Having guests over for dinner or a party? There’s no better way to keep them full and happy than by serving these 17 Italian appetizers on my list. Easy to prepare and full of flavor, you’ll love these recipes – and your guests will, too.
17 Appetizer Ideas Everyone Loves
1. Italian Bruschetta Bar
Bruschetta is a classic Italian appetizer. There are so many variations out there. Why not set up a bar so that your guests can choose the toppings they want?
This bar features pickles, deli meat, olives, spreads and more. You can get as creative as you want with the ingredients.
Think of it as a charcuterie board on steroids.
2. Arancini
Arancini is a popular street food dish in Italy, and it’s easy to see why. They’re little fried rice balls filled with rice, cheese and other fillings. Some recipes add tomato. Others add peas, beef and tomato.
This particular recipe is a simple one, and it’s easier than you think to make them.
If you don’t want to deep fry them, you can use an air fryer instead.
Be sure to serve with marinara sauce.
Related: 15 Easy Cheese Appetizers for Every Party and Gathering
3. Herbed Olive Tapenade with Goat Cheese Bruschetta
One of the most delicious Italian appetizers on this list. The olive tapenade is absolutely delicious. It pairs kalamata olives with manzanilla olives, garlic, oregano, basil, olive oil, red wine vinegar and lemon juice.
The tapenade is served on top of a tasty goat cheese spread.
If you have the option, I highly recommend buying your bread from a local bakery. Toast your slices with a little extra virgin olive oil spread on top to make them nice and crispy.
4. Sicilian Sausage Rolls
These sausage rolls, also known as Tomasini, are savory and filling. You’ll fill pizza dough with a mix of crumbed Italian sausage, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and spices.
Just cook the filling, let it cool and spread it over top of the rolled-out pizza dough. Roll it up, slice, bake and enjoy.
They’re similar to pinwheels in their shape and presentation.
It only takes 20 minutes to prep and 25 minutes to bake these, so this is an appetizer that’s ready in no time.
These will pair well with any other Italian appetizers you serve at your gathering.
5. Tortellini Skewers
All the things you love about antipasto, but on a skewer. This tortellini appetizer is delicious, zesty and full of flavor.
Each skewer has a bite of everything: fresh cheese tortellini, mixed olives, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, cured meats and mozzarella balls.
Feel free to swap out any ingredients you want to suit different tastes. You can make vegetarian versions without deli meat or add cherry tomatoes to the mix.
Place your skewers on a pretty serving platter and don’t forget to add some slices of crusty bread to go with your tortellini.
6. Easy Marinated Cheese Appetizer
Who doesn’t love marinated cheese and meats? This easy appetizer will be ready in no time, and you can use whatever ingredients you want.
You’ll start by mixing cubed cheese, green olives and sliced salami in a bowl. Then, you’ll mix the marinade of olive oil, dried oregano, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, dried basil, salt and pepper.
Pour the marinade over the cheese and olives mix, let it sit in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight and serve chilled.
You can serve these with crackers or add toothpicks to make it easy to pick up bite-sized pieces.
7. Quick and Easy Burrata
Italian appetizers don’t get much easier than this one. Lemon, garlic, fresh herbs and creamy burrata cheese pair perfectly with crusty bread.
Just pull the burrata apart and place it on a serving platter. Top with a sauce of olive oil, garlic and thyme. Sprinkle capers, lemon zest, olives and pine nuts on top to serve.
Not a fan of lemons? Try using sun-dried tomatoes instead. There are so many ways to customize this appetizer to your tastes or to give your guests variety.
8. Copycat Olive Garden Smoked Mozzarella Fonduta
Olive Garden may not be true Italian cuisine, but I’d be willing to bet that your guests will love this fonduta.
The dish has been discontinued at the restaurant, but this copycat recipe brings it back to life.
It’s a mix of mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, smoked provolone cheese, sour cream, thyme and red pepper flakes – all baked in a casserole dish until melted and gooey.
If you can get your hands on smoked mozzarella, use that instead of regular mozzarella.
Serve with slices of crusty bread.
9. Toasted Ravioli
Delicious fried ravioli served with warm marinara sauce. The recipe calls for beef ravioli, but you can use cheese or whichever type of filling you want.
