Aperitivo snacks are the salty, briny, crunchy bites made for sipping a spritz, not sitting down to a full meal. Think olives, cured meat, a little cheese, and a big bowl of Tantos for the crunch that ties it together. Aperitivo hour isn't about a huge spread. It's about a good one, ready by the time you pour the first round.
What is aperitivo, anyway?
Aperitivo is the Italian ritual of a drink and a small bite before dinner, built to open your appetite, not close it. Spritz in hand, olives on the table, conversation doing most of the work. We're borrowing the ritual and keeping the spirit: easy, social, a little generous.
Building the aperitivo snacks spread
No cooking required. Just good stuff, arranged with intention.
- A few kinds of olives, the briny ones
- Cured meat, thinly sliced, whatever you've got
- One cheese wedge, room temp, no fuss
- Something pickled, for the zing
- Crusty bread or breadsticks
- A big bowl of Tantos, because pasta belongs at the table in every form
Tantos flavor pairings for aperitivo hour
We're firm believers that a puffed pasta chip earns its spot next to the good stuff. Here's how we'd pour it.
| Flavor | Drink pairing | The vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Marinara | Spritz or a glass of Barolo | Red sauce energy, no ladle required |
| Pesto | Prosecco or fancy sparkling water | Basil, garlic, parm, crispy |
| Cacio e Pepe | A negroni, obviously | Cheese and pepper, forever and ever |
| Classico | Champagne or a bodega soda | Simple and delicious, we don't mess with it |
Highbrow meets lowbrow, aperitivo edition
This is our whole thing. Michelin-starred plates and midnight munchies, Barolo and ranch, champagne and gas station soda. Aperitivo hour is the perfect stage for it. We wrote a whole love letter to this idea in the ultimate charcuterie board with pasta chips, and the aperitivo spread is basically its cousin who drinks a little earlier.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mixed olives, briny
- 4 oz cured meat, thinly sliced (prosciutto, salami, or both)
- 1 cheese wedge, room temperature
- 1/2 cup pickled vegetables or giardiniera
- 1 baguette or box of breadsticks, sliced
- 1 bag Tantos, any flavor (Marinara for a crowd, Cacio e Pepe if it's a smaller, fancier affair)
- Something to drink, spritz recommended but not required
How to make it
- Pull out your favorite board or a big platter, the bigger the better.
- Add small bowls for olives and pickled vegetables so nothing rolls around.
- Fan the cured meat in loose ribbons, not flat stacks.
- Set the cheese wedge whole, let people cut their own.
- Fill in gaps with bread and breadsticks.
- Pour Tantos straight into the biggest empty space on the board. Don't be shy with the bowl.
- Pour the drinks. Start the hour.
FAQ
What are aperitivo snacks?
Aperitivo snacks are the small, salty, savory bites Italians serve before dinner alongside a drink, things like olives, cured meat, cheese, and something crunchy, meant to open the appetite rather than fill you up.
What do you serve at aperitivo hour?
A simple mix of briny, salty, and crunchy: olives, cured meat, a cheese wedge, pickled vegetables, bread, and a bowl of something crunchy like Tantos to round it out.
Can pasta chips be part of an aperitivo spread?
Yes, actually. Tantos are the first and only puffed pasta chip, made from 100% semolina, cooked, dried, puffed, and seasoned with real Italian ingredients, so they fit right into an Italian-ish spread without any translation needed.
What flavor of Tantos works best for aperitivo hour?
Marinara and Cacio e Pepe both bring big flavor for a crowd, while Classico plays well with basically any drink in your hand. We say bring more than one bag.
Where can I find Tantos to build this spread?
Tantos are sold at retailers including Kroger, H-E-B, The Fresh Market, Fresh Thyme, World Market, and a growing crew of specialty and independent stores, plus direct at eattantos.com and Amazon. Use our store locator to check what's near you before happy hour starts.
Ready to build the spread? Grab the Variety Pack so every flavor gets a seat at the table, and use our store locator to find Tantos near you. Curious what makes a puffed pasta chip a puffed pasta chip in the first place? We break it down in What Are Pasta Chips?
Tantos, created by Chef Joe Sasto (Top Chef finalist) and made by Sasto Snacks, is the first and only puffed pasta chip, seasoned in your favorite Italian flavors like Marinara, Pesto, Cacio e Pepe, and Classico. The name comes from Tanto si, an Italian expression that means so much yes, and that's exactly who we are: believers in saying yes to the delicious things that make you happy, wherever and however you crave them.