The best Italian snacks for charcuterie boards start with something crunchy, something bold, and something that can hang with cheese, cured meats, and a very good olive. Enter Tantos, the first and only puffed pasta chip, built to be the high-low hero your board has been missing. We're talking Marinara next to prosciutto, Cacio e Pepe next to a wedge of Parm, Pesto doing its thing beside some marcona almonds. So much yes, so little effort.
Why pasta chips belong on a charcuterie board
A good board is all about texture. Soft cheese, silky prosciutto, a crunch to break it all up. That's where we come in.
Tantos are made from 100% semolina, cooked, dried, puffed, and seasoned with real Italian ingredients. Each chip holds its own signature shape, fioregato, a little flower fold that scoops dip like it was born to. Curious how we got here? Read what pasta chips actually are and come back ready to build.
Meet the Tantos lineup for your board
| Flavor | Flavor profile | Board pairing |
|---|---|---|
| Marinara | Yes to red sauce, no ladle required | Fresh mozzarella, salami, a glass of Barolo |
| Pesto | Yes to basil and Parm, crispy and puffed | Provolone, prosciutto, sparkling water with lime |
| Cacio e Pepe | Yes to cheese and pepper together forever | Pecorino, peppered salami, a dirty martini |
| Classico | Yes to not messing with perfection | Olives, honeycomb, anything with a crust |
Classico is the board's neutral player. It goes with everything and lets the other ingredients shine.
How to build the board
- Start with small bowls for dips and olives, placed first so everything else fills in around them.
- Lay cheeses in loose clusters, not a straight line. Boards should look a little chaotic.
- Fan the cured meats so they ruffle, not flatten.
- Fill every gap with Tantos, one flavor per section so guests can see what they're grabbing.
- Finish with something sweet. Figs, grapes, honey drizzle, your call.
High brow meets low brow moves
Caviar on one corner, Classico chips scooping it on the other. Fancy Parm next to a bag of chips that cost less than the cheese knife. That contrast is the whole point. We say yes to all of it.
Feeling extra? We've got a whole post on building an aperitivo spread at home if you want to take the board further.
Dips and extras that make it a spread
Whipped ricotta with honey. Marinara sauce, warmed, for extra dunking. A little chili crisp for the brave. A board is never finished, it's just paused.
Ingredients
- 1 bag Tantos Classico
- 1 bag Tantos Cacio e Pepe
- 1 bag Tantos Marinara
- 4 oz fresh mozzarella, torn
- 4 oz prosciutto, thinly sliced
- 4 oz salami, sliced
- 1/2 cup marcona almonds
- 1/2 cup mixed olives
- 1/4 cup honey
- A handful of fresh basil leaves
- Grapes or fresh figs
How to make it
- Set out small bowls for honey, olives, and any dips first.
- Arrange mozzarella and other cheeses in loose piles around the board.
- Fan the prosciutto and salami between the cheese piles.
- Fill remaining space with Tantos, keeping each flavor grouped together.
- Scatter almonds, grapes, and figs into the open gaps.
- Drizzle honey over the cheese and finish with torn basil.
- Serve immediately, before anyone can resist.
FAQ
What are the best Italian snacks for charcuterie boards?
Cheese and cured meats are the foundation, but the best Italian snacks for charcuterie boards add crunch and flavor without competing. Tantos pasta chips are made from 100% semolina, cooked, dried, puffed, and seasoned with real Italian ingredients, which makes them a natural fit next to Parm, prosciutto, and olives.
Can you put chips on a charcuterie board?
We'd argue you should. A board needs texture, and Tantos bring crunch in four Italian-ish flavors, Marinara, Pesto, Cacio e Pepe, and Classico. Think of them as the snack that feeds the whole spread.
Which Tantos flavor works best on a board?
All four earn their spot. Classico is the neutral all-star, Cacio e Pepe leans into the cheese board energy, Marinara brings a red sauce punch, and Pesto adds an herby lift. We say bring all four and let people choose.
Where can we buy Tantos for a charcuterie board?
Tantos are sold at Kroger (400+ stores), H-E-B, The Fresh Market, Fresh Thyme, World Market, and specialty retailers, plus eattantos.com and Amazon. Use our store locator and punch in your zip code to find a bag near you.
Are Tantos actually Italian?
Italian-ish, by design. The name comes from Tanto si, an Italian expression meaning so much yes, and the flavors (Marinara, Pesto, Cacio e Pepe, Classico) all draw from Italian tradition. We're renegades who married that tradition with American snacking.
Ready to build your own so-much-yes spread? Grab the Variety Pack to get all four flavors in one haul, then use our store locator to find Tantos near you, zip code and all.
We're Tantos, the first and only puffed pasta chip, created by Chef Joe Sasto and co-founded with Sean Knecht. We believe pasta belongs at your fingertips anytime, anywhere, board included. So much yes.