Caprese
Alternating slices of tomato and mozzarella, basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil: green, white and red, the colours of the Italian flag. Born around the island of Capri, it is the summer antipasto par excellence.
The trattoria journal · Culture
Antipasti: what is it? Understanding the Italian starter
“Antipasti” literally means “before the meal”. A short guide to the first act of the Italian table: what the word means, what goes on it, and how to build a lovely platter to share.
In short
“Antipasti” literally means “before the meal”: the first act of the Italian meal, served before the pasta (primo) and the main course (secondo). It includes cured meats, cheeses such as mozzarella and burrata, marinated or grilled vegetables and bruschetta. Usually cold, sometimes hot, antipasti are shared in the middle of the table. Count three to five bites per guest and play with colours and textures.
What does “antipasti” mean?
What does “antipasti” mean?
“Antipasti” comes from the Italian anti (“before”) and pasto (“meal”): literally, what is eaten before the meal. Far from a mere nibble, the antipasto officially opens the Italian table and sets the tone.
In the classic Italian sequence, the antipasto comes first, before the primo (pasta, risotto or soup), then the secondo (the main course), with a contorno (vegetable side), before the dolce (dessert). It is a course in its own right, meant to awaken the palate.
That opening role explains the care given to it: a few simple, fresh products, lifted by olive oil, salt and basil. The logic is rightness, not abundance — and it is a social moment, plates in the middle, everyone helping themselves.
Antipasto, starter, aperitivo
Antipasto, starter, aperitivo: what's the difference?
The French starter is an individual, plated dish; the antipasto is shared in the middle of the table.
The aperitivo is a moment of nibbling with a drink before sitting down. The antipasto can go with it, but it already belongs to the meal as its first course. Aperitivo whets the appetite, the antipasto opens the meal, the starter structures it.
In a trattoria the line stays soft: a platter of antipasti misti can serve as an extended aperitivo, then slide into the meal.
What goes on antipasti?
What goes on antipasti?
There is no single antipasto but a whole family of preparations. Four groups almost always appear on an Italian platter.
Cured meats (salumi)
Prosciutto, coppa, bresaola, salami, mortadella: the salty heart of the antipasto, thinly sliced, often paired with melon or figs.
Cheeses: mozzarella and burrata
Buffalo mozzarella and burrata reign here. Mozzarella pairs with tomato and basil in the caprese; burrata hides a creamy stracciatella heart. Parmesan or pecorino add variety. To go further on this, read our comparison of burrata and mozzarella.
Marinated or grilled vegetables
Marinated peppers, grilled aubergines and courgettes, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and olives bring freshness and balance the richer meats.
Bruschetta and focaccia
Bread ties it all together: bruschetta rubbed with garlic and topped with tomato, and soft focaccia to go with meats and cheeses.
Cold or hot?
Antipasti cold or hot?
Most antipasti are served cold or at room temperature: cured meats, cheeses, marinated vegetables, caprese — ready as soon as the table sits down.
But antipasti can be hot too: arancini, supplì, gratinated vegetables, mussels, mozzarella in carrozza or warm bruschetta. A careful meal often alternates cold and hot. Cold or hot, the antipasto stays light.
The great classics
The great classics of Italian antipasti, region by region
Every Italian region has its signature antipasti. Here are a few essentials found on Italian tables from north to south, to help you read a menu or find ideas at home.
Vitello tonnato
Thin slices of cooked veal served cold under a smooth tuna, caper and anchovy sauce. A northern Italian classic whose surf-and-turf pairing often surprises.
Carpaccio
Very thinly sliced raw beef with olive oil, lemon and parmesan shavings, sometimes rocket. Born in Venice, it has since been adapted with fish or vegetables.
Caponata
Fried aubergines simmered with celery, onions, capers and olives in a sweet-and-sour sauce. Served at room temperature, it is even better the next day.
Tuscan crostini
Small slices of toasted bread spread with a chicken liver pâté flavoured with capers and anchovies. The Tuscan cousins of bruschetta, served at the start of the meal.
Prosciutto e melone
Cured ham wrapped around a slice of ripe melon: the simplest and most popular sweet-and-salty pairing of the Italian summer, often made with fresh figs too.
Ready to move from theory to tasting? Discover our Italian antipasti in Aix-en-Provence, homemade and served to share on Place des Cardeurs.
Si comincia così
The meal begins in the middle of the table
Place des Cardeurs, inside or on the terrace: the antipasti come first, to share, and set the tone of the meal.
Building a balanced platter
How to build a balanced antipasti platter
Balance beats accumulation: a creamy element (burrata), a fine salty one (cured meat), a tangy or vegetal one (marinated vegetables), and a crunchy one (grissini, toasted bread, olives).
