Antipasto Vegetable Pizza Food

ANTIPASTO SALAD

Steps:

• Vinaigrette: In a blender, add the basil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper. Blend until the herbs are finely chopped. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.
• In a large bowl, toss together the cooked pasta with the remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Serve.

CALABRESE ANTIPASTO

Steps:

• Place all of the prepared and drained vegetables in separate bowls and reserve their juices.
• In a large saucepan, combine ketchup, Worcestershire, horseradish, tomato sauce, tarragon vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, lemon juice, and cayenne. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Season, to taste, with salt.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Blanch the cauliflower for about 2 minutes; it should still be crisp. With a skimmer, transfer the florets to a tray to cool quickly. Repeat with the carrots and then with the celery, cooking them just long enough to remove their raw taste; they will be cooked more later. Add the white wine vinegar to the water and blanch the mushrooms for 1 minute (the vinegar will keep the mushrooms white). Drain and spread the mushrooms on a tray to cool quickly.
• Add the cauliflower, carrots, celery, and mushrooms to the sauce. Add the juices from the canned and jarred vegetables. Add the pepperoncini, olives, pickles, onions, and artichoke hearts and toss well.
• In sterilized canning jars, place 1 teaspoon tarragon vinegar (this will guarantee freshness). Load the sauced vegetables into the jar, using a wide-mouthed funnel to avoid a mess.
• In one of the large pans that you have used, add olive oil, tuna, and anchovies and mix well. Top each jar with some of the tuna mixture. Cover and refrigerate, or allow to cool on the counter before serving. This will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

RUSTIC ANTIPASTO

Steps:

• Preheat a grill pan to high. Brush eggplant slices with oil and place on grill. Season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Grill eggplant 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Arrange sliced grilled eggplant on a platter and top with a splash of red wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and chopped fresh parsley.
• Wedge table cheeses and arrange them on your antipasto platter. Arrange sliced drained roasted red peppers next to your eggplant.
• Combine artichokes and mushrooms in a bowl and toss with crushed garlic, lemon, extra-virgin olive oil, parsley, and thyme. Season artichokes and mushrooms with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Fan out sliced Italian meats on your platter between cheeses and pile your olives at the center of the platter. Prepare the rest of your meal. Just before serving, remove crushed garlic clove from artichokes and mushrooms and transfer the mixture to the antipasto platter.

ANTIPASTO PLATTER

Steps:

• 1. Assemble the meats and cheeses on a large cutting board or flat platter to come to room temperature at least 30 minutes before serving.
• 2. Place cheese knives next to each kind of cheese, small forks for the meats, and a small bowl for anything like olive pits or used toothpicks.
• 3. If time permits, serve with at least one simple homemade item like: Honey Ricotta Pears, Wine-Poached Figs, or Warm Mediterranean Olives.
• 4. Place the bread and crackers in a basket on the side or directly on the board. Arrange the fruits and nuts on the board or in small decorative bowls. Serve with red and white wine.
• 1. Halve and core the pear, then cut into slices, leaving the stem-end intact and not cutting through to separate the slices. Squeeze the lemon juice over the cut side of the pear halves.
• 2. Season the ricotta with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, then place in 2 mounds on a plate. Top the ricotta mounds with the sliced pear halves, gently fanning out the slices. Drizzle the pears with honey and sprinkle with the pine nuts.
• Trim and halve the figs, place in a saucepan with the wine, sugar, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the wine is reduced by half and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the thyme sprigs. Serve on top of an assertive cheese, such as blue, Taleggio, or a triple cream, spread over the bread slices.
• Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, vinegar, cinnamon stick, orange peel, and olives. Season with salt and pepper.

ANTIPASTO SALAD

Steps:

• Combine lettuce, salami, chopped hot pickled vegetables, olives, red peppers and artichoke hearts. Drizzle vinegar and oil over the salad. Toss salad and season with salt and pepper, to your taste.

ANTIPASTI PLATTER

Steps:

• Arrange the meats, cheeses, and foccacia on a large platter. Arrange a platter of Pinzimonio. Place the Marinated Olives and Roasted Red Pepper Salad in small serving bowls. Serve, allowing guests to compose their own assortment of antipasti on their plate.;
• Assorted cut-up vegetables (such as carrots, celery, fennel bulb, radishes, red and orange bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes)
• Stir the oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl to blend. Arrange the vegetables on a platter. Serve the vegetables with the dip.
• Stir the oil, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes in a heavy small skillet over medium heat just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Add the olives and toss to coat. Add the basil; toss to coat. Serve.
• Preheat the broiler. Cover a heavy baking sheet with foil. Arrange the bell peppers on the baking sheet. Broil until the skins brown and blister, turning the peppers over occasionally, about 15 minutes. Enclose the peppers in a resealable plastic bag. Set aside until cooled to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
• Peel, seed, and cut the peppers into 1/2-inch thick strips. Toss the pepper strips, olives, oil, capers, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to combine. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.

ANTIPASTO PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a pot of generously salted water to boil and cook the fusilli per package instructions. Drain and set aside.
• Whisk together the oil, vinegar, oregano, honey, 2 tablespoons Parmesan and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the warm pasta, then toss to coat and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Add the artichokes, red peppers, olives, mozzarella and salami and toss well to combine. Sprinkle with fresh basil.

ANTIPASTO PLATTER

Steps:

• Place the sliced mozzarella on a serving platter, sprinkle the slices with the olive oil and cracked pepper. Artfully arrange the salami, Peppadews, cucumber slices, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, olives and Bruschetta around the platter and decorate with stems of basil leaves.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Slice the baguette at an angle 1/2-inch-thick. Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil and sprinkle one side with salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly toasted.