Italian Antipasto Platter

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This Italian Antipasto Platter is the perfect appetizer. Grab a large plate or board, and load up with your favorite Italian meats, cheeses, and accompaniments. It's perfect for a dinner party during the holiday season or any time of year!

large antipasto platter with bread, cherry tomatoes, marinated vegetables, cheese, and hands reaching for wine and snacks on the board.

There are few things we love more than a well-thought-out grazing platter. Fill it up with Italian meats, cheeses, and accompaniments, and you're in for a real treat! We're sharing our tips and tricks for the best platter.

You may also like this fall charcuterie board or these steak appetizers with sweet potato and blue cheese!

Jump to:

🍅What is antipasti?
❤️Why we love this platter
🧀Ingredients
✨Substitutions & variations
🔪Prep work
📋Instructions
✨Tips & tricks
💭Frequently Asked Questions
More Recipes To Consider
📖 Recipe

🍅What is antipasti?

Antipasto or antipasti is the traditional first course of an Italian meal. The word antipasto (antipasti is plural for antipasto) translates to "before the meal", referring to before a formal Italian meal.

Generally, it's served as a large platter similar to a charcuterie board full of Italian appetizers, meats, marinated veggies, olives, cheeses, bread, and crackers.

❤️Why we love this platter

The easiest way to feed a large crowd - With a variety of options on this platter, you have something for everyone! Add your favorite ingredients and the favorites of your guests, there's something for everyone, and it's a great way to fill up hungry guests for a cocktail party or gathering.
Easy to source ingredients - Raid your pantry before shopping at your local grocery store, because although you can find everything you need there, you probably already have a lot of ingredients on hand!
Make ahead - You can prep the platter a day in advance, cover it, and store it in the fridge to save time on the day you're hosting guests.
Customizable - There's no real rules to this platter, simply add what you love and have fun with it! We'll share our top tips for making the perfect antipasto platter.

🧀Ingredients

Here are the ingredients we used for this platter. You can find more information for substitutions below.

Cured meats - Use a variety of meats. Cured Italian pork meats are the most common. We used a mixture of 3 different types of salami, plus lots of prosciutto, and capocollo.
Cheeses - A variety of Italian cheeses. We opted for a couple of soft cheeses, including these marinated mozzarella balls, some whipped ricotta, and some provolone cheese. Parmesan, asiago, pecorino, or Romano cheeses also work really well here as hard cheeses. Use a variety of cheeses, at least 3, for a well-rounded platter.
Marinated artichoke hearts
Breads and crackers - We served this platter with crispy bread sticks, a fresh French baguette, focaccia and crostini.
Roasted red peppers
Tomatoes - Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes. We do recommend using fresh tomatoes for a fresh element, as most other veggies on the platter are marinated or pickled.
Pepperoncini peppers
Honey - For something sweet to add to salty bites.
Olives - Use a variety of olives like green olives, Italian olives like Castelvetrano olives, or Greek olives like Kalamata olives.
Garnish with fresh herbs - We love adding fresh basil and oregano to the board. Not only does it fill out empty spaces on the board with bright pops of green, but these herbs accompany all the ingredients really well.

Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.

✨Substitutions & variations

Here's a few suggestions on additional flavors to try, or simple variations to this sauce.

Add fresh fruits like fresh figs, grapes, orange slices, and other seasonal delights that pair well with Italian meats and cheeses.
Add more veggies, it's never a bad idea! Crispy cucumbers, green or red bell peppers, sweet cherry peppers, peppadew peppers, marinated garlic cloves, sun-dried tomatoes, and marinated mushrooms are all great choices! You may also love these confit cherry tomatoes.
Add more meats like deli slices of roast turkey, chicken, or roast beef for more options. Pepperoni, crispy prosciutto or pancetta would also be great.
Add dipping sauces like walnut pesto for a yummy addition that pairs perfectly with all the flavors.

🔪Prep work

Put any wet ingredients into small containers. For example, we placed olives, marinated mozzarella, whipped ricotta, honey, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and pepperoncini peppers in small bowls to keep the board tidy.
Make crostinis. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Add slices of bread to a baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until crispy and golden brown, about 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through until the bread is golden brown and crispy.

📋Instructions

Add ramekins to the board with any wet ingredients. (Image 1)

wooden board with a few small bowls of dips, spreads, olives, and whipped ricotta.

Arrange meats around the ramekins. (Image 2)

wooden board with peppers, olives, meats, and cheeses.

Add crackers, bread, and crostinis. (Image 3)

breads, meats, cheeses, olives, and peppers on a large wooden board.

Add remaining ingredients, including cheese and tomatoes. (Image 4)

italian antipasto platter on a large wooden board, with an assortment of Italian meats, cheeses, tomatoes, olives, peppers, breads, and crackers.

Add finishing touches, including herbs to garnish the board. Serve with Italian wines. Enjoy!

Platter of italian antipasto with lots of meats, cheeses, breads, crackers, olives, peppers and more with both red and white wine.

✨Tips & tricks

Make it beautiful. We eat with our eyes first, antipasto platters should be just as pretty as they are delicious! Arrange things in an artful way for a stunning presentation.
Use a variety of items. The more the merrier, and the more likely everyone will find something they love.
Slice meat thin. Or buy it pre-sliced for easy prep!
Prep in advance. You can arrange your platter, and keep it on a large fridge safe platter in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours in advance.
Allow items to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before digging in. Right out of the fridge everything will be a little cold, so if the items sit for a few minutes at room temperature, it makes for a more pleasant experience.

Need supplies? Shop our Amazon store! Stock your pantry, and find all of our favorite kitchen tools! A Full Living LLC earns a small commission through purchases on our storefront to help support this site.

💭Frequently Asked Questions

How to store the leftovers?

Store leftovers with like items (for example, meats with other meats, cheeses together, olives together, etc.) in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

How much food to include per person for an antipasto platter?

You should include around 8-10 ounces of meat, cheese, veggies, and accompaniments per person, plus lots of bread and crackers.

How to make ahead:

To prepare the platter in advance, simply arrange items on a fridge safe platter, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours in advance.

More Recipes To Consider

Did you try this recipe? Make sure to leave a 5-star review below! 🌟 This helps other readers find our recipes and encourages them to try them. Also, be sure to leave a comment with your experience. Follow along, and tag @AFullLiving on Instagram with your photos!