovanni Pilu serves it at Pilu at Freshwater. He brushes it with olive oil, sprinkles it with […]
Burratawith Tapenade Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Italian cooking class featuring the food of Southern Italy! I love stretched curd cheeses of every kind – including delicate, creamy burrata, the southern Italian cheese that’s a thin pouch of mozzarella filled with a rich blend of cream and fine strands of stringy fresh curd […]
Radishes with Cultured Butter Like this recipe? You’ll love my online French cooking class featuring the food of Provence! I heard about this way of serving radishes many years ago, but it made no sense. Then one day I was served the most beautiful baby radishes with cultured butter and salt flakes – and it […]
Bruschetta Caprese Join my food & wine tour to Southern Italy to discover more Italian regional specialties! It’s good to eat with the seasons, but occasionally I want a touch of summer year-round – that’s when I call on a few of my favourite things and create this delicious bruschetta Caprese. Windy Hills Farm pots […]
Pan-fried Agrodolce Radicchio Join my food & wine tour to Italy to discover more Italian regional specialties! Radicchio is a wonderfully versatile vegetable. In Italy it’s popular cooked as well as in salads; the cooking softens the bitterness and brings out a touch of sweetness. I often shred it and toss it through pasta with […]
Mushroom Bruschetta Join my food & wine tour to Italy to discover more seasonal Italian specialties! One of the things I loved most about Lucio’s Paddington restaurant was the seasonal bruschetta that always arrived with our aperitivi, a tradition I like to continue at home. In autumn, the crisp air of the Italian hills is […]
Gnocchi Fritti with Salumi Join my Small Group Food & Wine Tours to Emilia-Romagna, Home of Gnocchi Fritti Gnocchi fritti are crisp puffs of deep-fried dough served with salumi all over Emilia-Romagna, they’re also popular in neighbouring Lombardy where they’re called chisolini. If you (or your guests) don’t eat salumi, they’re excellent with smoked salmon […]
Deep-fried Zucchini Flowers Join my food & wine tour to Italy to discover more Italian regional specialties! The best deep-fried zucchini flowers I’ve ever tasted were served at Buon Ricordo. They weren’t filled, just coated in a very light yeasted batter, deep-fried in olive oil and well salted! I used to drive chef-patron Armando Percuoco […]
