Pasta Sauce, italian food, holidays, christmas, pizza, olives, condiments, appetizers

Paesana’s Quick Italian Appetizers

We’ve got some ideas for quick Italian appetizers that are perfect for a small holiday gathering.

By Paesana

Italian antipasti wine snacks set: cheese variety, Mediterranean olives, pickles, Prosciutto di Parma, tomatoes, artichokes and wine in glasses

The big holiday is mere days away. If you haven’t finalized your dinner menu, don’t fret! In all likelihood, you’re not hosting as many people as you typically would for the holidays, so pulling together a last-minute meal won’t be nearly the undertaking it has been in years past—how’s that for a silver lining to the 2020 holiday season?

When it’s time to bring together a quick platter of appetizers, Paesana’s array of options—from sauces to condiments to olives and more—are all ready when you are. Check out our list of Paesana products below with all of the different dishes you can make with each one. 

And how ever you are celebrating the holidays this year, make it safe, happy, and healthy!

Pasta Sauce

Besides ladling one of our delicious, authentically Italian sauces over a plate of al dente pasta, we also love to use it as a dip for an array of fried treats. Mozzarella sticks are an all-time favorite, as are fried zucchini sticks, fried calamari, and even fried ravioli. Dusted with breadcrumbs and Italian seasoning, these deep-fried delights are a hot and crisp way to get everyone in the mood to eat! As for which sauce to utilize, each one has its own enticing flavors. The Marinara is a straight-up classic, featuring a bright and zesty flavor that goes with anything. For a kick of heat, you have to go with our Fra Diavolo. Meanwhile, if it’s garden-fresh aromatics you’re after, try Tomato Basil. We also offer Vodka, Sicilian Gravy, Roasted Garlic, and low-sodium Marinara—along with our newest sauce, Champagne.

Pizza Sauce

Can pizza be an appetizer? We certainly think so! Just think about how fun it would be to hand each of your guests a small, personal pizza with the sauce of their choosing. Or even to make one large pizza and cut it up into finger food-size slices. Check out our lineup of pizza sauces—there’s New York Style, of course, but also Buffalo, Vodka, White, and Barbecue, each one with its own unique flavor that puts your palate right into your local pizzeria. And a quick tip for home cooks: Go to a pizza joint and ask if they can sell you some raw pizza dough. Skipping the step of making dough from scratch saves some serious time!

Olives

Absolutely no antipasti is complete without a few different kinds of olives added to the platter. Our Gourmet Specialty Olives are the ideal appetizer for the holidays, with a strong flavor, pleasant texture, and an aroma unlike any other morsel in the food world. We import our olives from Italy, Spain, and Greece—or as we like to call it, “the planet’s olive region.” Eat them unadorned or transform any of our olives into a tapenade dip perfect for crostini. Check out our recipe here!

Condiments

Our condiments belong in every well-stocked pantry, all year round. And during the holiday season, it becomes even more imperative to have these jarred items on hand when you need a quick appetizer in a pinch. Just like olives, there are a few items that are must-have bites on an antipasto platter. These include roasted red peppers, pickled cauliflower, marinated artichokes, and jarred mushrooms. Marinated artichokes are a particular favorite of ours for a holiday appetizer, as these can be transformed into a lovely spinach-artichoke dip that your guests will love to dive into with crostini.

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