Antipasto is the first course of any good Italian meal, composed of delicious bite-sized portions of meats, cheeses, pickles and other delicacies. Although word-mavens might wish to continue speculating on the differences between ante-pasto and anti-pasto, they agree the wrangling is best conducted over a plate of salami, giardinara and aged Asiago, accompanied by good bread and wine.
Function
Antipasto takes the place of hors d'oeuvres and the first course of a meal. Its name derives from its function: "ante" ("before") the pasta course. In a traditional Italian home, eating a meal together is an important occasion occupying a significant amount of time. In both homes and restaurants, one nibbles at the antipasto while awaiting the pasta course and the following meat, fish or poultry course. Salad or fruit and a sweet will appear in time, but not in any hurry.
In many homes, antipasto has a second function: showcasing the art of the cook. The sausage is homemade, and the olives are picked on the property. Fresh vegetables in a tart marinade bring the family garden indoors--hence the name, "giardinara."
Just as old-fashioned American cooks set their dinner tables with extra dishes of pickles and relishes, Italian cooks use the antipasto course to show off "a little of this, a taste of that."
Types
Antipasti include a great variety of foods but are usually served as a group of hot dishes or cold. Hot antipasto dishes can be quite elaborate, including baked clams, breaded eggplant, broiled shrimp, fried calamari (squid) rings and fried mozzarella sticks. A cold antipasto may include fresh and aged cheeses, prosciutto or other kinds of ham, sausages, cold vegetable salads, cold shrimp and seafood salads.
Benefits
Eating a meal in courses is very different from eating on the run. An antipasto, rather than satisfying hunger, is designed both to stimulate the appetite for the meal ahead and also slow the pace of the day to make dinner a relaxing experience. (Answering a cell phone, paying bills or having an argument all seem impossibly hard to deal with when you begin to wonder if there's one more dab of that really good olive salad.)
Furthermore, unlike a number of the crackers and puffed snacks that often accompany an American pre-dinner drink, an antipasto contains real food. With too much nibbling, the calories will add up, but at least they will be nourishing rather than empty calories.
Considerations
Too much nibbling--that's about the only down-side of a good antipasto. Remember the childhood warning "Don't make a meal out of that!" Then again, making a meal out of an antipasto deserves serious consideration. As the basis for a light--or not-so-light--lunch, the variety of an antipasto is hard to beat. Accompanied by a cold soup, it makes a delicious hot-weather supper. The ingredients of an antipasto can be adapted to a small or large party with delightful results.
Potential
Antipasto is not part of everyone's tradition, but the idea of an antipasto certainly can be. Try the idea for one family dinner a week: a little of this, a little of that, nutritious calories, not empty ones. It's a chance for everyone to try out some new tastes or nibble some traditional treats you haven't had for a while. You don't have to serve pasta, but you can. What matters most is spending time winding down, enjoying each other's company and getting ready to share a meal. That's the real point of antipasto.
Tags: cold antipasto, first course, little this, pasta course, rather than
