45+ Italian Appetizers

Deliciously crispy and golden outside, soft and creamy inside with a core of molten mozzarella, these Italian rice balls or “arancini di riso” are sure to please a crowd!

Flavoured with garlic, herbs and chili, these Italian spicy olives are juicy and packed full of flavor. They make a terrific appetizer, the perfect finger food for cheese boards or parties.

What about slices of fresh Italian cheese sprinkled with herbs, drizzled with olive oil and baked until slightly golden and delicious? This baked ricotta is easy to customize and great for anytime you’re entertaining.

This amazing fresh bruschetta dip makes a fantastic crowd-pleasing Italian appetizer. The diced sweet tomatoes swims in tomato juice infused with garlic, extra virgin olive oil and basil. Serve with grilled bread for an authentic Italian experience. It's so simple yet amazingly delicious!

In this easy crostini recipe the crispy bread, the fresh flavor of the whipped Italian ricotta, the sweetness of the honey and the aromatic thyme make a sensational combination. Best part? They're ready in 15 minutes and make an easy holiday appetizer that’s elegant, indulgent and sweet.

This 10-minute appetizer recipe takes a few pantry staples like soft sun dried tomatoes, olives, capers, olive oil and dried herbs. It's savory, rich, delicious and pairs wonderfully with just about anything.

These baked zucchini bites are crispy on the outside and moist and soft on the inside, and packed with zucchini and parmesan flavor. Serve them with a delicious zippy sauce like aioli or mint yogurt and make a wonderful appetizer.

Pinzimonio is one of the easiest, simplest and most versatile Italian antipasti. It’s light, healthy, delicious and absolutely perfect to celebrate local, seasonal, fresh produce.

Wonderful moist and chewy, this black pepper focaccia is easy to make and sure to wow your guests. Cut into small slices and serve along with cheese and dips. It will be gone in no time.

These caprese salad skewers are a crowd pleaser, the little bites are SUPER easy to assamble, and deliciously fresh. Made with just three basic ingredients, this is one the best vegetarian appetizer recipes to make this summer.

It’s so hard to resist the AMAZING smell of freshly baked focaccia when you pass by a bakery in Italy. Its golden crisp oil-scented crust and chewy texture are absolutely delicious. Serve it with a cheeseboard, olives, soups, salads, it’s perfect for sharing and so easy to make it in 1 bowl!

These melt-in-your-mouth tender ricotta meatballs cooked in tomato sauce are so easy to make with a handful of ingredients. They make a wonderful meatless appetizer or meal that’s full of flavor and delicious.

This Mediterranean olive bruschetta with torn juicy olives, shaved parmesan, and celery served on toasted garlic Italian bread is crispy, fresh and perfect for sharing.

Marinated mozzarella balls with garlic, extra virgin olive oil, herbs, pepper and a little chilli combine with the creamy mozzarella taste so delicious. This is the perfect crowd-pleasing appetizer ready in just 5 minutes!

This Bruschetta recipe is a classic Italian one, definitely one of those gems that proves you can make incredible food in minutes with a few quality ingredients. It's simple, delicious, and perfect for warm summer nights.

These roasted artichoke hearts with breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese are deliciously crispy, infused with herb and garlic flavour, the perfect bite size appetizer that charms everyone who tries it!

Everyone loves this classic Italian appetizer. It’s essentially a fried mozzarella sandwich, crisp on the outside and melted on the inside. A glorious cheesy treat!

Simple, flavorful and economical, these garlic crostini are super easy to whip up and taste amazing. Serve them along with a cheese platter, anchovies, olives, dips, or enjoy them on their own!

Easy to make and economical, this whipped ricotta is fresh, creamy, herbed, garlicky and goes so well with just about anything. And it's ready in about 5 minutes!

Panzanella is a delicious Tuscan salad that helps you to put to good use juicy tomatoes and also makes a fanstasti, fresh appetizer!

These no-frill, fresh-and-flavorful, speedy beans on garlic bread require just a few pantry staples and are ready in less than 10 minutes. They're also economical, vegan and make a lovely crowd-pleaser appetizer.

When it comes to Italian appetiser, prosciutto e melone is an all-time favourite and a definite crowd-pleaser. There is something enticing about the combination of salty and sweet flavours which is amazing!

This Italian-style green olive tapenade with sun-dried tomatoes makes a quick appetizer that’s economical, easy, and full of fresh flavors. It’s also vegan and gluten free.

This classic Sicilian appetizer combines roasted (not fried) eggplant with sautéed bell pepper, celery, tomatoes, olives and capers. Red wine vinegar and honey make it irresistibly tangy and sweet. You’re going to love caponata!

