Build a Fall-Themed Charcuterie Board with an Italian Twist

Fall is here and suddenly everything has an autumn twist including our favorite course…antipasto. When you are in Italy, you will see antipasto as a section on the menu. This translates to “before the meal” and includes all the delicious bites you would enjoy before the main course. In the US, many of us refer to this as charcuterie, platters of different cheeses, meats, and sweet bites.

Charcuterie boards are great for any gathering whether it’s an intimate group of friends or a big party. Because these platters can be filled with a variety of foods, they can accommodate every food preference. 

Our partner, The Table Less Traveled is currently hosting their Fall Heart of Italy trip and the images from abroad have us craving our own Italian snacks and treats. 

We teamed up with The Table Less Traveled Italy Travel team to share a few tips for building a fall-themed charcuterie board with an Italian twist. Read below and see how we will be using our Dalla Fonte shop items to take this season’s charcuterie boards to the next level.

The number one rule for serving any Italian food is to make sure you have a LOT of it available. 

No one goes hungry in an Italian home and this starts hours before the meal is put on the table. Our family treats antipasto as a course for any gathering. It is always made ahead of time and set out before guests arrive. It helps direct people to cozy places to gather and keeps everyone out of the kitchen while we put the final touches on the first course. In our home, we use our coffee tables and out-of-the-way countertops to guide guests to cozy gathering places. People always cluster around the food!

For us, this includes four key elements: cheese, meats, crackers, and accompaniments that bring it all together. 

Here’s how we’d break down our fall-themed charcuterie board with an Italian twist.

Cheese

Our favorite Italian cheeses right now are gorgonzola dolce, la tur, and a smoked scamorza that brings us back to the cheeses we snacked on in Abruzzo. For a well-rounded charcuterie board, we recommend offering a variety of cheeses. It’s nice to have soft and hard cheeses as well as sharp and mild cheeses. Each of these cheeses pairs well with different types of meats and accompaniments.

Tip: One combination that we are currently obsessed with is apricot preserves, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (make sure to get the real DOP stuff!), and a drizzle of Cherry Barrel Aged Balsamic Vinegar. 

Meats

Our favorites are prosciutto and mortadella. For cured meats, find a specialty deli in your area that carries items imported from Italy. Our favorite in the Seattle area is Big John’s, a family-run specialty foods store with an unbeatable meat and cheese counter. If there isn’t a specialty deli in your area, a few grocery stores like Wegmans or Publix might carry options as well. Have some guests that prefer fish? Add spicy anchovies to the assortment to mix it up.

Tip: Keep cured meats on separate plates for the vegetarians in your life. 

Crackers

Crackers are there as vessels to enjoy it all. But that doesn’t mean you should skimp. Use Bruschetta as the perfect layering piece for cheeses and spreads. Put out a bowl of taralli to snack on their own or scoop up the soft cheeses. Want to create your own crackers? Slice your favorite bread thin and toast.

Tip: The Table Less Traveled’s Chef Alain has a favorite aperitivo combination; sliced baguette topped with fig marmalade, ricotta, and salami. Yum!

Accompaniments

This our favorite part! We never set out a charcuterie board without jams. Our love for mostaradas and jams with soft cheese began at restaurants in Tuscany and now we will always include them at home to remind us of our time in Italy.

A few spreads we love are apricot jam, fig marmalade, artichoke spread, truffle sauce, and, our new favorite, Lambrusco wine jelly!

We also love surprising our friends with a little something sweet sometimes tucking in Anisetti Biscuits, Pistachio cream, honey, or small chocolates. Adding in a few sweet items will compliment all the salty and savory cheeses and meats on your board. Make it really simple and order our Dolci Gift Box you’re set!

For more complimentary savory items we love adding olives, jarred veggies, or wine knots. If you want a cheat sheet to accompaniment and a wine to go with it, check out Dalla Fonte’s Prosecco + Aperitivo Box.

Let us know if there is anything else that you always add to your charcuterie board and make sure to raid Dalla Fonte’s shop for all the best Italian snacks and goodies during the holidays.

Collaboration with The Table Less Traveled and Dalla Fonte.