Antipasto - or "what comes before the pasta" - can be a snack with drinks or the basis of an entire meal. This ever-present constituent of Italian menus is an assortment of hard sausages, prosciutto, and other cured meats, with or without melon or figs; fish, such as anchovies, sardines, and tuna; pickled onions, beets, peperoncini, marinated artichokes, cauliflower, mushrooms and seasoned chickpeas. It may also include fresh tomatoes, fennel, hard and soft cheeses, and crusty breads.