A collection of recipes of traditional Italian appetizers, including Eggplant Croquettes, Onions in a Balsamic Vinegar, Crostini, Stuffed onions and more.

Freshly baked Tuscan focaccia

Whole wheat focaccia with cherry tomatoes and oregano

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An easy but unusual focaccia recipe which makes a rustic-textured, half wholewheat bread. Ideal to eat with cheeses and salad.
Eggplant caviar dip with yogurt, sprinkled with paprika

Eggplant caviar: roasted eggplant dip with lemon, yogurt and cumin

This eggplant caviar is fresh and lemony. A little cumin gives it a hint of the Middle East.

Eggplant crostini (crostini di melanzane)

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Crostini are little appetizers that you can invent yourself depending on what’s in season and what ingredients you happen to have around. It is easy to cook eggplant in too much oil, since it is something of an oil sponge… this recipe seals the eggplant before oil is added so that you use less oil.
Tomato and basil bruschetta on toasted rustic bread

Tomato and basil bruschetta: the classic Italian appetizer

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In Italian, this simple but delicious tomato appetizer is pronounced "Brusketta". Obviously, use the tastiest tomatoes that you can get hold of. Often, cherry tomatoes have a lot more flavour than larger varieties.
Tuscan bean and escarole crostini

Tuscan bean and escarole crostini

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You can serve small quantities of this Tuscan bean dish on crostini, as an appetizer, or larger quantities as a hearty soup.
Crostini topped with salsa verde

Salsa verde crostini: Tuscan green sauce with parsley and capers

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Crostini are little appetizers that you can invent yourself depending on what’s in season and what you have in the house. Salsa verde is a tangy herby sauce often served to accompany boiled meats, but delicious in its own right.
Golden fried eggplant croquettes (polpette di melanzane)

Eggplant croquettes (polpette di melanzane) with ricotta and Parmesan

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One of the most delicious things invented! Best fried just before you serve them, but they are fine at room temperature too if it’s a hot day. These go quickly when we make them at our cooking school in Tuscany!
Fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with mozzarella

Fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with mozzarella and basil

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This is a dish to be made and savoured immediately. You can even make it as a pre-dinner nibble while you finish cooking something time-consuming with friends.
Sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil with capers and oregano

Homemade sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil with capers and garlic

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Sundried tomatoes prepared like this tend to much tastier than the ones you find already prepared in oil.
Small onions glazed in balsamic vinegar

Sweet and sour baby onions in balsamic vinegar (cipolline in agrodolce)

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Your guests will be fighting over these tangy onions! Remember to provide plenty of bread to mop up the delicious caramelized sauce coating them. At our cooking school in Tuscany, this side dish is one of the biggest hits!