Caesar Antipasto Recipe

Prepare salad components

Wash and thoroughly dry the romaine lettuce; tear into bite-sized pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Halve the cherry tomatoes, drain and roughly chop the pickled vegetables, halve the olives, and arrange the torn/rolled cured meats.

Add the chopped pickled vegetables, cherry tomatoes, olives and cured meats to the bowl with the lettuce. Toss gently to combine so components are evenly distributed.

Emulsify dressing

In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise and Greek yogurt. Add grated garlic, finely minced anchovy fillets (or anchovy paste), Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and olive oil. Whisk until smooth and slightly thickened.

Stir in grated Parmesan, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust acidity or salt: add an additional 1/2 tbs lemon juice or up to 1/4 tsp salt if needed.

If you prefer a thinner dressing for tossing, whisk in 1–2 tbs warm water until desired consistency is reached.

Make crostini

Preheat the broiler or a skillet. Brush baguette slices with olive oil on both sides. Arrange on a sheet pan and broil 1–2 minutes per side until golden and crisp (or toast in a skillet over medium heat, about 2–3 minutes per side). Remove and let cool slightly.

Add the prepared dressing to the salad bowl and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly — start with about 3/4 of the dressing and add more if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Transfer the dressed antipasto to a serving platter or large shallow bowl. Scatter shaved Parmesan over the top and grate a little lemon zest over the salad, if using.

Arrange crostini around or on top of the platter. Serve immediately, letting guests add crostini to their plates or break crostini into the salad for crunch.