Italian appetizer recipes are easy to understand and make delicious food from!

Chicken Liver alla Francese (Fegatini Di Pollo)

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. calf liver

8 chicken livers

2 teaspoons butter or olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons italian vermouth

4 tablespoons sherry wine

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon parsley, minced

3 young scallions, chopped very fine

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Saute calf and chicken livers in butter or olive oil (take care not to overcook, as overcooking toughens liver). Cool. Place livers through a food chopper, twice. Combine chopped livers with salt, pepper, vermouth and wine. Blend well with a wooden spoon until very smooth. Saute garlic, parsley and scallions in olive oil until soft. Add to liver mixture. Blend… correct seasoning. Chill. Serve on small rounds of toasted bread or crackers.

Italian Tomatoes Stuffed with Anchovies (Pomidori Ripieni Con Acciughe)

Ingredients:

6 to 8 small, ripe Italian tomatoes

2 small tins of anchovies

2 eggs, hard-boiled

1 tablespoon soft butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut firm ripe Italian tomatoes in halves. Scoop out the insides of all halves. Discard pulp. Chop up the anchovies. Mash the eggs with soft butter. Season with salt and pepper. Combine mashed eggs with anchovies. Blend well together. Fill the tiny tomato halves with the mixture. Chill.

Chick Peas (Ceci)

Ingredients:

2 cups chick peas, canned

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and apper to taste

1/2 cup chopped Pignoli nuts

1 small can anchovy fillets

3 tablespoons finely minced parsley

Directions:

Heat chick peas with the juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Drain well. Place through a ricer or mash well until very smooth. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Add Pignoli nuts, blend well with a wooden spoon. Form into small balls; wrap an anchovy fillet around each one. Secure with a toothpick. Place on a buttered baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree F. oven for 15 to 20 minutes until very hot. Serve at once.

Eggplant Caviar (Caviale Di Melanzane)

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant

4 green peppers

1 pimento

1 medium onion

8 black olives, pitted

2 stalks celery

½ teaspoon dill, minced

½ teaspoons salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup wine vinegar

2 tablespoons vermouth

¼ cup water

2 ½ tablespoons sugar

Directions:

Bake whole eggplant and green peppers in a 400 degree F. oven until soft. Peel off skin from eggplant. Place the pulp into a mixing bowl. Run cold water over baked peppers. Peel off skins. Add peeled peppers to eggplant pulp. Add pimiento. Chop together and mix well. Chop onion, olives and celery. Add to eggplant mixture. Add dill, salt and pepper. Combine and blend the vinegar, vermouth, water and sugar. Stir well into the eggplant mixtures. Chill well before serving. Serve as an antipasto on small rounds of Italian garlic bread—or as a relish on a bed of lettuce.

Baked-Stuffed Mushroom Caps (Funghi Ripieni Al Forno)

Ingredients:

12 large firm white mushrooms

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 can white tuna fish

2 tablespoons sherry wine

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1 tablespoon parsley, minced

Pinch rosemary

12 rolled anchovies

Directions:

Prepare mushrooms: remove stems, do not peel, wash gently in cold water, sponge dry, brush with melted butter. Combine tuna fish, wine, lemon juice, mayonnaise, white pepper, parsley and rosemary. Fill each cap with tuna mixture. Round the tops. Top each stuffed cap with a rolled anchovy. Place in a buttered baking dish. Bake in a 350 F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve very hot.

Toasted Pimiento Squares (Crostini Con Pimento)

Ingredients:

Toasted bread

1 jar pimientos

½ cup very finely minced Italian red onion

Anchovy fillets

Mozzarella cheese, cut in thin strips

Pinch oregano

Directions:

Toast thin slices of bread. Remove crusts. Butter bread; cut into squares. Cover with thin strips of pimiento. Sprinkle with finely minced onion. Top with a lattice-work of anchovy fillets, then with strips of Mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle lightly with oregano. Place in a hot oven or under a broiler until thoroughly heated and the cheese melts.

Here are some vegetarian Italian appetizer recipes:

Eggplant Appetizers (Calzone alla Pugliese)

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 recipe favorite biscuit dough

½ pound diced Mozzarella cheese

3 4½-ounce cans eggplant Caponata

8 large stuffed olives

¼ cup grated Romano cheese

Melted butter

Directions:

Prepare biscuit dough according to favorite recipe. Turn out onto a lightly floured board. Knead until smooth. Divide into two parts. Roll out into two 10-inch rounds, about ¼-inch thick. Brush with a little warm olive oil. Combine diced Mozzarella cheese with 3 cans of eggplant. Caponata and sliced olives. Blend well with a wooden spoon. Add grated cheese. Place half of the filling on each rolled dough. Fold over. Press edges with the tines of a form. Brush tops with warm melted butter. Place on a buttered baking sheet. Bake in a 400 degree F oven for 25 minutes or until the appetizers are golden brown. Cut into thick slices, serve very hot. If desired, top each portion with a highly seasoned hot tomato sauce.

Toasted Garlic Bread (Pane all’Aglio)

Ingredients:

1 long loaf crisp Italian bread

½ cup soft butter

2 cloves garlic, crushed

½ cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cut loaf of bread into thick slices almost through the bread, leaving the bottom connected. Combine soft butter with finely crushed garlic. Brush slices of bread generously with the garlic butter. Brush crust with the garlic butter and sprinkle thickly with grated cheese. Wrap bread tightly in aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F. oven for 20 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and crusty. Tear off chunks and serve at once.