It’s the party season and what better than some delicious Italian food for your Christmas party? Okay, some Italian drink as well then. Whether you’re organising a big bash with a buffet, or just having a few friends for ‘drinks and nibbles’, there are plenty of traditional Italian dishes that make ideal party food. And they’re quick to prepare too – real fast food.
Crostini - and a glass of Prosecco
Crostini are rather like Italian croutons. They’re essentially small rounds of toasted bread, with savoury toppings. They go really well with a glass of wine – or some sparkling chilled prosecco, Italy’s answer to champagne. Favourite toppings for crostini are chicken liver pate, dainty slices of salami, and Tuscan lardo di Colonnata. You can also simply rub them with a garlic clove, pour on some extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle on a good quality sea salt.
Bruschetta
Bruschetta also makes great party food. Again, bruschetta is a slice of toasted bread – but larger than the little rounds used for crostini. This time you rub the bread with a garlic clove, then top it with some beautifully fresh tomato cut into cubes (it’s easiest to eat if you remove the seeds) and torn basil leaves. Pour on a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
Figs with Prosciutto
Figs with prosciutto is another classic Italian appetiser that is ideal for parties. It’s as simple as it sounds. You want some fresh figs, round each one of which you wrap a slice of good prosciutto (Parma ham). If you like you can put a dot of soft cream cheese, maybe ricotta, on the fig before wrapping it up. The combination of sweet figs and salty prosciutto is unusual but very enjoyable. The neat little parcels are also easy to eat while you’ve got a drink in your other hand.
Italian Party Dip
A good party dip is the Italian sauce bagna caoda, which you have with crisp raw vegetables. And how about making a huge insalata Caprese, if you’re preparing a buffet. It’s easy to make, just slices of deliciously fresh mozzarella cheese, layered with tasty fresh tomatoes and fresh basil leaves. You dress the insalata Caprese with good quality extra virgin olive oil and a little salt and black pepper.
Panforte and Panettone
If you can get hold of it, pecorino cheese is delicious. For a party, serve hunks of mature pecorino drizzled with a little honey. It’s a great combination. And don’t forget the other sweet treats. Slices of panettone, the light Italian Christmas cake, are a must – as is the dense and rich panforte di Siena if you can get hold of it. And those hard little almondy biscuits, biscotti, are delicious dipped in a festive glass of Vin Santo. All these dishes are extremely simple to put together – the key is getting of hold of good quality ingredients.
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