Antipasto skewers are the perfect appetizer. Easy to throw together and beautiful, these will be the hit of the party.
Antipasto skewers contain just about all of my favorite ingredients in one place. This basically makes them the greatest appetizer there ever was. These are so simple to throw together. We take the extra step of soaking the pasta and the cheese in Italian dressing to add some extra flavor. These will be a winner wherever you take them.
How to Make Antipasto Skewers
Here is a brief overview of how these skewers come together. For the full recipe including all measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Soak the tortellini and mozzarella balls. Put them in two bowls and cover with Italian dressing. Allow to soak for 15-20 minutes.
- Put the skewers together. Add a cherry tomato, artichoke heart, salami folded in fourths, mozzarella ball, red bell pepper, basil leaf folded in half, tortellini, and Kalamata olive to each skewer.
- Serve and enjoy! Put the skewers on a platter for serving. Refrigerate if not serving right away.
Buying Guide
When shopping for this delicious appetizer, it can be hard to know exactly how much to buy. This should help.
- Mozzarella Balls: I suggest buying an eight-ounce container of the “cherry size” mozzarella balls. We are marinating them, but you could also skip that step if you find marinated mozzarella balls.
- Cheese Tortellini: We purchased the dry kind. You will be using a really small portion of the bag. You can easily get away with only boiling half of a 12 ounce bag with plenty left to spare.
- Cherry Tomatoes: You will use about half of a 10 ounce container. You want to consider looking for a container that has smaller sized cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes.
- Artichoke Hearts: You will use most of a 212 gram jar. Keep in mind that the size differs from the weight listed in the recipe card because the jar accounts for the liquid which we are not using.
- Salami: We typically have this on hand because our kids love salami sandwiches, but you could tell your butcher you need 20+ slices. Consider that the weight needed can vary depending on how thick it is cut.
- Roasted Red Bell Peppers: You will need half of a 454 gram jar.
- Fresh Basil Leaves: I love to buy a plant at the store when I need a lot of basil. It is typically much more affordable than a container and they will last longer if you remember to water the plant.
- Kalamata Olives: This is a small amount, so any sized jar you buy will be sufficient.
Wooden Skewers
Homemade Italian Dressing
Italian dressing acts as a marinade in this recipe, adding flavor to both the tortellini and the fresh mozzarella balls. This recipe for Italian dressing is so easy to make and has the best flavor. Making your own salad dressing is quick and allows you to control all the flavors and ingredients.
Italian Dressing Recipe
Ingredient Leftovers
If you have leftovers of the ingredients, make a antipasto salad! All of these go together so well and you can toss whatever you have left with more Italian salad dressing. It will make a delicious pasta salad.
Variations
One of the things I love about this appetizer is that it is so easy to customize to your exact tastes. Here are a few swaps and substations.
- If salami isn’t your thing, prosciutto would be great on these. You could even make them with pepperoni.
- You can make these gluten free by taking out the tortellini and replacing it with marinated mushrooms.
- The olive can be left off completely, or you could replace them with green olives or black olives.
Making Ahead and Storing Skewers
Store any leftover skewers in an airtight container or tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Other Great Appetizers
If you make these antipasto skewers appetizer or any of my other recipes, I’d be so grateful if you came back and left a message letting me know what you think!
Antipasto Skewers
Ingredients
- 1 cup Italian dressing
- 20 mozzarella balls (208 grams or 7.3 ounces)
- 20 cheese tortellini cooked according to package directions (75 grams or 2.6 ounces)
- 20 cherry tomatoes (164 grams or 6 ounces)
- 10 marinated artichoke hearts cut in half (125 grams or 4.4 ounces)
- 20 pieces of salami (103 grams or 3.6 ounces)
- 20 pieces of roasted red bell peppers (142 grams or 5 ounces)
- 20 basil leaves
- 20 Kalamata olives (51 grams or .74 ounces)
Instructions
- For a better understanding of what to buy, see my buying guide within the post. Please note that the weight of all the ingredients will vary depending on the size used. This is just to give you an estimate of what you need.
- Place the tortellini and mozzarella balls in two separate medium-sized bowls. Divide the Italian dressing between the two. Let them soak in the dressing for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the cheese and the pasta from the dressing.
- Prepare the skewers by first adding a cherry tomato, artichoke heart, salami folded in fourths, mozzarella ball, red bell pepper (please note that it sometimes helps to fold the roasted bell pepper in half), basil leaf folded in half, tortellini, and Kalamata olive.
- Place the skewers on a platter, serve, and enjoy!
Equipment
- 20 long cocktail skewers
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