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.

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.

Ingredients

• Plum tomatoes (chopped), 6
• Sundried tomatoes (packed in oil), ½ cup
• Garlic cloves (minced), 3
• 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 the plum tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt and pepper in a bowl.
• Let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes.

• Meanwhile, cut the baguette into ¾-inch slices and arrange them on a baking sheet in a single layer.
• Broil the baguette for 1-2 minutes till they turn 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.

Ingredients

• Baby mushrooms, 12
• Hot Italian sausage, 1 pound
• Long green onions (finely chopped), 1 bunch
• Garlic clove (chopped), 1
• Olive oil, 2 tablespoons

• Prosciutto (finely chopped), 4 slices
• Plum tomatoes, 3
• Seasoned breadcrumbs, 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 them finely.
• Toss them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Sauté them with the onions, garlic, and prosciutto for about a minute with the remaining oil.
• Add the sausage and cook as you break it into little pieces.

• Drain the mixture and let it cool.
• Now stir in the tomatoes, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and season with the salt and pepper.
• Stuff the mushrooms with the mixture and top it with the mozzarella cheese.
• Place the mushrooms on a baking sheet and broil for about 5 minutes, but be careful not to burn the tops.

Ingredients

• Olive oil, 2 tablespoons
• Butter, 2 tablespoons
• Yellow onions (finely chopped), 2
• Green onions (finely chopped), 2
• Mushrooms (sliced), 16 ounces
• Gorgonzola cheese (crumbled), ½ cup
• Red pepper flakes

Method

• In a saucepan, heat the butter and oil together.
• Add the chopped onions to the saucepan and let them cook till they turn brown in color.
• Then, reduce the heat, add in the mushrooms, and cook till they turn tender.

• Last, add the cheese and red pepper flakes and let the mixture cook till the cheese dissolves.
• Remove the pan from the heat and serve the dip with bread or pizza.

Ingredients

• Eggplant, 1
• Tomatoes, 2
• Salt, 1½ teaspoons
• 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 °F.
• Place the eggplant on a foil-lined pan and let it bake for 20 minutes.

• Once done, 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 turn tender.

• Remove the baking dish 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.