Even when you don’t have time to spend preparing a first course, a few slices of prosciutto and salami are a delightful way to start any meal. Arranged on a plate with some olives and good bread and you have a ready made feast. Add a few wedges of good pecorino and some grilled vegetables sott’olio (in oil) and your feast will be fit for a king.
In Emilia Romagna anything more than this is considered de trop but travel south to Sicily and the antipasto is king. Meals all over the island start with an enormous buffet of cold dishes including caponata, grilled vegetables, salumi, peperonata, polpette, arancini, panelle. It require a huge amount of will-power if any room is to be left for the following courses. Wherever you travel in Italy, however, a plate of cured meats and/or cheese is the most welcoming of sights.
