5 Italian Catered-Party Ideas for Your Meat-Loving Crowd

If you are planning an Italian-styled catered dinner party, why not jazz up the menu from your favorite restaurant? If you are certain there are no vegetarians in your crowd, there are several options to be had for the meat lovers in your bunch. The following catering menu ideas should help make your party an event sure to please.

Just as the name suggests, your Italian-style appetizers served before your main course will whet the appetite of your guests. And meat is included in the offering. Try offering some peperoni arrostiti. This is a mouth-watering selection of tri-colored roasted bell peppers that is seasoned with parsley, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. It's topped off with scrumptious fontinella cheese and olives.

For something a little more substantial, how about smokey tomato bruschetta? The grilled Italian bread may be coated with olive oil and topped with fire-roasted tomatoes, garlic, and cured ham. It's a great way to start off your meal.

When in season, prosciutto and melon is another meat-lovers appetizer that is sure to please. Parmesan prosciutto is wrapped around the fresh melon. It is placed over a healthy serving of house greens.

Pasta is a great choice for your catered Italian dinner party, and there are plenty of options to choose from. Consider choosing one of the following:

This traditional Italian pasta entree is spaghetti made with a hearty meat sauce. The sauce is sometimes made with smoked bacon or Italian sausage, It's perfect for the meat lovers in your party. In place of the sausage, ground beef may be substituted. Onions, bay leaves, and garlic are also added.

This dish consists of layers of pasta made with imported cheeses and zesty red sauce. Ground beef is also added to the mix.

This is made from thin egg pasta and house vermicelli. The extra thin threads of pasta are flavored with rich tomato meat sauce and mushrooms.

This can be made with either Italian meatballs or sausage, making it yet another meat-lover’s dream. Linguine pasta is topped with a creamy Alfredo sauce and Italian-style meatballs. Alternatively, you might consider ordering this made with Italian sausage.

Whichever type of pasta you choose, it’s sure to leave the meat lovers at your party craving more.

Sometimes a more casual style selection is called for. If someone in your party is craving a hot-off-the-grill sandwich, here's a good idea. Consider offering house-made panini on the menu. A panini is a grilled sandwich made with crispy Italian bread.

The meat lovers will enjoy a meatball panini with mozzarella cheese. Another option is a sausage panini, made with Italian sausage and onions and topped with mozzarella cheese. Yum!

Panini sandwiches are a great choice for guests who feel like eating something a bit lighter than the traditional dinner entree options.

While pizza is not the main focus of your catered dinner event, it may be offered just for fun. And meat lovers may find the Italian sausage toppings to their liking. Pepperoni pizza is more traditional, however. Ham or bacon may also be added.

No dinner party is complete without dessert, and Italian offerings are tasty and tempting. Will you choose something cool and refreshing such as gelato? Perhaps you'd prefer a sweet and scrumptious chocolate-dipped biscotti? Tiramisu is another popular treat. You decide which one you want to add to the menu.

As you plan your catered pizza party, here's a final thought to keep in mind. Consider how many guests you will have and how much space you will need. Contact your Italian restaurant and inquire about your options.