Difference Between Antipasto, Antipasti & Antipasta

The difference between antipasti, antipasto, and antipasta is a little bit subtle but pretty easy once you get your head around it. One of them actually doesn’t mean anything at all!

I was actually confused for many years and foolishly used antipasto often (spending many months in Italy sorted that out eventually).

Since antipasti and antipasto are very much associated with cured meats and salumi, I eventually put 2 and 2 together and realized that they are basically the same as a charcuterie board (Although the Italian platter has much less variety due to a tighter scope and longer traditions).

Charcuterie is a modern word for what was called an ‘appetizer’ or meat & cheese platter in the 1980s

First, here is a quick answer – then more below.

Difference Between Antipasti, Antipasto & Antipasta?

Antipasto is singular and relates to one portion. Antipasti is plural and relates to multiple portions. Antipasta is a misinterpretation of the Italian language and does not have any meaning.

What to Put on an Antipasti or Antipasto Board/Platter

Ok – here are some of my favorites and also some of the classics.

Before I go into list mode, I want to highlight what I saw all the time in Italy

A regional type of Prosciutto was often on an antipasti at somebody’s house or in the restaurant. (dry-cured whole leg of quality pork – often finished on nuts and whey – hopefully, with 12 months minimum of drying).

Parma Ham from Parma (yes I stayed in Parma, visited Parma factories, and ate my share of Parma in Parma). Parma is a light slightly sweet prosciutto protected by European law and they make sure the pigs, quality, and the process have been adhered to in a strictly traditional manner. Here is a link that explains it way better than me – (DOP – in Italian or PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) in English).

I can eat Parma until the preverbal “cows (or pigs) come home”, it’s what I would call session salumi. I heard this term “session” in relation to craft beer and copied it.

Salumi (Which Includes Salami), Cured Meat

If your looking to make or buy some of these I will put a few links in to guide you to decent resources either I have written about it or I can send you down the right track to order/eat or make it even!

Dry Cured Meat for a Antipasti Platter

Cheeses and Marinated Vegetables

• Marinated Olives (in Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
  • Here is a great quick recipe, here is another
  • I found this authentic supplier – buy here
• Preserved Courgettes (in Extra Virgin Olive Oil (not pickled)
  • Here is a recipe
  • To buy something decent online – check out these guys

I am of course always keen for variation, and the spice of life is, of course, trying new things. But specifically, I am all for the classics now and then as well.

Difference Between Antipasti, Antipasto & Antipasta

Antipasto and Antipasti translates to ‘pre-meal‘ basically (wiki link here). It pretty much always includes cured meats, cheeses, and preserved vegetables.

Antipasto is ‘singular’ referring to one portion. Antipasti is ‘plural’, which refers to more than one.

Antipasta is a misinterpretation of the Italian language and doesn’t actually mean anything, yes I got it wrong for a long time!

The Italians are kings of food and of course, we know it is the epicenter of culture and family cohesion across Italy.

After driving around Italy for three months recently (5,000 miles/10,000 km approx) I really got a sense of appreciation for how important the food is to the culture. It really is the cornerstone of what they’re passionate about.

Luckily, we stayed with a lot of Italian people that became friends even to this day (the website workaway is an awesome way to exchange accommodation/food for cultural experiences – if your middle-aged, older or younger – some 80-year-old guys use it!). Even during the informal dining we had, antipasto or some kind of charcuterie board was always presented pre-meal with cured meats & cheeses.

So I want to get stuck into what antipasti and the antipasto is all about and give a bit more detail about it and possibly why it’s so important to Italians (well from personal theory and observations I have made.

Why is there Antipasti/Antipasto in Detail

There is the old biblical term to ‘breaking bread‘, and I think there are parallels to the antipasti that is enjoyed in Italy and throughout the world today.

Sharing to ‘Break the Ice’

When I think about sharing, it’s all about sharing at the start of the meal- if you’re sharing something together you have a sense of being connected more with the people you’re with. Rather than having your own plate of food to guard and eat individually.

I have felt the same kind of feeling, now that I think about it when devouring Korean BBQ, Chinese steamboat & Dim Sim or a French fondue. Which are all social cook or eat a shared plate types of interactions.

And I am sure there are a bunch more out there I am yet to try.

In English Antipasti/Antipasto is a ‘Appetizer’

Probably the easiest way to think about it, or it’s just the easiest way for me to think about it.

It is a shared appetizer at the start of the meal, so many of the Italian antipasto experiences we have had end up being so big, that we are pretty much full after the appetizer. Italian’s know how to eat big!

Or if you’re going to a bar the aperitivo– which is tapa style light food that comes out with a hopefully, slightly more expensive drink before a full dinner (you have to seek out the good ones in Italy).

Again, we had aperitivo’s that filled us up for the night!