You’ll love this quick bruschetta with mozzarella that’s crispy, juicy and full of fresh flavor. It comes together in no time and it’s simple, delicious and makes a fantastic appetizer!

The Russian salad is a classic Italian vegetarian appetizer made with veggies and mayonnese. My mum used to arrange it nicely in a ceramic plate, and decorate it with hard-boiled eggs. It was amazing.

These crispy baked Italian polenta fries are made from scratch and baked to perfection with a crisp-golden surface and a rich, velvety center. Serve these crunchy fries as a appetizer with dips and or marinara sauce, and you are not going to be able to stop eating them.

This golden brown Italian bread with tomatoes is the ultimate comfort food! It’s perfectly soft, chewy, topped with juicy tomatoes, crunchy flaky sea salt, and fruity olive oil. Best of all, it’s so easy that you can make it in 1 BOWL.

Sun dried tomatoes in olive oil make one of the most pupular ingredients used for appetizers, especially in southern Italy. In this recipe, the delicious and rich tomatoes are blended with fresh bsil and combined with creamy soft cheese to make a dip that is sure to please everybody.

These tasty popular Italian meatballs are soft, juicy, and extra tasty. Serve them with crusty bread and everyone will come back for more!

This breadstick recipe doesn’t require any stand mixer and makes irresistible crispy breadsticks, also known as grissini. Serve them with cheese, olives, or on your charcuterie board: they’re perfect with classic Italian antipasti.

A delicious caprese salad will make a statement at your summer parties, and it's simply perfect served as Italian appetizer and delicious with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

These Italian Taralli are crunchy and tasty, very popular and available throughout Italy, they are mainly produced in the south, in Puglia and Campania. They are irresistible, one of my fav snacks!

To make this Neapolitan classic, you simply steam mussels in their own juices with nothing but generous amounts of freshly ground black pepper. Garnish them, if you like, with some chopped parsley and lemon wedges. It's so simple but utterly delicious.

Sun dried tomato paste is always a huge hit! And it’s so rich, piquant and keeps well for days! Serve it along with focaccia, italian breadsticks or pesto bread, it makes a great addition to any Italian appetizer platter.

Italian stuffed zucchini flowers are one of my favorite summer Italian appetizers. The zucchini flowers are stuffed with prosciutto and mozzarella then coated in a light batter and fried unitl light, crispy and delicious!

This is another classic Italian antipasti made with asparagus and Parma ham. It's tasty, super quick and perfect for a dinner party!

Salsa verde is a must when it comes to Northern Italian antipasti, it's easy to make, piquant, and goes so well with anchovies, fresh cheese like Italian tomini, and thin slices of beef fillet.

This is a scrumptious Italian appetizer recipe also known as Peperoncini Ripieni. It's a year round appetiser, full of flavor and perfect on an Italian appetizer platter.

This super easy focaccia with olives is absolutely delicious, moist with golden oil-scented crust and tasty, juicy olives. It's perfect for sharing!

These scrumptious peppers are wisely filled with leftovers and taste soo good. This is a delicious recipe that comes from the South of Italy,

This artichoke bruschetta IS easy to assemble and ready in less than 15 minutes! The crispy bread is topped with a mix of artichoke hearts, creamy ricotta, tangy lemon juice, herbs and extra virgin olive oil. It’s so fresh and full of flavor.

This amazing pizza with indulgently creamy gorgonzola, parmesan cheese, and toasty walnuts can be served as a scrumptious appetizer and goes so well with a glass of white wine! YUM.

Here is another bruschetta recipe topped with scrumptious smoky cannellini beans, thyme, and chili flakes. It's full of Italian flavors like fresh garlic and extra virgin olive oil.

This Italian giardiniera is one of the best known and classic preserves, made with a mix of your favourite vegetables and eaten as an antipasto with crusty bread. This is one of my mum's recipe that we used to enjoy all year round!

These crispy crostini with soft ricotta and peas make a delicious canapé full of fresh flavor and with a lovely texture. It’s so economical and easy to whip up, perfect for any gathering all year round.

This irresistible pesto bread is crispy outside and soft inside, with a subtle delicious pesto flavor. It tastes and smells amazing, it goes beautifully with Italian antipasti and looks lovely too!

Also this simple chickpea bruschetta will please everyone’s tastes in no time. Alll you have to do is rubbing your toasted bread with a garlic clove (don’t skip this step!) and enjoy smashed chickpeasm, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh herbs.

Golden, toasted crostini are amazing and so versatile, absolutely the perfect base for your party appetizers or a fun light meal with accompaniments.