Antipasto means before
the meal and is the Italian equivalent of appetizers (not a
salad or fried foods served by many Italian-American
restaurants). It is a platter of meats, cheeses, raw or cooked
vegetables, olives and bread. The antipasto platter is pretty
much the same as a charcuterie platter. Both involve dry, cured
meats and garnishes. Antipasto is served at room temperature and
incorporates many colors, textures and flavors to stimulate all
of the senses before the main course.
Antipasta is an erroneous colloquialism for antipasto, a
mistranslation of before the pasta.
Antipasti (antipasto plural) are a simple assortment of meats,
cheeses, and vegetables.
Charcuterie is the French equivalent and means cooked meat. A
platter of good-quality cooked and dry-cured meats, sausages and
pâté with various garnishes like bread, olives, nuts, dried
fruit, crackers or baguette bread, jelly or jam. Cheese was not
typically included, but is now often added.
Incidentally, pepperoni is entirely American.