How bad is antipasto? Is it ketchup that is the main culprit?

I though an antipasto was a salad with roasted tomatoes, and Italian sliced meats (salami, proscuitto, etc) drizzled with olive oil. Ketchup? The only problem with my version is the high fat content. And the basket of bread that usually gets plopped on to table beside it.

OOH.. ok.. well perhaps we're talking about different things. I'm talking about the stuff you get in jars (canned) thats for topping on crackers. It has all types of veggies in it, green beans, cauliflower, peppers, pearl onions, ect. and some ppl put tuna and shrimp in thiers. It seems all relatively tame until you factor in the ketchup they use. Thats the only thing I can think that would make it a no-no. I dunno.. I've just heard that its fattening.. tried to find some nutritional info on it but couldnt. No biggie Thanks for answering tho!

I had the same reaction as Mel so I didn't answer. Could this be something unique to where you live? I remember you're in Canada -- maybe Ilene has some ideas. It must be frustrating not to have all the nutritional labels that we do!

Meg

Sun,

What you're describing also sounds a lot like ratatouille, which is a cooked vegetable mixture that comes from the Mediterranean region. It most often has peppers, tomatoes, onion and eggplant in it, but it could certainly have the other veggies. What brings ratatouille to mind is the tomato sauce that binds it all together. When it's made with fresh veggies, the tomatos cook down into a sauce; canned, it would probably look like ketchup.

Ratatouille is often served as part of an antipasto (which means first course ... or before the meal) or as a relish on the side.

I'm going to hazzard a guess that it's basically pretty healthy except for the fat content, and even then, it's probably better than lots of other foods I could think of.

Does the company have a website? Or have you tried typing the name of the product in a search engine, and seeing what you get?

Good luck.

To me it also sounds like the veggie stuff that is used in muffaletta sandwiches. I've never had a muffaletta but I've read about them!

Muffaletta, yuummmm! Now I want to go to New Orleans!

Yes, it does sound a bit like the olive salad mix they put on them, although it is olive oil based - no ketchup. And, lots of black and green olives.
Cindy

Hello girls,
Here is my take on the Antipasto... It is both a spread and a salad...
Here is the spread recipe:
Antipasto Spread
ingredients for 7 servings :
2 x 4 oz cans mushroom stems and pieces, drained and finely chopped
1 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
1 10 oz jar pimiento stuffed olives, drained and finely chopped
1 6 oz can ripe olives, drained and finely chopped
1/4 c Chopped green pepper
1/2 c Chopped celery
3/4 c Vinegar
3/4 c Olive oil
1/4 c Instant minced onion
2 1/2 ts Italian seasoning
1 ts Onion salt
1 ts Salt
1 ts Seasoned salt
1 ts Garlic salt
1 ts Sugar
1 ts Cracked black pepper
preparation:
Combine first 6 ingredients, mixing well; set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Pour dressing over vegetables; place in a large jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake jar to stir ingredients; refrigerate overnight. Serve spread with assorted crackers.

Then it is a salad just as Mel mentionned above... verrry hi fat!!

Later!

Ok.. this is similar to what I was talking about, and NOWW I can see why its bad bad bad!!.. This mixture is chopped, cooked with the sauce and canned, to be served with crackers.

cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets
4 carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch slices
4 inner celery ribs, cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
3/4 pound small fresh button mushrooms
1 jar (7 1/2 ounces) pepperoncini (pickled green peppers)
1 (7-ounce) can imported olive oil packed tuna, drained
1 (2 ounce) tin anchovies with capers, drained
1 (3-ounce) can pitted black olives, drained
1 (5-ounce) jar pimiento stuffed Spanish olives, drained
1 (12-ounce) jar baby kosher dill pickles, drained and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 (7 1/2-ounce) jar pickled onions
1 (6 1/2-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
For the sauce:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup tarragon vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
Sea salt, preferably gray salt
Cayenne pepper

Thankyou everyone for your input!!

sunluver.. from a nice italian girl/. that recipe you posted IN NO WAY RESEMBLES anything like an italian antipasta recipe. DON'T MAKE IT!!!!

like airregirl said, antipasta is anything eaten before the pasta... a plate full of little things to eat. kind of like a tapas platter. it can be anything. my family came from around naples, and grandma's antipasta was a platter of pickled peppers topped with chopped celery and anchovies, with olives around the side. and every one took a spoonful. no one ate a huge amount of it.

other people put mounds of veggies prepared in different ways, and add some meats and cheeses so that it's pretty much a huge meal.

soooo all this to say that a true antipasta is ANYTHING YOU WANT!!!

I thought it was a healthy type thing - but alot of ppl were saying it was high in fat, and now I can see why.

Jiff, and everyone else, thanks for replying and setting me straight!