What to Serve with Antipasto Salad? 10 BEST Side Dishes

Did someone say cheese and meat? Antipasto salad has a timeless flavor that combines the two palates of spice and tanginess into one.

It is a favorite for any kind of social gathering, from weekend picnics to Christmas dinners.

Probably you’ve had the salad since time immemorial; perhaps you want to get a little creative with the food menu next time.

Are you wondering what to serve with antipasto salad? If yes, then we are here to help.

Because antipasto suits almost every taste palate, making side dishes for the salad is a cakewalk.

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes with Antipasto Salad?

While you can always go nuts with salad recipes, there are a few basic ingredients that go into an antipasto salad.

Cheese, cured meats, pepperoncini, olives, and cherry tomatoes are staples to fully enjoy their original taste.

The flavor of the salad is such that it goes great with almost every kind of side dish.

It also brings an oomph factor for your guests if they see an interesting side dish served with the salad.

Also, you can have a full heart meal with antipasto salad if you have a filling side dish.

What to Serve with Antipasto Salad? 10 BEST Side Dishes

Let us look at some of the best side dishes you can serve with an antipasto salad.

This isn’t an exhaustive list, and you can always bring in your own creativity while making them.

1 – Italian Mushrooms

There is nobody who can say no to the good’ol Italian mushroom dish.

The fresh flavors of the antipasto salad combine great with the buttery and mushy taste of fresh cooked mushrooms.

Mushrooms are loved by many, and since they don’t have a distinctively strong flavor, you can pair them up with any other dish.

You can add other vegetables to the mixture too, if you don’t want only mushrooms.

Simply slow-cook the mushrooms, slices of onions in butter, and Italian salad dressing.

The side dish is quick to make and goes well with an antipasto salad.

It is a combination where fresh and crunchy meets soft and buttery.

2 – Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

Zucchini flowers are best paired with dishes that are tangy and spicy, just like the antipasto salad.

By adding stuffed zucchini flowers to your antipasto platter, you can amp up your dinner table.

The stuffing can be anything of your choice, such as mozzarella balls (that’s if you are using other cheeses in the antipasto salad), salty prosciutto, and more.

The recipe is easy and quick to make.

Simply stuff the flowers, dip in batter and deep fry them.

You can use any ingredient for the batter, such as cornflour and eggs with some seasoning or only all-purpose flour.

3 – Spinach Cheese Balls

These cheese balls make a great side dish with antipasto salad because it is crunchy and gooey at the same time.

It is similar to sausage cheese balls or corn cheese balls which are much loved by many.

Spinach is a healthy delight that comes with many benefits.

Adding it as a side dish enhances the whole dining experience.

Also, it is a great way of feeding spinach to those who don’t like vegetables so much.

This tasty treat is best eaten with fresh salads like antipasto or other soupy dishes.

4 – Asparagus with Basil, Lemon, and Parmesan Cheese

You can never go wrong with the combination of asparagus and lemon.

Roast the asparagus, and it makes an excellent side dish that goes along with any kind of dish, such as antipasto salad.

The zing lemony taste with the hint of basil and topped with parmesan cheese makes the roasted asparagus pair with the salad really well.

Since antipasto salads come with cured meats and cheese, the combination with roasted asparagus is a burst of different flavors melding together into one.

It is easy to make.

You only need to roast the asparagus in little olive oil, squeeze lemon op and finish it off with parmesan cheese and basil.

5 – Any Homemade Italian Pasta

Now, we say any homemade pasta because antipasto salad blends smoothly with all kinds of pasta, such as shrimp scampi or pasta Napoletana.

Because antipasto is rich in flavors of tanginess and spicy, even the simple olio Aglio pasta goes well with it.

Pasta is easy to make, and you can use either homemade or commercially available sauce.

It is without a doubt that pasta sauces made fresh at home are the best, but packet sauces are good too.

The prep time for this side dish will be about 20 minutes, and you can add any toppings of your choice.

A tip here is to choose your favorite greens that couldn’t make it to your antipasto salad.

6 – Two-bean Tomato Bake

Now, for the bean lovers, you can make this easy 30-minute baked side dish that’s delicious and super healthy at the same time.

This baked dish harmoniously brings together the flavors of tomatoes, onions, beans, mushrooms, and garlic.

In short, it has everything an Italian loves.

The dish is topped using bread crumbs and parmesan cheese, thus giving it a cheesy yet crunchy feel.

Since it contains a combination of delicious vegetables, the dish tastes great with antipasto salad that comes with its flavored proteins.

7 – Mediterranean Chicken

Mediterranean chicken is a delicious main course dish that would make anybody drool.

If your antipasto salad doesn’t have much meat in it, then adding this chicken recipe as a side dish will smoothly balance the meal.

The combination of capers, sun-dried tomatoes, and nestled artichokes in a bed of creamy, lemony sauce makes Mediterranean chicken one of the top choices with salads.

If you want to spice things up, then you can add garlic with extra herbs and vegetables to the chicken.

Vegetables such as potatoes, zucchini, or carrots are healthy additions to your full-course meal.

8 – Focaccia Bread

Get ready for the springy and spongy mattress bread that is rich in olive oil and tastes great with any kind of dish, including the antipasto salad.

The extra olive oil adds texture as well as flavor to the bread, which you can slice up and have with the salad.

The antipasto salad has fresh vegetables and cured meats which you can add on top of sliced focaccia.

It is best if you can toast the bread a little to give the crunch with every bite.

9 – Parmesan Risotto

Parmesan Risotto is anything but delish.

It makes a heavy side dish with an antipasto salad.

This creamy Italian rice dish is slow-cooked in wine and seasonings, thus giving it a distinct flavor.

The cook time is 30 minutes, so you can start with this side dish first and then prep the salad.

The rice is heavily flavored with parmesan, chicken broth, garlic, and wine, so it blends well with the antipasto salad’s freshness.

10 – Italian Beef Ragu

This Italian side dish is one that even non-Italians love.

It makes a great combo with the antipasto salad if you want to go all out with your dining experience.

The dish has a meaty and sweetish flavor that blends with the spice and tanginess of the antipasto.

This side dish takes a long time to prep (about 2 hours) if you want the classic Italian ragu.

Conclusion

Antipasto salad is an appetizing dish you can add to your menu at any time.

The freshness and flavorful crunch of the salad make it suitable for all seasons.

Serving side dishes with this salad adds a different experience altogether.

The above-mentioned side dishes have been selected based on multiple trials and tastings.

Hence, you can blindly choose anyone because each tastes amazing when eaten with this salad.

So, don’t think about what to serve with antipasto salad anymore the next time you have guests over.