Tag: appetizers & snacks
Truffle Carbonara Nachos
Who says nachos can’t be fancy?
Herby chips? Fancy.
Egg yolks? Fancy.
Pancetta? Fancy.
Truffle? Fancy.
If you are feeling extra fancy, topping the nachos with caviar would send them over the edge of fanciness.
These decadent nachos are drizzled with an eggy sauce that combines the simple techniques of hollandaise and carbonara. If you need to make these nachos vegetarian, omit the pancetta and use two tablespoons of extra hot water instead.
Truffle Carbonara Nachos
- 1 bag Torres Mediterranean Herbs chips
- 0.25 pound piece of La Quercia pancetta
- 0.4 – 0.5 pound piece Jumi Truffle Raclette
- 2 eggs, yolks separated, whites discarded
- ¼ cup Parmesan – grated on a microplane
- Black pepper
- Chives
Prepare the nacho pan. Spread chips in an even layer onto a sheet pan or casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350℉.
Dice pancetta into ¼ in. cubes. Place into a small sauté pan over medium heat. Let the pancetta render out some fat and get crispy, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the pancetta and pour 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat into a bowl or cup with a pour spout. Set aside.
Remove the rind from the cheese and grate using the large holes on a box grater. Sprinkle over the chips and place in the oven until the cheese is melted, about 7-8 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk the two egg yolks and the grated Parmesan cheese. While whisking, slowly stream in the rendered pancetta fat until emulsified and no streaks of fat remain. If you’d like the sauce to be thinner, stream in a tablespoon of hot water as well. (If making nachos without the pancetta, slowly stream in two tablespoons of hot water.)
Remove the nachos from the oven. Sprinkle crispy pancetta over the chips and drizzle on the carbonara sauce. Garnish with black pepper and chopped chives.
Fig Wellingtons
A slight detour from a traditional Beef Wellington, these little sweet and savory puffs are a great snack to bring to any get-together.
Schaller & Weber’s Pâté with Goose adds a richness to these bites, but the entire tube won’t be utilized. Use the leftovers on a charcuterie board with crusty bread and cornichons, make decadent deviled eggs by adding a scoop to the yolk mixture, or gently melt the pâté with butter and a splash of sherry and toss with warm pasta.
Beau Bien Herbed Red Onion Marmalade is the jam used in this recipe, but get creative and swap for any of the amazing preserves on the Aperitivo shelves.
Most frozen puff pastry will have two sheets in the box. If you are feeling frisky and want to make 48, grab a larger container of figs and double the number of prosciutto slices.
Fig Wellingtons
Makes 24 two-bite snacks
- 1 sheet thawed puff pastry
- 12 dried black mission figs (a small container will have more than enough)
- 12 slices La Querica prosciutto
- 1 tube Schaller & Weber Pâté with Goose
- 1 jar Beau Bien Herbed Red Onion Marmalade
- 1 egg
- Assorted salts or seeds – poppy seed, flake salt, smoked salt, fleur de sel, sesame seeds, etc.
Preheat oven to 400℉ and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat, aluminum foil or baking spray.
Gently roll out thawed puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface until the rectangle almost doubles in size. Slice the sheet into 24 smaller pieces. Start by slicing the longer end of the sheet into thirds using the folded lines as a guide. Cut each third in half.
In the other direction, cut down the middle, then each of those halves in half. That should give you 24! Stack up the rectangles and cover with a damp paper towel until ready to assemble the wellingtons.
Slice the stem off 12 figs and cut in half lengthwise and keep to the side.
Cut each slice of prosciutto in half lengthwise and set aside. If the slices are extra long, cut into thirds and snack on the rest while you assemble.
Make an assembly line. Place the puff pastry stacks, halved figs, prosciutto slices and spoons in both the jam and pâté on a large cutting board. Fill a small bowl with water and use a pastry brush (or your finger) to seal the edges.
Start by rolling out 1 piece of puff pastry until it is roughly 2 in. x 3 in. Place a few slices of the onions on the middle of a prosciutto slice. Smear about a ½ teaspoon of the pâté on the fig and lay face down on the onion. Wrap the prosciutto around the fig and place in the middle of the puff pastry sheet. Brush the edges with water and bring the corners together. Seal the edges by squeezing and gently pressing down so there are no holes in the bottom. Set on the prepared sheet tray.
Repeat until all 24 are assembled. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush on each of the wellingtons. Sprinkle with salt or poppy seeds and bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway, until golden brown.
Let cool and serve with grainy mustard.
Fig Wellingtons can be made in advance. Once cooled, keep in an airtight container in the fridge and bring up to room temperature before serving.
Sofia, Speck and Quince “Sushi”
Sushi made with cheese. Sounds fun, right?
This hilarious and playful cheese snack comes from the DiBruno Bros. cookbook, House of Cheese.
