Naturally gluten-free, an Italian Antipasto is a show-stopping Italian appetizer spread with something for everyone! And it doesn't require a lot of cooking, just plating.
Roasted Veggies are the perfect addition to just about everything!
They’re festive, pretty, flavorful and delicious!
Plus, they are adaptable and always different based on taste, availability and the rest of the menu.
Since it’s served as part of an antipasto spread, we keep it simple with 5 different vegetables, and stick with a mix of veggies that work with well with the rest of the antipasto.
This colorful plate of roasted vegetables also happened to include everyone’s favorites: eggplant, zucchini and summer squash, mushrooms, tomatoes and radicchio (which no one loves except me but I love the spiciness of it and love the color it adds to the platter).
And I love that roasted veggies taste great freshly roasted or days later, warm or room temp.
For Christmas, I roast everything except the tomatoes, the day before (Christmas Eve) and bring it to room temperature before serving.
So it’s really low maintenance on Christmas Day so I can enjoy the day more!
Pro tip: I like to roast the tomatoes the day I serve them because they stay warm and super tasty! Plus they take only 10 minutes to roast so it’s not a lot of effort.
And you can plate them any way you like. I often use a round plate (like above) but last year I used an oval just to switch it up!
Plus if you have any fresh basil or parsley, remember to top the veggies with some!
The Antipasto Centerpiece Platter
The Antipasto course always includes a Centerpiece Platter which in our family includes:
Italian tuna
Eggplant Caponata
Marinated Artichokes (jarred)
Roasted Peppers (fresh or jarred)
several types of Olives
sometimes sundried tomatoes
and sometimes anchovies (my husband is the only who loves them!).
With the exception of the peppers which we roasted but you could use jarred, everything is ready-made so it’s just plating.
Our antipasto spread also includes Caprese salad, which is just fresh mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and fresh basil.
I usually drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil too.
And my family loves a platter of Cured meats ( prosciutto, salami & provolone).
This recipe is from my husband’s aunt and it is the best addition!
They are crispy baked artichoke hearts stuffed with a mouth-watering mix of breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic, herbs, olive oil and lemon… a family recipe made gluten-free and out of this world!
And I love that it’s become a favorite of yours too!
For the artichokes, I prepare them the day before, bring to room temperature for about 30-60 minutes, then bake them right before serving so they are warm and crispy.
This entire spread can be enjoyed as is or alongside your favorite bread or baguette.
It is allll so delicious… and, luckily for us, there are usually leftovers! In fact, this is the only spread that may taste even better the second day!
And have fun making it! It always looks a little different… this is one from a few years ago…
Hope you love it as much as we do!
Scroll down to see the recipe and leave a comment if you try.
Have fun assembling it. Here we left the tuna in the center, circled by the caponata, with artichokes and peppers on either side, and olives on both sides. There is no one way or right way.
Roasted Vegetables (for more details on roasting, see the linked recipe post)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. One vegetable at a time, gently toss in olive oil.
Lay in a single layer on individual baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. I like to also sprinkle the mushrooms with lots of basil. Bake for:
Tomatoes - 10 minutes or until tender.
Mushrooms - 25 minutes or until tender. (Alternatively, mushrooms can be sauteed in a saute pan over medium heat with some olive and minced garlic. I often find they are juicer this way)
Zucchini- 30 minutes or until tender and just starting to crisp.
Eggplant - 30 minutes or until tender and just starting to crisp.
Radicchio - 10 minutes or until wilted.
Store each vegetable separately in air tight containers in the refrigerator for several days.
Serve at room temperature or heat up in a skillet.
Roasted Peppers:
In preheated broiler, roast peppers for approximately 20-30 minutes, rotating once midway through, or until blackened. You want them black so that the skin peels off easier.
Remove from oven and place in a brown paper bag, seal and let cool for about 15 minutes. Then remove from bag and the blacked skins should peel off easily. Slice peppers into strips.
TIP: roast a day ahead of time, store separately in sealed containers in the refrigerator.
Assemble: places all vegetables on a platter, separating by color, top with fresh herbs
Assemble Cured Meats
Roll slices of each into cylinders and place on plate
Caprese Salad
Place tomatoes and mozzarella on a plate in a pattern, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with lots of fresh basil.
Hi! My name is Karen, and I’m the mom in our Healthy Gluten-Free Family. My posts and pictures here and on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter are labors of love that allow me to share a very personal journey with you, one our family has taken together — learning, experimenting and sharing how to raise a healthy happy gluten-free family. Read more ...