Formal Breakdown Italian Courses

Antipasto is singular word referring to one, in the Italian language they have masculine and feminine words, so antipasto is masculine.

Antipasti is plural – more than one.

Antipasta is people miss-hearing the word and making it feminine. Will that’s the theory anyway.

Pasto in Italian means meal, and anti- when translated is before therefore antipasto means,

“before the meal“

Others Names for Antipasti

In the modern context, across a lot of the world, charcuterie platter or board is used and it’s probably a little bit different since you’ll find crackers, fruit, pesto, spreads, chutney, and many other editions – in the modern context.

You are however highly unlikely to find any of this on antipasto boards in Italy (maybe in Rome or another big city though). I did write another post all about traditional French and Italian pre-meal appetizer boards, check out that post here.

Confusion with Pasta & Antipasta

Another theory that floats around is that since the word pasta is very Italian every one knows that pasta it ends with an a. It kinda makes sense that anti-pasta is correct, however, it is not correct.

History of Antipasti

From what I have read it dates back to medieval Europe, Italy. I need to read more to grasp a further depth of history around this.

Regional Variations of Antipasti

Northern Italy

There is the smearing and overlapping of regions across the north of Italy, ie. Austria. Which lends it tastes slightly more toward Central Europe.

However, it’s an area I need to explore more. Here are some examples and I did see across Northern Italy:

• Classic Basil Pesto
• Prosciutto de Parma
• Olive Tapenade

Around Parma in the region of Emilia-Romagna – food culture is prolific, with the province of Modena and the ‘real’ balsamic that is DOP and comes in 12 or 25-year bottles.

We did experience with a fantastic Italian man, I was lucky enough to taste a 50 years old authentic Modena Balsamic that his father started when the son was born.

Here is a link to a 12 year Balsamic 12 year old that I brought back from Italy and gave to a close friend. To be real Modena balsamic, the shape of the bottle can only be this.

Then of course, cullatello, felino salami spring to mind – all from the same region.

12 month minimum (to 5 years) DOP Parmigiano-Reggiano is born in this region as well. Astonishing really.

Central Italy

Umbria / Tuscany

Very different, but quite similar in ways. I had all sorts of delicious cinghiale (wild boar – pronounced ‘shing-gaal-lee’) variations of cured meat and salumi in Umbria.

• Gorgonzola cheese (awesome Italian blue cheese)
• Fresh fennel
• seafood and cured meats of Tuscany (Tuscany has it all!)

Southern Italy

The spicy influence of Africa and seafood surrounding the area come to party on the plate around here!

• Njuda – a spreadable salami of pork meat, pork fat and Calabrian chillis (I left the area recently with 4 pounds of it from a home producer with pigs for friends and family!)
• Burrata – Think Mozzarella with rich cream inside
• Buffalo Mozzarella DOP
• Preserved Seafood – like white anchovies, pickled octopus (especially in the Puglia region)

Sicily (it’s an Island South)

Considered to me contrasting to the mainland. The home of Godfather and the Mafia – Sicily is a amazing and fascinating place. I have only visited once for 3 weeks, driving around the coast.

Seafood is king and the African influences come out – antipasti is very ocean orientated in my experiences.

Traditional Italy Meal Course

So many of formal dinner, or even informal I have had in Italy or with Italians has had the full progression of course which is:

Aperitivo: a small dose of liqueur enjoyed before the meal, like Prosecco or Campari.

The antipasto: A traditional Italian meal starts with something to nibble on, called an antipasto, which translates into English as “before the meal.” Can include hot and cold appetizers like cheese, sopprasatta, bread, and dressed vegetables.

The primo: In Italy, pasta is a first course, or primo, served as an appetizer, not as the main event. Soup, rice, and polenta are the other options for the primo.

The secondo: The main course is called il secondo, or the second course. Chicken, meat, or fish are the usual choices, and portions are generally small. These main courses are usually fairly simple, especially if a rich pasta or rice dish precedes them.

The contorno: A platter of vegetables usually accompanies the main course. This side dish highlights the simple goodness of the vegetable.

The dolce: A dolce (or sweet) ends a traditional Italian meal.

Caffe: coffee and its permutations. A must with the dolce.

Digestivo: a “digestive” or after dinner liqueur like grappa and limoncello

THE CLASSIC ITALIAN MEAL STRUCTURE – http://www.speakitalian.org/the-classic-italian-meal-structure.html

Tom Mueller

Thanks for dropping by, I’ve been passionate about meat curing for decades.

I Hunt, Fish, Forage, Buy, Butcher (Wannabe Norcini), Make, Savor (I’m not a Saviour), and love curing and smoking meat.

Learning and consuming in a circular fashion, I am always interested in what is happening around the curing and smoking world

Seeking the passionate behind the passion.