Bring this beautiful antipasto wreath to a Christmas party for a festive centerpiece on any buffet table. It’s gluten-free with vegetarian and Vegan options to please various diet restrictions. Serves 4-6 people.

Snowy Antipasto Christmas Wreath

Christmas Antipasto

Wow your guests by making this impressive Italian antipasto Christmas wreath! Antipasto has become so popular in America and has become a party favorite. I’ve been making antipasto for decades.

My Italian mom and aunt (both immigrants) would make a 10 course Italian Sunday dinner for special guests from time-to-time and the antipasto was one of the first courses before the Wedding Soup. a.k.a. Minestra Maritata and pasta.

I long for those 10-course Italian meals now more than ever. I remember being a kid under the table crawling out of the other side.

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Italian Antipasto Wreath

Wreath includes:

4 oz prosciutto (formed in flowers) gluten-free
4 oz capicola (formed in flowers) gluten-free
4 oz soppressata (formed in flowers) gluten-free
caprese skewers (fresh mozzarella balls or slices with grape or cherry tomatoes) (vegetarian)
8 oz olive skewers- green olives and Kalamata (Vegan)
8 oz marinated artichoke hearts (Vegan)
8 oz marinated cheese stuffed red sweet peppers (vegetarian)
1 bunch flat-leaf Italian parsley
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Although this wreath does not include Italian red roasted peppers, which is my favorite, you can add them in a bowl in the middle where the bread is pictured or on the side. You may also lie it upon the wreath itself, if you choose.

I’m very choosy about which jarred roasted peppers to purchase, if I don’t have time to make my own.

Also, you may use marinated mozzarella balls to make this wreath. My marinated mozzarella balls recipe uses mozzarella pearls but, you can use mozzarella balls instead of pearls and just double the marinade.

Now, you may be wondering how long this will take you to assemble and that’s a good question as time is always of the essence. I would say it depends on your skill level. If you’re a beginner, give yourself an hour.

How to Make an Antipasto Wreath

You’ll need a few supplies plus the antipasto ingredients to make it.

Supplies

You’ll need one big 16″ round foil platter or pizza pan.

One foil pan is enough to hold the weight. If possible, use one with a fitted hard plastic cover. I keep the ones I get from catering orders for this very reason.

…one green 10″ styrofoam wreath can be found online or at a craft store.

and..

green paddle wire to attach/secure the parsley to the foam wreath. You may also use cable ties (if you can find green) or long green wire ties such as the kind you find when unwrapping new Christmas lights. Some of the wire will be exposed so it’s best to use green if possible. You can use good scissors to cut it.

and…

Cocktail toothpicks I like to use the cocktail toothpicks because they have the frilly colored cellophane tips which add some sparkle and make the presentation more attractive.

Also, they alert people that there is a toothpick there so they don’t get jabbed with a pointy toothpick. You don’t want to have to display the wreath with a box of Bandaids.

Whatever toothpicks you use need to be sturdy to get through the foam wreath.

Ingredients

4 oz thin-sliced prosciutto
4 oz sliced capicola
4 oz sliced soppressata or hard salami (you may use 1 1/2 rounds too but, not for flower formations)
8-10 fresh basil leaves
8 oz grape or cherry tomatoes
8 oz mozzarella cheese balls (marinated or not, but non-marinated balls are easier to handle)
4 oz olive skewers- green olives and Kalamata
8 oz marinated artichoke hearts
8 oz marinated mushrooms
8 oz marinated cheese-stuffed sweet red peppers
1 large bunch flat-leaf Italian parsley, washed and patted dry with a paper towel.
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

