Italian Trio

Below are some quick and easy Italian inspired finger foods. The nice thing about these, is there is no exact recipe, and they become a starting point for more involved appetizers if that’s what you’re looking for.


Easy Baked Bruschetta:

Loaf of Italian Bread
Fresh garlic cloves
Olive Oil
Sliced tomatoes
Sliced Mozzarella
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375.

Cut bread into ½ inch thick slices (if your loaf is large, you may want to cut each of the slices in half).

Cut a garlic clove in half, and rub the cut end onto the bread rounds (you will probably need more than just one garlic clove, depending on the amount of bruschetta you’re making)

Place all slices on a baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil.

Place a slice of tomato, and a slice of fresh mozzarella on each of the slices.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake until mozzarella is browned and bubbly.

Pizza Pinwheels:

Refrigerated pizza dough
Tomato Sauce and/or Alfredo sauce
Grated cheese (we used an Italian blend)

Preheat oven to 375.

Flatten your pizza dough into a rectangle.

Spread a light layer of sauce over the entire surface, leaving a small amount on the long edges, free of sauce. Sprinkle some grated cheese over the sauce.

Roll the dough into a pinwheel (starting with the top long edge of the dough).

Cut ½ inch rounds and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake according to pizza dough instructions.

Fried Ravioli:

1 package of cheese ravioli (we used pre cooked frozen ravioli, thawed. You can use the refrigerated ravioli, or you can cook and cool regular frozen ravioli).
1 egg beaten and mixed with 1 tablespoon of water
½ - 1 cup of breadcrumbs (we used Italian style panko).
Oil for frying

Dip ravioli into egg wash then into breadcrumbs. Stack coated ravioli on a plate, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat 1 inch of oil in a pan. Place as many raviolis as you can fit into the pan, without over crowding. If the oil does not completely cover the ravioli, flip them over when the bottom is a golden brown.

Remove from oil and place on a paper towel covered plate (this removes the excess grease).

Fry the remainder of the ravioli in the same manner.

Serve with dipping sauce, we used tomato and Alfredo.

Notes:

Bruschetta:  There are so many variations you can do with this basic recipe. Add basil, caramelize some onions and add them. Bake the bread ahead of time, use chopped fresh tomato as a topping. So many options!!

Pizza Pinwheels: Finely chop any topping that you would put on a pizza and throw them in with the cheese.
  
Fried Ravioli:  Experiment with ravioli filled with other fillings. Even try some Tortellini.

As always, please share your variations with us, we love to hear them!!

Happy and safe New Year to all of you!