This easy Italian charcuterie board is the cheese board to impress! Filled with imported Italian cheeses and meats, olives and sweet bites of honeycomb and fruit, there’s a delicious bite that everyone will love!
Italian Charcuterie Board
Tis’ the season for parties, appetizers and delicious bites! I have had this Italian themed charcuterie board in my head for a while and couldn’t wait to create a colorful charcuterie board with delicious Italian antipasti.
All of the items on this Italian meat and cheese board are from Italy, including Italian cheeses, Italian meats and accouterment to pair with all the bites.
If you’re looking for a smaller charcuterie board, check out my simple charcuterie board that is perfect for a few people!
Ingredients
When looking for items for your Italian meat and cheese board, think about having different textures and flavors. Have some harder aged cheeses, such as Parmigiano Reggiano and some softer cheeses, such as mozzarella or burrata.
More about the different styles of cheeses below.
Italian Cheeses
- Parmigano Reggiano: Also called Parmesan, this is a firm, aged cows milk cheese that is often grated added on top of pasta. For a cheese board, cut the Parmigiano into rustic chunks to snack on and pair with some aged Italian balsamic. Buy a chunk of Parmigiano reggiano with the rind and once the rind is left over, add it to sauces or Sunday gravy, soups and stews. The rind will slowly disintegrate in whatever you’re simmering, giving great flavor.
- Burrata: One of my favorite cheeses, burrata is a ball of mozzarella with a soft, creamy cheese inside, called stracciatella. When you roughly tear open the ball of burrata, the creamy cheese oozes out and it’s so delicious! We usually serve burrata with roasted tomatoes and for this cheese board, burrata us served with pesto and Calabrian chiles.
- Fontina: Another favorite, Fontina is a creamy, slightly sweet and pungent cheese that is idea for melting. Looking to make the best mac and cheese of your life? Add fontina.
- Gorgonzola: Creamy and slightly sweet, gorgonzola is one of my favorite blue cheeses. I opt to buy gorgonzola dolce in a wedge and not crumbled, because I love the creaminess. Gorgonzola is fantastic paired with honeycomb.
- Taleggio: A semi-soft wash rind cheese with a dense, creamy center. The flavor is mild and buttery yet the aroma is stronger. Don’t eat the rind, though, it’s technically edible, it won’t taste good. Let tallegio sit out for at least 30 minutes so the cheese softens and flavors wake up.
Italian Meats
- Calabrese: This spicy salami has a bit of a kick to it, thanks to the chilies. If you love salami and love spice, look for calabrese.
- Prosciutto: A dry cured Italian ham, prosciutto is often found with other meats and cheeses in grocery stores. You can eat prosciutto as is, or crisp it up and garnish roasted tomato soup.
- Speck: If you like prosciutto, look for speck! Instead of cured, speck is smoked, giving a lovely smoky layer of flavor.
Accoutrement (Other Cheese Board Additions)
- Fruit: Grapes and cherry tomatoes on the vine are on this board. Other suggestions would be fresh figs and clementines.
- Olives: Castelveltrano olives are mind and buttery and garlic stuffed olives are more briny and savory.
- Crostini: Slice a baguette on a bias and lightly toast the slices to make crostini.
- Crackers
- Honeycomb: Pair this with the gorgonzola.
- Pesto: A simple basil pesto pairs well with the creamy burrata cheese.
- Calabrian Chiles: These are small red chiles that come from Calabria. You can find them sold in jars whole, but I suggest buying them chopped. Calabrian chiles have a good heat punch to them and have great flavor! I like adding Calabrian chiles to chicken puttanesca for a bit more of a kick.
- Artichoke Hearts: Season artichoke hearts with a touch of olive oil, oregano and roasted peppers.
Assemble the Italian Cheese Board
- Arrange the cheeses spaced around the board. Cut the firmer cheeses in rough chunks and slice the semi-soft cheeses, such a the fontina and taleggio.
- Serve the honeycomb on top of the gorgonzola cheese.
- Add the burrata cheese to small bowls and garnish with pesto and/or Calabrian chiles.
- Arrange the calabrese salami and prosciutto or speck around the cheeses in the empty spaces.
- Nestle bunches of grapes and tomatoes on the vine onto the platter.
- Season the artichoke hearts with roasted bell peppers, oregano and olive oil and fill in any empty gaps. You can also serve this in a small bowl as well.
- Fill any remaining gaps with olives, crostini and crackers.
More Appetizer and Boards to Try:
Italian Charcuterie Board
This Italian charcuterie board is filled with Italian cheeses and meats, olives, honeycomb and fruit, there's a delicious bite that everyone will love!
Ingredients
Cheeses and Meats
- 1/2 pound gorgonzola wedge
- 1/2 pound Taleggio sliced
- 1/2 pound Fontina sliced
- 4-8 ounces burrata
- 1/4 pound Parmigiano reggiano cut into chunks
- 4 ounces Calabrese salami
- 2 ounce prosciutto or speck
Accoutrement (Additions)
- 1 cup pitted Castelveltrano Olives
- 1 cup Garlic stuffed olives
- Grapes
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Honeycomb
- Pesto
- Calabrian Chiles
- Crostini
- Crackers
Marinated Artichoke Hearts
- 1/2 cup canned artichoke hearts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup roasted red pepper strips
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Arrange the cheeses spaced around the board. Cut the firmer cheeses in rough chunks and slice the semi-soft cheeses, such a the fontina and taleggio.
- Serve the honeycomb on top of the gorgonzola cheese.
- Add the burrata cheese to small bowls and garnish with pesto and/or Calabrian chiles.
- Arrange the calabrese salami and prosciutto or speck around the cheeses in the empty spaces.
- Nestle bunches of grapes and tomatoes on the vine onto the platter.
- Season the artichoke hearts with roasted bell peppers, oregano and olive oil and fill in any empty gaps. You can also serve this in a small bowl as well.
- Fill any remaining gaps with olives, crostini and crackers.
Notes
Bring cheeses to room temperature for 30 minutes, before serving for maximum flavor.
Nutrition
Calories: 549kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 30gFat: 47gSaturated Fat: 24gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 2115mgPotassium: 194mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1523IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 728mgIron: 1mg
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