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.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups, water
• 2 cups, chickpea flour
• 1 onion, medium
• 4 tablespoons, extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon, salt
• A big pinch of pepper

Procedure:

• Pour the water into a bowl and gradually add the chickpea flour.
• Mix this using a wire whisk, and then add salt into it; allow it to stand for 4 hours at room temperature or overnight.
• Remove any foam that forms on the top.

• Then, grease a 16x12'' baking pan with oil, and 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.
• Heat the oven to 400 ºF, top the farinata with the cooked slices of onion and bake for about 20-25 minutes.
• Take it out of the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes and then cut into pieces.

Ingredients:

• 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.) packet, 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 teaspoon, oregano (dried)
• 1 tablespoon, garlic (chopped)
• 2 tablespoons, red onion (diced)
• 1 pinch black pepper
• 1 pinch salt

Preparation:

• Begin by preheating the oven to 400 ºF.
• Heat a saucepan and crumble the sausage into it.
• Cover it and cook, stirring every now and then, until the sausage browns completely and drain it out.
• Put the bread, crust side down, on a baking sheet.
• Next, spread the cooked sausages over both the bread halves, evenly.

• Place black and green olives, slices of mozzarella, strips of red bell pepper, and tomato slices on each bread and bake for 10 minutes.
• Put garlic, onion, pepper, salt, basil, oregano, vinegar and olive oil in a bowl.
• Whisk them together and drizzle on baked bread.
• Bake for 5 more minutes, remove from oven, cut the baked bread into 2-inch slices and serve.

Ingredients:

• 2 tomatoes cut into cubes
• 4 tablespoons, Parmesan cheese (grated)
• 1 garlic clove (crushed)
• 1 teaspoon, basil (dried)
• 2 tablespoons, olive oil
• Black pepper according to taste
• Salt according to taste

Preparation:

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

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breast halves (boneless; skinless)
• 8 sun-dried tomatoes (chopped)
• 1/3 cup, feta cheese (crumbled)
• 4 cups, spinach (fresh; shredded)
• 1¼ cups, Italian salad dressing (divided)
• 1 lb loaf of focaccia bread (cut into 1/2-inch sized slices)
• ¼ cup, olive oil

Preparation:

• 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.

Ingredients:

• 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)
• 3-4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1, (14.5-oz.) can Italian tomatoes (diced)
• 1 tablespoon, Italian seasoning
• 1/3 cup, extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:

• 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 ºF. 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.