The original “sushi” uses Rogue Smokey Blue, prosciutto and quince paste, which is presumably delicious. The Aperitivo version combines soft and beautiful Capriole Sofia and smokey La Quercia Speck with the quince. Look for a piece of Sofia that is ripe and a bit squishy.
This snack is a tad visually confusing with the quince paste looking very similar to raw tuna, but trust us. It’s yummy.
Sofia, Speck and Quince “Sushi”
- 0.25 pound La Querica Speck (about 2 sheets worth)
- 0.25 pound Capriole Sofia, at room temperature
- 1 package quince paste
Place Sofia in a small bowl and mash/stir together until smooth and spreadable. If you want it be more white in color, remove the outer rind before mixing.
Lay a 12-in piece of plastic wrap flat on the cutting board. Arrange the slices of speck across the plastic, slightly overlapping. (You should be able to gently pull the shingled slices directly from the paper in one piece)
Using a butter knife or offset spatula, spread the cheese on top of the speck slices, leaving a ¼ in border around the sides.
Slice the quince paste in half lengthwise and remove one half from the carton. Slice the piece in half again, then once more, making four strips. Place the quince paste strips about 1 inch from the bottom of the cheese and speck.
Beginning with the bottom edge, form a tight roll (like you would make a sushi roll), using the plastic wrap to assist. Keep the roll wrapped in the plastic wrap, and roll it in the brown butcher paper from the speck. (This keeps the speck from browning when exposed to light) Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
When ready to serve, gently slice the sushi into bite-sized pieces with a serrated knife. Arrange on a platter and serve.
Fiore Sardo and Pink Peppercorn Crackers
Try an update on the classic cheese shortbread crackers.
Pecorino Fiore Sardo is a firm sheep’s milk cheese from Sardina, Italy. It is sharp, earthy and smokey, pairing great with the floral and fruity notes from the pink peppercorns.
These crackers are a great addition to a cheese board and make a great snack to bring to all your holiday celebrations.
Fiore Sardo and Pink Peppercorn Crackers
- 8 ounces Pecorino Fiore Sardo – 0.5# piece
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room
temperature - 1/2 tablespoon crushed pink peppercorns*
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
Preheat oven 350°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
Remove the rind from the cheese and grate on the small holes of a box grater.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, salt and pink peppercorns on low speed until blended. Add the grated cheese and flour to the bowl and mix on low speed until smooth.
Pour the dough out onto a cutting board and shape into a dish. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to ¼ – ⅛ inch thick. Using a smaller cookie cutter (or a champagne flute or shot glass) cut out dough circles and place on baking sheet.
Bake crackers 13-15 minutes until lightly golden and just starting to brown around the edges. Let crackers cool and store in an airtight container.
*Gently crush peppercorns by putting them in a Ziploc bag and push down on them with the bottom of a skillet.
“Paella” Nachos
The goal behind the creation of all Aperitivo Nachos is to make a delicious and flavorful snack or meal, with minimal ingredients and minimal effort. They are a quick and easy dish to bring to a party, or make for yourself after a long day.
These nachos are inspired by the flavors of Spanish Paella. Saffron-infused raclette gets melted over tender and flaky Spanish tortas pieces, all topped with stuffed calamari and a piquillo lemon aioli. While this version of nachos does call for making a simple aioli, it is worth the small effort. It might be the best part of the nachos.
“Paella” Nachos
Makes 1 medium sheet pan worth of nachos
Aioli
- ¼ cup Hellman’s Mayonnaise
- 1 Matiz piquillo pepper, finely diced
- 1 small garlic clove, grated on a microplane
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Nacho Assembly
- 1 package Matiz Tortas de Aceite
- 0.4 – 0.5 pounds Jumi Saffron Raclette
- ½ green or red pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 package Cole’s Stuffed Calamari
- Chopped parsley
- Lemon wedges for garnish
To make the aioli, mix all the ingredients together and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside until nachos are ready.
Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a medium sheet pan with aluminum foil.
Gently break the tortas into pieces (roughly the same size as tortilla chips) and scatter on the lined sheet pan. Remove the rind from the cheese. Using the large holes on a box grater, shred the cheese and scatter on top of the torta pieces. Place the sliced peppers over the cheese and set in the oven. Bake for 5-6 minutes until the cheese is melted.
In the meantime, slice each stuffed calamari into thin rounds.
Remove the pan from the oven and scatter the calamari over the melted cheese and peppers. Drizzle some of the leftover oil from the tin over the nachos and set back in the oven for an additional 1 minute.
Remove the nachos from the oven. Sprinkle on chopped parsley and small dollops of the aioli and serve.
Pesto Bianco Stuffed Dates
Just when we thought we couldn’t love La Quercia any more, they send us these INSANE meat spreads.
