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Gastgeben

Antipasti for eight: quantities that work out

Starters are almost always over-calculated. A calculation that holds up in practice.

10 min read

With antipasti, too little is rarely the problem -- too much almost always is. The trouble is not the leftovers, but that the main course follows and nobody is hungry any more.

Quantities per person

Reckon on 120 to 150 grams of antipasti per person if a main course follows. Without a main course, 250 grams is fine. That amount is best spread across four or five components, not eight -- more variety means a bit of everything is left over.

The combination that always works

  • Something pickled: peppers, courgettes or artichokes.
  • Something salty: olives, capers or anchovies.
  • Something creamy: burrata, ricotta or a bean puree.
  • Something hearty: salumi or grilled vegetables with herbs.
  • Bread, but not too much -- it fills people up faster than anything else.

Everything except the bread can be prepared the day before and often tastes better on day two, because the oil had time.

For larger gatherings we also put antipasti platters together to take away. Two days notice is enough.