You’ll dip each ravioli in an egg mixture and then in bread crumbs before placing them on a large baking sheet.
Make sure that you plan ahead because you’ll want to freeze the ravioli for 30 minutes before frying.
Work in small batches to make sure each one is toasted and crispy. I recommend using an air fryer because you won’t have to use as much oil, and it’s a safer method.
Related: 21+ Puff Pastry Appetizers That Look Fancy But Are So Easy
10. Millefoglie di Polenta
This polenta appetizer is delicious, easy to make and fancy looking. Slices of fried polenta are sandwiched between layers of stracciatella (a specialty cheese), sundried tomatoes and fresh basil leaves.
If you can’t find stracciatella, you can use mozzarella or burrata cheese instead.
The polenta is set in a plumcake mold to make slicing and stacking easier.
When serving, you can place a toothpick through the center of each stack for easy enjoyment.
11. Marinated Mozzarella Balls
I love marinated Italian appetizers like this one. They’re so simple, but the marinade adds tons of flavor.
For this recipe, you can use mini mozzarella balls, but I recommend avoiding mozzarella pearls because they’re too small.
For the marinade, you’ll need garlic, parsley, basil, sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, dried chili flakes and olive oil.
Just toss all of the ingredients together, and let them marinate in the fridge for at least four hours.
Add skewers to each mozzarella ball, along with a cherry tomato.
Each batch makes about 46 skewers.
12. Spinach Ricotta Bites
These little bites are delicious and real crowd-pleasers. Creamy ricotta cheese mixed with breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, spinach, garlic powder and salt and pepper.
Here’s the best part about this recipe: you can customize it however you want. Some fun variations: try kale instead of spinach, add herbs into the mix, or choose any type of cheese you prefer.
You can bake these in the oven or use an air fryer if you prefer. Serve them warm and with your favorite dipping sauce.
Marinara is always a great choice, or you can do garlic aioli.
13. Ricotta and Tomato Tartlets
How simple are these tartlets? They’re rich in flavor, colorful and quick to cook. You’ll need puff pastry, ricotta and cherry tomato confit (roasted cherry tomatoes).
Once the puff pastry dough has reached room temperature, you can unroll it and divide it into equal parts. Top each square with a spoonful of ricotta cheese and the cherry tomatoes.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until the pastry has puffed up and is a golden brown color.
You can add some fresh basil if you want, or even swap out the ricotta for goat cheese if you prefer.
14. Millefoglie di Salmone e Patate
Italian appetizers like these are fancy and delicious. Layers of crispy potatoes are sandwiched between smoked salmon and buffalo mozzarella.
I recommend using a mandolin slicer to make sure your potato slices are uniform and thin enough to crisp up during cooking.
Allow the mozzarella to melt on top of the potato slices and tuck in slices of smoked salmon in between. Top with small sprigs of fresh basil to complete this dish.
If you don’t like smoked salmon, you can omit it and just serve layers of cheesy potatoes.
15. Roasted Figs with Goat Cheese and Honey
Figs are a staple in Italian cuisine, and they make an excellent appetizer when they’re roasted. This dish is really easy to make, too.
You can prepare your figs two ways: you can either slice them in half lengthwise, or you can quarter them from the top down about two-thirds of the way down the fruit.
Then, you’ll stuff them with goat cheese and brush lightly with olive oil before broiling for five minutes. Before serving, drizzle with some honey and crushed pistachios.
I prefer to quarter the figs instead of slicing them in half because they’re much easier to serve this way.
16. Smoked Salmon Crostini
How gorgeous is this appetizer? It may look fancy, but guess what? It’s super simple to make.
The first step is to toast the bread and then top it with layers of herbed cream cheese and smoked salmon. Finish things off with fresh dill and capers as garnish.
Related: 15+ Easy Mexican Appetizers Everyone Will Be Obsessed With
17. Pesto Caprese Puff Pastries
I adore these puff pastries, and I know you will, too. Start by slicing your puff pastry into squares. Top each square with a little pesto, a slice of tomato and a slice of mozzarella.
Bring two edges of the square together to create a little pocket. Bake and enjoy!
