The Spritz, the most famous and imitated Venetian aperitivo in the world, is now a real trend in every Italian city. But which snacks to pair it with for a perfect aperitivo? Here are some super quick and tasty recipes to make at home, ideal for presenting to friends even at the last minute.
Spritz: The Aperitivo Loved Worldwide
The Spritz is an alcoholic aperitivo drink, made with seltzer, white wine, and Bitter, to be served with ice in a stemmed glass or a low rock glass. This preparation is very refreshing and goes well with classic packaged snacks or homemade ones. It lends itself perfectly to pairing with appetizers and savory finger foods, even vegetables in brine, fresh or in pinzimonio. However, it is not advisable to serve it with red meat, raw or cooked, as it would clash with its flavor.
If you want to prepare a classic aperitivo, don’t skimp on chips, peanuts, and the various typical packaged snacks of the Made in Italy aperitivo. But if you want to amaze your guests, even if you are not a kitchen whiz, choose one of our recipes presented below.
Super Easy and Quick Handmade Appetizers
The Spritz is ideal for welcoming your friends and delighting them with a very Italian, versatile aperitivo, to accompany with quick snacks that can be made at the last moment. Here are our recipes for you.
Bruschette
Bruschette always please everyone and allow for endless variations, with ingredients to taste and to mix in a thousand different ways, also according to seasonality.
If you are in a hurry and are not wizards of the stove, you can opt for bruschette, even in mini versions, to present to your guests with a fantastic Spritz.
You just need to take some bread to slice; a baguette or dark bread works fine. You can spread it with fresh and creamy cheeses, or with olive, walnut, or tuna pâté. Season with fresh vegetables and finish with pepper and salt, or use pickled or oil-preserved ones. Skewer everything with a toothpick and serve. You don’t need to be a chef; just combine well the ingredients you have at home or that you like best.
Do You Like Combining Sweet and Savory?
A not entirely unusual pairing that reconciles sweet and savory is that of prosciutto crudo with dried plums, preferably the softer ones. These should be wrapped in prosciutto crudo, better if from Veneto for a Spritz-themed aperitivo, but another quality will work fine too. Pass the prosciutto-wrapped plums in a hot oven for one or two minutes. Serve them warm and, if you like, place them on a small slice of bread.
Classic Italian Skewers
Indispensable in home aperitifs are skewers of mini mozzarella and cherry tomatoes. Who among you hasn’t pulled them out at least once? Well, they pair well with Spritz, especially if to the classic two ingredients you add olives. We recommend Italian Taggiasca olives, or savory oil-marinated varieties. If you love them, Greek olives, fleshy and large, work great too. You’ll make a great impression without any effort!
Spritz Pairs Very Well with Quality Cheeses
Cream cheese balls are also an evergreen in home aperitifs. By flavoring them with spices or herbs to taste and serving them with an excellent Spritz, you will make a great impression, also for the presentation, because these balls are also scenic. Mix fresh cheese well with a pinch of salt and pepper, choose a fairly firm one. Form into balls; dust your hands with flour to make it easier, or wet them from time to time to prevent the cheese from sticking to your palms. Roll the spheres in a mixture of chives, or in curry, sweet or spicy paprika, sesame, poppy seeds, or other as you like. You’ll see the scene and colors together with the Spritz!
Polenta and Baccalà: The Quintessential Venetian Pairing
Venetian-style baccalà is a real must in the region’s cuisine. It can be used for quick appetizer snacks, strictly to accompany Spritz. You will need to create a sort of mixture with the baccalà, that is, the stockfish is cooked and turned into a cream, with garlic, oil, and parsley, then spread on slices of toasted polenta or on bread croutons. This is a lengthy preparation, but you can make it in a few minutes by buying the ready-made fish and flavor mixture, easily found in delis. With Spritz it will be ideal and will please all your guests, Venetians and non-Venetians alike.
And how do you accompany the legendary Spritz?
