Giada De Laurentiis' Bite-Size Carrot Appetizers Won't Last Long At Your Next Party

Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis has spent the last few decades developing her own personal spin on simple yet flavorful Italian meals like chicken piccata, braciole, and her favorite appetizer: bruschetta. Since Giada De Laurentiis' favorite appetizer is quick to make and packs tons of flavor, it's no surprise she's created many other easy-to-assemble hors d'oeuvres that require only a few ingredients. Next to her popular white bean dip and sweet pepper crostini with melted mozzarella, De Laurentiis makes a fresh carrot appetizer that's guaranteed to be a hit at your next party. 

Sure enough, Giada De Laurentiis' crunchy prosciutto and carrot bundles are simple to make and packed full of flavor. Even more, these refreshing snacks balance the rich flavors of hot, savory appetizers like spinach artichoke dip and barbecue meatballs. Fortunately, all you need to make these fresh-tasting appetizers are raw carrots, thin slices of prosciutto, and a few extra ingredients for flavor. 

While crispy carrot chips may be your favorite way to serve carrots at a party, De Laurentiis' unconventional appetizer is more convenient since it doesn't require any cooking. To make your own, combine raw, shredded carrots with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Then, wrap scoops of this mixture in prosciutto, add basil leaves, and secure each bundle with toothpicks. There are even a few resourceful ways to make each and every prosciutto and carrot bite all the more delicious.

To make this appetizer a real crowd pleaser, marinate your carrots in the intended dressing for a short amount of time before assembling each bundle. Doing so gives this simple app a more developed flavor. Also, for the best eating experience, you may want to experiment with how you shred or cut your carrots. Using a metal box grater may produce shreds that are too small to eat without making a mess. Instead, consider cutting your carrots into longer, matchstick-like portions. This way you can secure each bundle with more precision and possibly even without the need for toothpicks.

Speaking of which, don't be afraid to halve each slice of prosciutto to make smaller appetizers. Since prosciutto is quite salty on its own, smaller pieces may provide just enough savory flavor to balance the acidity of the marinated carrots. You can also experiment with different herbs and vegetables to give this snack a whole new flavor. Instead of topping each bundle with basil leaves, use fresh parsley or cilantro. You can also swap out the herbs for a leafy green like spinach or kale.

Lastly, if you don't particularly like the texture of prosciutto or dry-cured ham, make another Giada De Laurentiis classic like her roasted carrot hummus. Or, make an alternative chilled appetizer like ugly dip, which is a mish-mash of chopped fresh vegetables and olives that resembles an Italian-inspired pico de gallo, or De Laurentiis' antipasti skewers.