By Week 432. Year 9. Tommy is 42. The Fourth of July cookout on Claycut Drive — the annual institution, the neighborhood gathering, the brisket or the hog or the ribs on the pit and the thirty or forty people in the driveway and Carl at the door and the sparklers at dusk. Colette (15) in high school, painting. The summer is loud and hot and full.
Made grilled andouille this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. Always enough.
The andouille was the centerpiece, but a cookout on Claycut Drive with thirty or forty people needs more than a centerpiece — it needs a spread, something to graze on while Carl holds down the door and the sparklers are still hours away. This Italian wine and antipasti spread is what I put out before the main event: cured meats, good olives, something briny and something rich, the kind of table that says come in, sit down, we’re not in a hurry. It’s the food that turns a driveway into a living room.
Italian Wine and Antipasti Spread
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 20 min | Servings: 8–10
Ingredients
- 6 oz thinly sliced prosciutto
- 6 oz thinly sliced soppressata or salami
- 4 oz sliced mortadella
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella, torn or sliced
- 4 oz aged provolone or Pecorino Romano, chunked
- 1/2 cup Castelvetrano olives
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained
- 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, sliced
- 1/4 cup pepperoncini
- 3 oz sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 baguette, sliced and lightly toasted, or assorted crackers
- Dry Italian red or white wine, for serving
Instructions
- Prep the board. Use a large wooden board, marble slab, or wide serving platter. Give yourself more room than you think you need — an antipasti spread should look abundant.
- Anchor with cheese. Place the mozzarella and provolone in different sections of the board, spaced apart so guests can reach from multiple sides.
- Add the meats. Fold or ruffle the prosciutto, soppressata, and mortadella into loose piles or fans between the cheese sections. Vary the shapes so nothing looks too arranged.
- Fill the gaps with olives and vegetables. Spoon the Castelvetrano and Kalamata olives into small bowls or directly onto the board. Scatter the artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, pepperoncini, and sun-dried tomatoes into the remaining spaces.
- Finish and dress. Tuck fresh basil leaves throughout. Drizzle the mozzarella and any exposed board space lightly with olive oil. Season with flaky salt and cracked pepper.
- Add bread last. Arrange toasted baguette slices or crackers along the edges just before serving so they stay crisp. Replenish as needed throughout the gathering.
- Serve with wine. Set out a bottle of dry Italian red (Chianti, Barbera, Montepulciano) or a crisp white (Pinot Grigio, Vermentino) and let people pour at their own pace.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 380 | Protein: 19g | Fat: 26g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 920mg