Image source: La Quercia
Similar to Nduja, the Pancetta and Pesto Bianco spreads are made with delicious cured meats from humanely raised and responsibly sourced pork, sea salt and spices.
The Pesto Bianco is a savory lardo spread made from the cured fat from La Quercia’s prosciutto. The aged lardo is blended with sea salt, black pepper, rosemary and red chili flake.
It can take the place of butter in almost any application – worked into biscuit or tart shell dough, served over a steak, or tossed with warm pasta.
Image source: La Quercia
These two-ingredients snacks are perfect to serve with drinks at your own Aperitivo time. The subtle sweetness of the warmed dates and the softened, rich Pesto Bianco make for an addicting bite.
Pesto Bianco Stuffed Dates
- 1 container, Medjool dates
- 1 package, La Quercia Pesto Biano
- Toothpicks
- Chives and rosemary (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350℉.
Pit the dates by slicing a small slit down the length of the date, being careful as to not slice through it entirely. Gently pull the pit out, leaving a contained space for the filling.
Using a spoon or your fingers, stuff a small amount of the Pesto Bianco spread inside the date. Secure with a toothpick and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dates.
Heat in the oven until warmed through, about 5 minutes.
Transfer to a serving dish, top with chopped herbs (optional) and serve immediately.
OG Aperitivo Nachos
Created out of desperation during a late-night craving for chicken and waffles, the OG Aperitivo nachos are a guilty pleasure that you should feel no shame in eating.
This snack hits all the flavor and texture points you want when needing a comfort meal – cheesy, spicy, sweet and crunchy – And it can be made in almost an instant, with minimal ingredients. It is scoop-able, indulgent, and fit to serve company or eat from your lap while watching crappy TV. No judgment here.
While Fritos are the chips of choice for the OG Aperitivo Nachos, if you have a bag of regular potato chips or tortilla chips, use them instead. This is about getting this from your oven to your mouth as quickly as possible. Be adaptable! That being said, everyone’s oven is different. If broiling works well to melt your cheese, awesome. If not, heat at 400°F and let melt there. Also, a microwave works too. But only if you are very desperate.
**While this is the OG of nacho combinations, there is no end to the amazing Nacho combinations that can be created from the Aperitivo case. Check out some of our other favorites here.
OG Aperitivo Nachos
Serves 1 hungry person or 2 polite people willing to share
- One 10.25 ounce bag regular Fritos – or as many small bags as to fill up a baking sheet
- .3 – .5 pound wedge of French Raclette
- ¼ cup Mama Lil’s pickled peppers
- Honey – try some of the great varieties on the Aperitivo shelf
Using a large-hole cheese grater, shred the French Raclette.
Spread Fritos out on a rimmed baking sheet.
Sprinkle shredded French Raclette evenly over Fritos.
Set baking sheet in the oven and set to Broil. Keep an eye on the tray and remove once the cheese is melty and bubbling, about 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle Mama’s Lil’s over the melted cheese. Drizzle the entire pan with honey. Serve/eat immediately.
‘Nduja Honey Butter
If you haven’t been exposed to ‘Nduja yet, get ready for your world to be rocked. Seriously.
This spicy, spreadable salami comes from the Calabria region of Italy but is available from some of our favorite American charcutiers – La Quercia and Nduja Artisans. Chunks of prosciutto and speck are ground together with spices and Calabrian chiles, giving nduja an unmistakable porky, spicy and tangy flavor. It might be one of the most versatile ingredients sold in the Aperitivo meat case – we use it in vinaigrettes, serve alongside burrata, stuff into dates and spread on the ever-popular Hot Calabrian sandwich.
At home, a scoop of nduja can do wonders for sauteed peppers and onions, makes an amazing pizza topping, is the best secret ingredient in carbonara and this… ‘Nduja Honey Butter.
Creamy, salty, sweet and spicy, this butter is insane with no limits on how to use it – a generous smear on a breakfast sandwich, tossed with zucchini noodles, rubbed on salmon before roasting… the possibilities are endless.
This recipe can be easily scaled up or down. Only have half a package, use half a stick of butter! Don’t want it to be too spicy? Use less ‘nduja. We are big fans of cultured butter here at Aperitivo, but no need to use here. Regular unsalted butter works just fine. Save your fancy butter for when it should be just about the butter.
‘Nduja Honey Butter
Ingredients
- 1 package 'nduja – try La Quercia or 'Nduja Artisan
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp honey, plus more to taste – try Sleeping Bear Dunes
Instructions
- Allow the butter and 'nduja to sit out and come to room temperature. (The butter will take longer).
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the 'nduja, butter, and honey until combined. Taste, then add additional honey or salt if needed.
- Eat with a spoon directly out of the bowl, or store in the fridge in an airtight container. Let come up to room temperature for easier spreading.