Fresh antipasti are simply wonderful. But you don’t always have time to prepare and marinate each vegetable separately. So here is a recipe idea for a quick antipasti version.
Bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, fennel, asparagus – whatever your heart desires or your fridge has to offer – and of course a generous amount of garlic are cooked and broiled in the oven and then marinated in a lemon, garlic and olive oil marinade.
The antipasti taste best while still lukewarm with grilled meat or fish. Or classically as an appetizer with fresh baguette.
Quick Antipasti
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant
- 1 zucchini
- 2 bell peppers
- 1 fennel bulb
- 1 bunch green asparagus, approx. 500 g
- 55 ml olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 lemons
- salt, pepper
- fresh thyme, rosemary, as you like
Nutrition per serving, approx.: 234 kcal6 g protein23 g carbs15 g fat9 g fiber
Estimates, calculated from the ingredients.
Equipment
- oven
- deep baking sheet
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 185 °C (365 °F), conventional oven (top and bottom heat).
- Cut 1 eggplant into slices approx. 1 cm thick. Spread the slices out on some paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
- In the meantime, cut 1 zucchini into 1 cm thick slices and 2 bell peppers into thick strips. Place the prepared vegetables on a deep baking sheet.
- Clean 1 fennel bulb, halve it and cut out the core. Depending on the size, halve it again or cut it into thirds and add it to the other vegetables on the baking sheet.
- Peel 3 garlic cloves and cut them into very thin slices.
- Pat the salted eggplant slices dry and halve them.
- Spread the vegetables and the prepared garlic on a baking sheet and toss with approx. 25 ml olive oil and 0.5 tsp salt.
- Add fresh thyme and/or rosemary if you like.
- Place in the middle of the oven and cook for 25 min. (In total, the vegetables are in the oven for approx. 45 min)
- In the meantime, prepare 1 bunch green asparagus (see Tips and Tricks) and toss with a little olive oil.
- Add to the vegetables in the oven and carefully fold in.
- Cook for another 10 min.
- Then switch the oven to the broiler setting and move the baking sheet up to the top.
- Broil the vegetables for approx. 10 min until done. Carefully turn them several times and take them out in time.
- In the meantime, make a marinade from the juice of 2 lemons, 30 ml olive oil, 2 thinly shaved garlic cloves, 0.5 tsp salt and a little pepper.
- Drizzle the marinade over the still-hot vegetables and let them cool. Season a little more if needed.
- Serve the antipasti while still lukewarm with fresh baguette or as a side dish with grilled meat or fish.
Tips
- You don’t need to peel green asparagus. However, the woody lower end has to be removed. To do this, gently bend the asparagus downward in the lower third and snap it off.
- Since the asparagus doesn’t need to cook as long, it goes into the oven later.
- You can get creative with the vegetables. Carrots, beans, onions, parsnips, leeks, etc. also work wonderfully, for example. The baking sheet just shouldn’t get too full, so that all the ingredients can cook and broil properly.
- If you like, you can also mix chopped parsley into the marinade.
- Storage: The antipasti keep for about 3 days in the fridge covered with olive oil; for freezing, turn them into a sauce first.
Find more kitchen tips from A to Z in our Kitchen A–Z.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Quick Antipasti
Which vegetables are good for quick antipasti?
Eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, fennel and green asparagus are my classics. But carrots, beans, onions, parsnips or leeks work too. The only important thing is that the baking sheet doesn’t get too full, so everything cooks through and gets nice roasted flavors. You’ll find prep tips in the kitchen ABC, for example under salting eggplant and green asparagus.
Do I need to peel the green asparagus?
No. With green asparagus, you only snap off the woody end: gently bend the spear in the lower third until it breaks on its own. Because asparagus cooks faster, it goes into the oven later.
How do I serve the antipasti?
Ideally lukewarm with grilled meat or fish – or classically as an appetizer with fresh bread. That also makes the quick antipasti ideal for a buffet.
What does antipasti actually mean?
Antipasti literally means “before the meal” – in Italy, these are the small appetizers that come to the table before the pasta.
How should I store the quick oven-roasted antipasti?
Put the roasted vegetables in a clean jar or container and cover them with olive oil. Stored this way, they keep in the fridge for about 3 days. Take them out half an hour before serving so the oil turns liquid again.
Can I freeze oven-roasted antipasti?
The vegetables don’t work as antipasti after freezing because they turn soft. You can blend the leftovers into a pasta sauce and freeze it in portions, though. It keeps for about 3 months.