First, place the foam wreath on top of the foil platter.
Next, cut 4 (or more if needed) 6-8 inch pieces of green paddle wire.
Then, add 4 grape (or cherry) tomatoes with toothpicks to the wreath at the 12,3,6 and 9 o’clock positions as shown below.
Then, attach the flat leaf parsley to the foam wreath as shown in the picture below. It can go in one direction or not. It doesn’t matter. Just try to cover as much of the green foam as possible. Cut the stems that stick out too far. One large flat leaf parsley bunch should be enough.
Then, begin to make the caprese skewers by adding one mozzarella ball followed by one basil leaf, followed by one tomato to a cocktail toothpick. Repeat until you have 8 or so. Add them to the wreath.
Next, stack 2 olives on the toothpicks and add them to the wreath.
Then, add the marinated artichoke hearts one per toothpick and insert them into the wreath.
Next, add the marinated mushrooms, two per pick depending on their size.
Next, add the cheese-stuffed red sweet peppers to the wreath in areas opposite the caprese skewers.
Then, bunch up the prosciutto slices (one per pick) or roll them and add them to the wreath scattered.
Next, fold the capicola and soppressata in half and the again to form a flower-like appearance, put on a toothpicks and add them to the wreath evenly.
Last, sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese along with wreath to make it look snowy.
Optional- add crostini, fresh Italian bread slices or baguette slices to the middle of the tray. Also, you may add a bowl of Italian red roasted peppers to the middle with bread slices around it.

Antipasto Wreath

Storage

Cover the antipasto wreath tightly in plastic wrap (without bread or crackers) and store in your refrigerator until ready to serve up to three days. I served mine the next day (although same day is ideal) and it was still fabulous. The oil from the marinated items spills on the parsley and makes it shine.

Substitutions

You can use fresh rosemary, basil or curly parsley to adorn the wreath however, I chose flat leaf parsley because it’s the cheapest to cover the whole wreath while still adding flavor to the meats, cheeses and olives.
As I stated above, you can use cherry or grape tomatoes.
I added some toothpicks with two cranberries on them but, it’s not necessary.

Antipasto Christmas Wreath

Bring this Snowy Antipasto Wreath to a party any time of year and watch it disappear. You better make sure they save you some!

See more Christmas recipes or Italian recipes!

Snowy Antipasto Wreath

Snowy Antipasto Wreath is a beautiful, festive Christmas centerpiece.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Keyword antipasto Christmas wreath, antipasto wreath

Prep Time 1

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 398cal

Ingredients

1 bunch flat-leaf Italian parsley washed and patted dry with a paper towel.

Caprese Skewers

4 oz mozzarella balls marinated or not but, non-marinated is easier to handle
8 basil leaves
8 oz grape or cherry tomatoes

Remaining ingredients

4 oz green olives Spanish olives will work too
4 oz Kalmata olives
8 oz marinated mushrooms
8 oz marinated artichoke hearts
8 oz marinated cheese-stuffed sweet red peppers
4 oz thin-sliced prosciutto
4 oz sliced capicola
4 oz sliced soppressata or hard salami (you may use 1 1/2 rounds too but, not for flower formations)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese use as much or little as you like

Instructions

First, place the foam wreath on top of the foil platter.
Next, cut 4 (or more if needed) 6-8 inch pieces of green paddle wire.
Then, add 4 grape (or cherry) tomatoes with toothpicks to the wreath at the 12,3,6 and 9 o'clock positions as shown below.
Then, attach the flat leaf parsley to the foam wreath as shown in the picture below. It can go in one direction or not. It doesn't matter. Just try to cover as much of the green foam as possible. Cut the stems that stick out too far. One large flat leaf parsley bunch should be enough.
Then, begin to make the caprese skewers by adding one mozzarella ball followed by one basil leaf, followed by one tomato to a cocktail toothpick. Repeat until you have 8 or so. Add them to the wreath.
Next, stack 2 olives on the toothpicks and add them to the wreath.
Then, add the marinated artichoke hearts one per toothpick and insert them into the wreath.
Next, add the marinated mushrooms, two per pick depending on their size.
Next, add the cheese-stuffed red sweet peppers to the wreath in areas opposite the caprese skewers.
Then, bunch up the prosciutto slices (one per pick) or roll them and add them to the wreath scattered.
Next, fold the capicola and soppressata in half and the again to form a flower-like appearance, put on a toothpicks and add them to the wreath evenly.
Last, sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese along with wreath to make it look snowy.
Optional- add crostini, fresh Italian bread slices or baguette slices to the middle of the tray. Also, you may add a bowl of Italian red roasted peppers to the middle with bread slices around it.

Notes

NOTE: Nutritional info does NOT include cheese stuffed marinated red sweet peppers. This info can vary and is only an estimate especially because different brands have different nutritional info.

Nutrition

Snowy Antipasto Christmas Wreath