An Italian-Inspired Grazing Board With 7 Antipasto Ideas

An assortment of Mediterranean plates on a grazing board.

5 from 5 votes

An Italian-Inspired Grazing Board With 7 Antipasto Ideas

This Italian grazing platter contains simple dips and spreads from the South Italian home cuisine—from sweet to spicy to hearty to umami-flavored. Every small plate is kept simple, so this Italian platter comes together quickly whether you plan to entertain guests or make it a fun dinner. They are all easy to make yet big on flavors. Make the tapas ahead of time for stress-free entertaining.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: Servings

Calories: 249kcal

Author: Mariska Ramondino

Equipment

1 large wooden board or a large cheese board or charcuterie board set.
A few dip bowls or ramekins
Small (wooden) spoons
A few small knives or butter knives

Ingredients

Dips And Spreads

1 ¾ cups Seasoned Whipped Ricotta With Honey recipe here
1 Mozzarella And Sun-Dried Tomato Platter recipe here
1 cup Spicy Italian Redd Belle Pepper Spread recipe here
⅓ cup Creamy Parsley And Anchovy Spread recipe here
⅓ cup Spiced Apricot Jam recipe here
½ cup Kalamata Olive And Fig Tapenade recipe here

Crostini & Bread

24 Garlic Crostini made from 1 baguette recipe here
Crackers You can use gluten-free
Extra crusty fresh bread optional. You can also go for pitta bread or pitta chips.

Fresh vegetables (go for whatever is in season)

Sliced cucumbers or raw fennel thinly sliced lengthwise
Medium-sized peeled carrots or crunchy red bell peppers thinly sliced lengthwise
Small yellow mini or cherry tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes
Microgreens or Arugula leaves taste great as a peppery and nutty topping and a beautiful garnish

Fruits (go for whatever is in season) and nuts

Oranges, quartered
Grapes on the vine or pomegranate
An assortment of dried fruits like figs and apricots or use fresh figs
A mixture of nuts like walnuts or pistachios or toasted and salted almonds optional, cashews and Brazil nuts can also work
A variety of berries like strawberries, goldenberries, raspberries, and blueberries in warmer seasons
Extra black or green olives

Cheeses

An assortment of soft cheeses like Brie or Camembert These are French cheeses but a great addition to the platter.
Or an assortment of charper Italian cheeses like Parmigiano Reggiano Manchego, or an aged Gouda

Instructions

Arrange the small plates: On a large grazing board, arrange the small dips and spreads around the center but on different parts of the boards.
1 ¾ cups Seasoned Whipped Ricotta With Honey, 1 Mozzarella And Sun-Dried Tomato Platter, 1 cup Spicy Italian Redd Belle Pepper Spread, ⅓ cup Creamy Parsley And Anchovy Spread, ⅓ cup Spiced Apricot Jam, ½ cup Kalamata Olive And Fig Tapenade
Arrange the cheeses: If using store-bought cheeses as well (optional), arrange them around the small plates on the board.
An assortment of soft cheeses like Brie or Camembert, Or an assortment of charper Italian cheeses like Parmigiano Reggiano
Arrange the garlic crostini and bread: Fill up some of the gaps on one side of the board by arranging the crostini, crackers, or pitta bread. You can leverage the table by placing extra artisan bread or crostini next to the board.
24 Garlic Crostini made from 1 baguette, Crackers, Extra crusty fresh bread
Start filling the gaps: Arrange any vegetables, fruits, and nuts that you plan to use and offer to fill up any gaps or blank spaces on the board. Feel free to leverage the table as well and place some of the items next to the board if there is not enough space.
Sliced cucumbers, Medium-sized peeled carrots or crunchy red bell peppers, Small yellow mini or cherry tomatoes, Extra black or green olives, Oranges, quartered, Grapes on the vine or pomegranate, An assortment of dried fruits like figs and apricots, A mixture of nuts like walnuts or pistachios or toasted and salted almonds, A variety of berries like strawberries, goldenberries, raspberries, and blueberries
Serve: Serve with small spoons, knives, and cutting knives next to the mezze board, as well as small serving plates.

Notes

Prep time: Make the dips and spreads in advance for easy entertaining. Then, the assembling time only takes 10 minutes. Allow the dips and spreads to come to room temperature. If you make everything on the same day, the whole mezze platter comes together in as little as 35 to 45 minutes.

If making everything on the same day: I often first prep the crostini bread, and while in the oven, I start making the dips and spreads—still keeping an eye on the crostini from time to time. I often leave the cutting and washing the veggies and fruits and assembling the cheeses for last.

Charcuterie: If preferred, add meats like prosciutto, mortadella, or other dry-cured meats.

Olive Oil: Feel free to add a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to the table to dip in the bread (optional).

For a smaller grazing board: Leave out a few plates and additions. You can easily adjust this Mediterranean platter to serve a small group of people (2-4).

Make it a larger grazing board: Add more protein-centric dishes from leftovers to make a large grazing board. Here are a few suggestions: umami-flavored Italian egg muffins, healthy homemade chicken salad, tiny cups of nourishing Stracciatella soup, tender Italian meatballs, prepared lupini beans, marinated chicken wings, small bowls of sweet potato, and spicy chorizo stew.

Nutrition