Bridal Shower Food Made Simple with Italian Appetizers

Monday, June 22nd, 2009 at 3:11 pm

A bridal shower should be fun and relaxing for the bride, but this doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyable for the hostesses too. It is possible to plan a bridal shower that doesn’t require much effort but appears elegant and elaborate.

One way to do this is to simplify the bridal shower food. Rather than providing a full meal for guests, why not have a variety of Italian appetizers? Rather than one set entree, they offer guests a variation in food choices, and they are easy to eat since they don’t require sitting down with a fork and knife. Paired with an assortment of wines and arranged on nice serving dishes, these Italian appetizers can make a stylish and tasty statement.

One particularly popular appetizer is bruschetta. Thanks to Volpi Foods, the oldest and most prestigious authentic Italian meat manufacturer in America, making bruschetta is easier – and tastier – than ever. Volpi produces Italian traditional rotola, which is thinly sliced prosciutto hand-rolled in whole milk mozzarella. Volpi’s Basil Rotola, a variation on the original that includes fresh basil leaves among the layers of mozzarella, is the basis for a crowd-pleasing bruschetta recipe.

Pre-heat your broiler on a low temperature. Take one loaf of French bread, and cut vertical slices about one half inch thick. Place these slices on a cookie sheet and lightly toast in the broiler. After the bread is toasted, spread a thin layer of basil pesto on top of each slice. Open one package of Volpi Basil Rotola, cut it into thin slices, then place one slice on top of each piece of bread. If you prefer the cheese to be slightly melted, layer the pesto and rotola slices onto the bread slices before you toast them.

This modern take on the Italian traditional bruschetta recipe saves time in the kitchen and makes a savory addition to any party menu. The basil, garlic and pine nuts in the pesto bring so much flavor to the already flavorful rotola. And, what’s a bridal shower without good drinks? Serve the bruschetta with dry sparkling wine or Pinot Grigio wine.

Volpi Rotola can be an Italian appetizer in itself with variations such as Sun Dried Tomato, Hot Capocolla and Hot Salami. Simply arrange the slices with olives and crackers for a delicious antipasto platter.

You don’t need to be a chef to prepare gourmet bridal shower food, and you certainly don’t need to hire an expensive caterer. Delight your guests – and the bride – with Italian appetizers that are easy to make and impressive to serve.