Best Calabrese Antipasto Recipes

BOMBA CALABRESE (SPICY CALABRIAN PEPPER SPREAD)

Steps:

• Place mushrooms, onion, and eggplant into bowl of a food processor. Pulse on and off until very finely chopped but not liquefied, 8 to 10 pulses.
• Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil into a skillet. Transfer mushroom mixture to skillet over medium-high heat. Add a large pinch of salt. Cook until mixture is soft, stirring, about 10 minutes.
• Cut off tops of cherry peppers; discard stems but save the ring of pepper around it. (Do wear protective gloves for this.) Cut the peppers in half and remove the seed pods. Shake out the rest of the seeds. Prep the bell peppers and habanero peppers the same way. Place all peppers in bowl of food processor. Pulse on and off until peppers are very finely chopped, but not liquefied. Transfer peppers to eggplant-onion-mushroom mixture in skillet. Add remaining olive oil. Cook and stir over medium-high heat, reducing heat as needed if mixture looks like it may brown. Add fennel seeds, oregano, and a pinch of salt. Cook until peppers are sweet and tender, 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
• Stir in white wine vinegar and (optionally) another tablespoon of olive oil. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl and cool to room temperature. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt, a splash of vinegar, and/or olive oil, if needed. Transfer to jars. Store in refrigerator.

MARINATED ROASTED VEGETABLE ANTIPASTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Arrange vegetables on a baking sheet and brush both sides with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place in oven and roast for 7 to 8 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. When vegetables are cool enough to handle begin layering on a large dish. Place eggplant in the bottom of the dish, drizzle with some olive oil, and add some of the garlic. Add some of the fresh herbs, and then some olives. Sprinkle a little vinegar on top and season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to layer vegetables, along with seasonings, adding the peppers next, and then fennel, and finally the zucchini. Cover dish with plastic wrap and let chill at least 4 hours or overnight.

ANTIPASTO CALZONE

Steps:

• Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 13-inch diameter circle, about 1/4-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a heavy baking sheet dusted with cornmeal.
• In a medium bowl, combine the cheeses, salami, peppers, olives, and 1/4 cup olive oil. Put the cheese mixture on 1 side of the dough leaving a 1-inch border. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of the dough with the beaten egg. Fold the unfilled side of the dough over the filling and using the tines of a fork, press the edges of the dough together to seal. Drizzle with olive oil. Using a paring knife, cut a 1/2-inch wide slit in the top layer of the dough. Bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Cut the calzone into slices and serve with warm marinara sauce, if desired.

ANTIPASTO

Steps:

• Mix first 5 ingredients in large pot. Boil 5 minutes.
• Add next 4 ingredients, boil 10 minutes.
• Add balance of ingredients. Try not to break up shrimp and tuna too much. Bring to just boiling.
• Process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes.
• Note: *Drain everything except olives and pickled onion juice. Biffy and Frank's flub (taste great.) Omit vinegar.
• Optional - small amount of brown sugar, HP sauce, chopped garlic, hot pepper sauce (dried or fresh) WE NEVER USE THESE.
• Something sure has changed with Recipe Zaar! When trying to put the ingredients in it was a big pain in the butt for the sizes. I've converted the grams to ounces but I didn't have everything in my cupboard to actually look at so I guessed. But most cans come pretty standard, and the "Frozen Shrimp" is a large bag -- it wouldn't let me put just "large.".

CAPRESE APPETIZER

Steps:

• Toss tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, olive oil, basil, salt, and pepper together in a bowl until well coated. Skewer one tomato and one piece of mozzarella cheese on each toothpick.