How to Create A Simple Italian Cheese Plate

Charcuterie boards are all the rage and while some of the most beautiful charcuterie boards are large with a number of different ingredients, some of the best boards are simple and classic. This simple Italian cheese plate serves up delicious food with a simple display. This is a perfect charcuterie board for 2 people or a small snack to start off your next meal.

Below you can find complete details on what you need to create this board and some additional Italian charcuterie board ideas and ingredients.

You might also like A Small Charcuterie Board Recipe.

What to Include in an Italian Cheese Plate

When choosing ingredients for an Italian cheese plate, select fresh ingredients, pickled ingredients, cheese, olives, meats and other typical ingredients you would find in an Italian Antipasto dish. You can often find these ingredients for sale individually at your local grocery store, and many grocery stores actually have a food bar with Italian food items so you can get just what you need. The best place to get some of these specialty food items is at an Italian Grocery store if you are lucky enough to have one nearby.

Below is a list of the ingredients included in this list as well as a few additional items you may want to include:

Ingredients for Italian Charcuterie Board Ideas:

• Cheese: you can’t have a cheese plate without cheese! For this board we chose feta and mozzarella cheese balls. These cheeses are best served with toothpicks since they can be difficult to pick up. You can also consider burrata, gorgonzola, provolone or taleggio.
• Italian Cured Meat: Italians love cured meats and this makes a great addition to an Italian cheese board. You can select prosciutto, pancetta., guanciale, speck, and lardo.
• Olives: olives are a popular Italian Antipasto and are a great addition to this plate.
• Mushrooms: Mushrooms are a popular addition to an Italian cheese plate and can be served in several ways including marinated or pickled.
• Peppers: peppers can be soaked in vinegar or oil or served fresh or even stuffed with cheese.

You can also select other Italian ingredients like artichoke hearts or fresh ingredients like tomatoes, bruschetta, breadsticks or more. You can also purchase an Italian charcuterie board kit with all the ingredients ready to go.

Assembling an Italian Charcuterie Board

Once you’ve collected your ingredients, creating a simple Italian cheese board/charcuterie board is easy. Unlike many charcuterie board designs where you cram everything onto the board and completely cover the surface, the Italian charcuterie board ingredients are best displayed laid out simply with a little space between the ingredients. This is partially for looks and partially because many of the Italian antipasto ingredients are covered in herbs, oil or vinegar and that taste from one item can easily come off on one of the other ingredients.

Italians also tend to linger over their food and the simple and beautiful board encourages you to grab a glass of wine and enjoy the Italian cheese plate.

When to Serve an Italian Cheese Plate

An Italian cheese plate or antipasto dish is best served as the first part of the meal. The word antipasto actually means ‘before the meal.’ You can also serve the Italian cheese plate/charcuterie board as a plate during a cocktail party or as a snack with a glass of wine.

If you add a bit more cheese and some bread you can even turn this delicious Italian cheese plate into a light meal. Serve it with a red Italian wine and you have a simple and delicious meal.

Italian Cheese Plate Recipe

Below you can see an Italian cheese plate recipe. This includes the ingredients shown in the image above

Looking for more charcuterie board ideas? Check out:

• Mediterranean Charcuterie Board
• Exactly How to Create a Simple Charcuterie Board
• How to Make an Easy Veggie Charcuterie Board