Italian Antipasti Freschi
- ljazwa522
- Oct 11, 2020
- 6 min read
During my trip to Italy in 2016 I learned that Italian food focuses on the quality of the ingredients. The simplest dish can be packed with the most flavor! Some of my favorite Italian dishes are made up of a simple meat or seafood accompanied by grilled vegetables from my local farmer's market that are seasoned perfectly with extra virgin olive oil and salt. The trip inspired some simple appetizers including easy crostini, bruschetta, and a homemade salad dressing. I never buy store bought salad dressing anymore - it's so simple to make at home!
The Inspiration Behind the Appetizers
In my previous post I wrote how Thailand was the #1 place to visit on my bucket list. In 2016 I planned a trip to Florence, the Amalfi Coast, and Rome because Italy was #1 on my husband's bucket list. It was a pretty easy trip to plan since I studied abroad in Florence in 2009. I had visited Rome several times on class trips and took a weekend trip to the Amalfi Coast while I was studying abroad. However, I had never been to Naples! So, I added that to our itinerary so that I could experience this city for the first time. This trip was also different from my study abroad experience since I was in my late 20's and I no longer needed to travel on a student's budget. We visited my favorite places in Florence, splurged at a Michelin star restaurant in Sorrento, and packed the "must sees" into 3 days in Rome! I hope you find some inspiration for your next trip in my itinerary.
ITINERARY:
Day 1: Firenze | Our flight arrived in the morning and we checked into the Hotel Bretagna, which is located right on the Arno River. After checking into the hotel we picked up a Firenze Card so we could tour many museums and sites with just one pass. We had lunch at Gusto Pizza, which was a favorite pizza place of mine from when I studied abroad. Since we still had energy, we decided to hit the ground running on our first day! We visited the Ponte Vecchio, Santa Croce, the Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore), and Santa Maria Novella. After freshening up at the hotel we walked to Trattoria Dante for dinner.
Day 2: Firenze | We woke up early and arrived at the Uffizi Gallery when it opened at 8:15 am. The line can get pretty long during the day! That day we also visited: the Bargello, Palazzo Vecchio, the Accademia, San Marco, San Lorenze, and the Central Market. In the middle of the day we stopped at I Frattellini to grab a sandwich and glass of wine for lunch. In the afternoon we enjoyed some gelato at Gelateria La Carraia. We took a taxi to Piazzale Michelangelo to watch the sunset before enjoying dinner at Trattoria Anita near Santa Croce.
Day 3: Firenze | We made reservations with a tour group to visit the towns of Siena and San Gimignano. The tour ended with a wine tasting at a winery in Chianti! After returning to Florence we ended the day with a Florentine Steak dinner.
Day 4: Amalfi Coast - Sorrento | We took the train from Florence to Naples (3 hours) and then took the local train to Sorrento. I love Sorrento! It is a great place to stay in the Amalfi Coast because it has great transportation to access all the other towns in the area. I also love the little town for shopping and eating, and it has beautiful lemon trees. We checked into Hotel Carlton and then freshened up for our restaurant reservation at Ristorante il Buco - a Michelin star restaurant that I highly recommend! (don't forget the wine pairing)
Day 5: Amalfi Coast - Capri | In the morning we took a ferry to the island of Capri. Get there early to avoid the crowds! We took a boat tour around the island. Unfortunately, the boat could not enter the blue grotto due to high tides. This is the second time I visited Capri and this happened to me both times! (At least this gives me a reason to return!) We took the funicular to Anacapri, the top of the island, for lunch. We hiked back down to the ferry and returned to Sorrento for dinner at Chantecler’s Trattoria. (They had amazing grilled vegetables!) Don't forget to end your dinner in Sorrento with some limoncello!
Day 6: Amalfi Coast - Pompeii | We took the train to Pompeii. We were planning on going too Naples in the afternoon but we ended up staying in Pompeii most of the day. Therefore, we decided to wait until the next day to go to Naples! I recommend scheduling plenty of time for Pompeii - it's an entire city of archeological sites and there's so much to see! It feels like you're walking around a real city (because you are). After returning to Sorrento we decided to walk around the town and then enjoy a meal on the water at Trattoria da Emilia. The food, wine, and view were enjoyable!
