When we visited last summer, our Italian family wasted no time introducing us to the tradition of aperitivo. Simply put, it’s like a way-cooler cousin of American happy-hour... And we think it’s some pretty great inspiration for gathering. The problem i that gathering isn’t so cut-and-dry during a global pandemic. More on that in a bit.

Aperitivo is the word for a pre-dinner drink meant to help work up an appetite. But aperitivo has also come to be the name for the routine of pre-dinner drinks and small bites! It’s a couple of hours before dinner when Italians relax, mingle, and enjoy the evening before settling down for a meal. Our favorite aperitivo memories were times spent outside, enjoying the waning summer evenings, laughing with loved ones… Always with a table covered in small plates of salty, savory, bready foods and a glass of wine or bitter-sweet spritz in hand. 

But now, in the time of social distancing and working from home for the health and safety of our communities… How do we gather? Without inviting friends to our table, how do we laugh over drinks? If the bars are all closed, how are we going to meet up for a spritz? In a strange way… We’ve never really lived, as a species, in a better time to stay connected and gather despite our physical distance. Sure, virtual hangs are never quite the same as gathering in person — but video-call happy hours have become a favorite of ours during this time. And if aperitivo is happy hour’s cooler cousin… Then say buonasera to video-call aperitivo, because it could be the new tradition that gets you through these weird times. 

Make the evening feel like an actual time of day, instead of just a short bridge between the hustle of the day and the end of the night. Invite a friend to a video call in the limbo time between lunch and dinner. Pop open a bottle of wine or make a light cocktail or mocktail. Compare notes on what snack foods your pantry is stocked with. Make the same recipe to munch on, in your separate kitchens, and compare notes. See if your wifi works on the balcony/porch/patio. Catch up, laugh, snack, drink, and enjoy each other’s company! Heck, you might easily end up making a meal out of it.

One of our favorite aperitivo foods? Bruschetta! The name probably conjures an image of tomato tossed with basil, oil, salt, and garlic served atop toasted bread… But while much of the world remains fixated on that seemingly ubiquitous (and admittedly delicious) bruschetta topping — the toast is the bruschetta, not the topping! Toasted (traditionally grilled) bread that has been rubbed with raw garlic, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkled with salt. It can be topped with many things or served without a topping at all.

This bruschetta recipe is inspired by piccata — specifically, the savory lemon sauce made with capers, butter, and white wine. The sauce is traditionally part of a dish of thinly sliced meat that has been dredged in flour and pan-fried served with pasta or potatoes. To take inspiration from these flavors and turn them into the ultimate vegan aperitivo bite, we had to get creative! We took a look at all the elements that make piccata so wonderful and reverse-engineered an easy, delicious appetizer (erm, antipasto)! It’s made up of pantry staples and hearty produce with long shelf lives, too, so it’s even practical in a quarantine kitchen.

Cannellini beans provide a starchy base of protein while olive oil that’s been infused with garlic and pepper flakes becomes a buttery, savory framework to hold every other flavor in balance. Sautéing the capers softens their briny bite and white wine vinegar works as a no-cook solution to provide the flavor and fruity acidity of white wine without getting you tipsy on hors d'oeuvres. (Though we do recommend serving this dish with a glass of your favorite white wine — or, even better, a spritz!) 

You could have video aperitivo with a different person every night this week — or even just once — and feel a bit more connected in these stressful and isolating times. Andrà tutto bene, amici. Ci rivediamo (we will see each other again)!

Tips & Info

• Prep it! You can pre-make the topping to lighten your load when it comes time to serve up some cocktail hour eats.

• This recipe works great as a sandwich filling or salad topper. Make some for meal prep! Try it out in different contexts — make a melt with it, serve it on top of a green salad — the flavors are versatile and work warm or cold.

• Serve it as a dip! Add a splash of extra oil and mash the beans a little more. Serve with torn-up crusty bread, pita chips, crudités, etc!

• Fresh Lemon Juice is always best. If you want to use bottled lemon juice, look for 100% real lemon juice for flavor’s sake. Oh, and zest your lemons before you juice them (you’ll thank us later).

• Gluten-free? The topping is still your new best friend. Toast up some GF bread, go for the dip option we mentioned above, or use it as the filling in a wrap… The world is yours! Seize the day (and the beans)!

We would love to see what you make!
Tag #cookwithpowerplant & @powerplantpnw on Instagram!