The eye matters as much as the taste: play with colours — red tomatoes, green basil and courgettes, creamy white cheeses, pink meats — in generous little heaps, with good olive oil and warm bread on the side.
Three markers for a good platter
- Vary the families: at least a meat, a cheese, a vegetable and a bread.
- Play the contrasts: creamy vs crunchy, salty vs tangy, hot vs cold.
- Stay light: the antipasto opens the appetite, it should not fill you up.
Antipasti singular or plural?
“Antipasto” is the singular, “antipasti” the plural. One antipasto is a single preparation; antipasti is the assortment served at the start. “Antipasti misti” is a mixed platter to share.
How many pieces of antipasti per person?
If the antipasto opens a full meal, count three to five bites per guest: a little meat, some cheese, a couple of vegetables, some bread — enough to whet the appetite.
If the platter becomes the heart of the meal (a dinner-style aperitivo), plan five to eight pieces per person, with more variety. Variety in reasonable amounts beats a mountain of one product.
At Di Micheli in Aix
Italian antipasti at Di Micheli in Aix-en-Provence
At Di Micheli, a family trattoria on Place des Cardeurs, antipasti open the meal as tradition intends: creamy burrata, mozzarella di bufala, Italian cured meats and polpette, prepared from fresh produce, placed in the middle of the table to share.
Inside or on the terrace, in the heart of old Aix, our antipasti come before the Neapolitan pizza and the fresh pasta. A deliberately short menu guarantees freshness. Browse the menu or book a table: the meal always begins in the middle.
Our antipasti on the menu, family by family
From theory to the plate: here are the antipasti on our menu, sorted into the families described above. Everything you need to build your own platter to share in the middle of the table.
- BurrataOn a bed of cherry tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil.
- Truffle BurrataThe same burrata, lifted with a creamy Italian truffle.
- Mozzarella di bufala campanaCherry tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil.
- Prosciutto crudoA plate of Italian raw ham.
- MortadellaPistachio mortadella di Bologna.
- Carpaccio bresaola e parmigianoBresaola on a bed of rocket, cherry tomatoes and parmesan.
- Misto salumiThe charcuterie board for 2 to 3: bresaola, raw ham, mortadella, spianata, speck IGP, parmesan.
- PolpetteBeef meatballs in a tomato sauce, finished with parmesan.
- Golden breadHouse bread baked in our Neapolitan oven, extra virgin olive oil, 24-month parmesan and black olive tapenade.
Frequently asked questions
Your questions about antipasti
What are antipasti exactly?
“Antipasti” means “before the meal” in Italian: the Italian starters to share served at the very start of the meal — cured meats, cheeses, marinated vegetables and bruschetta.
Are antipasti eaten cold or hot?
Most often cold or at room temperature (meats, cheeses, marinated vegetables). Some are hot, like arancini, fried mozzarella or warm bruschetta. The two are often alternated.
Antipasti singular or plural?
“Antipasto” is the singular, “antipasti” the plural: one preparation vs the assortment served at the start.
Are antipasti and aperitivo the same thing?
No. The aperitivo is nibbling with a drink before sitting down; the antipasto is already the first course of the meal, though it can accompany the aperitivo.
What are the best-known Italian antipasti?
Among the great classics: caprese (tomato, mozzarella, basil), Piedmontese vitello tonnato, Venetian carpaccio, Sicilian caponata, Tuscan crostini and prosciutto e melone, not forgetting bruschetta and arancini.
How many antipasti per person?
Three to five bites per guest when it opens a full meal; five to eight when the platter is the heart of a dinner-style aperitivo.
Difference between antipasti and a French starter?
The French starter is an individual plated dish; the Italian antipasto is shared and part of a multi-course sequence (antipasto, primo, secondo, dolce).
Which antipasti are served at Di Micheli?
Our menu brings together cheeses (burrata, truffle burrata, mozzarella di bufala campana), Italian cured meats (prosciutto crudo, pistachio mortadella, bresaola carpaccio, a misto salumi board for 2 to 3), a hot antipasto, the polpette, and golden bread, our house bread baked in the Neapolitan oven.
Where to enjoy antipasti in Aix-en-Provence?
At Di Micheli, 13 Place des Cardeurs, 13100 Aix-en-Provence, in the pedestrian centre. Our homemade antipasti are served inside and on the terrace, lunch and dinner.
Read on
Keep reading
Find our Italian starters and carry on with the trattoria's other guides.
Discover our antipasti italiens Aix-en-Provence, homemade and served to share, on Place des Cardeurs.
Book your table at Di Micheli
Start your Italian meal the way it should be: antipasti to share, on Place des Cardeurs, in Aix-en-Provence.