Day 7: Amalfi Coast - Naples & Positano | For our last day in the Amalfi Coast we took the ferry to Naples. This was my first time to Naples and it was definitely a lot of fun! It is a fast paced city and has an authentic 'old world meets modern' feel. We visited the National Archaeological Museum which houses a lot of the artifacts from Pompeii. We walked around the city and ate delicious Naples pizza for lunch! Once we returned to Sorrento we took a local bus to Positano for the evening. Positano is one of my favorite cities on the Amalfi Coast. The views are stunning and picturesque.
Day 8: Roma | We took the local train from Sorrento to Naples and then switched to the high speed train to Rome. After checking into the Best Western Plus Hotel Milton Roma (located near the Colosseum) we went to many of the sites in North Rome including the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, and the Pantheon. We also had 5pm reservations to visit the Borghese. During the day we grabbed some gelato at Giolitti near the Pantheon. It's a large shop and it looks touristy, but it's oh-so-good!
Day 9: Roma | For our second day in Rome we had reserved tickets to enter the Vatican before general opening. Our tickets were for 8:15 am. We ordered these tickets through Viator and I definitely recommend doing this because the Vatican can get extremely crowded! This allowed us to skip the line and start our visit before it became too busy. After lunch we visited San Clemente, a church recommended by my sister-in-law where you can see the many layers/generations of the city's history, and San Giovanni, the "first Vatican". We had dinner in the Trastevere neighborhood, which was recommended by my brother who studied abroad in Rome many years ago. The area is known for the young locals, vibrant cafes, and shops. I enjoyed walking around before dinner and looking at the local artists' work on display.
Day 10: Roma | On our last day in Rome we toured the MUST SEE attractions of Rome! The Roman Forum, the Colosseum, and the Capitaline Museum.
PLANNING TIPS:
Tip 1: Bring a scarf or light sweater to cover your shoulders when you enter churches.
Tip 2: Wear comfortable shoes and hit the ground running, there's so much to see (especially in Rome!)
Tip 3: Italian food is all about quality ingredients and simplicity. Don't skip the grilled vegetables in the Amalfi Coast. You'll experience flavors that you don't often find!
Tip 4: Gelato. Gelato. Gelato. Schedule enough time for a gelato break each day. You can work out when you get home.
Tip 5: It's OK to drink wine with your lunch. (as long as you didn't rent a car, obviously)
Italian Antipasti Freschi
#1 Crostini
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Ingredients: Loaf of Italian Bread, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt, Oregano
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375* F.
Step 2: Slice the loaf of bread into pieces and place on a baking sheet.
Step 3: Drizzle olive oil on top of the bread pieces and then add salt and oregano.
Step 4: Bake for 10 minutes then remove from oven!
#2 Bruschetta
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Ingredients: Crostini (from recipe #1), Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Salt, garlic, Basil Leaves, Fresh Tomato
Step 1: Cut tomatoes into small pieces.
Step 2: Add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to a pan and heat to medium. Chop garlic and add it to the pan. Mix while cooking for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly brown. Set aside to cool.
Step 3: In a bowl, mix tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and garlic.
Step 4: Put crostini on a serving platter and top with the tomato mix. Top with fresh basil and serve!
#3 Salad with Homemade Italian Dressing
Total Time: 10 Minutes
Ingredients: Lettuce (butter lettuce or arugula work well), Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato, Garbanzo Beans, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar, Oregano, Salt, Pepper, garlic powder (additional option: fruit, such as strawberries or mango)
Step 1: Dressing | Mix equal parts extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. Add oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic powder (season to your desired taste)
Step 2: Prep Ingredients | Cut the mozzarella and tomato
Step 3: Mix | Mix the lettuce and garbanzo beans. Top with tomato and fresh mozzarella. Spring dressing on top and serve!
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