These Antipasto Skewers are an easy and colorful appetizer, packed with flavor, and perfect served as finger food at a party or as a starter for dinner. All you need are some mini mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, olives, artichokes, tortellini, and any other small bites you want to add! Everything can be prepped ahead and it's always a crowd-favorite!
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Why You'll Love These Skewers
The perfect appetizer - These skewers are inspired by antipasto, traditionally the first course of an Italian meal. It has small bites like cheese, cured meats, olives, artichoke hearts, and other pickled or marinated vegetables. I'm taking all the components of classic antipasto and putting them on skewers for easy serving and a fun new presentation! These make perfect finger food or delicious addition to any dinner.
Lots of flavors and textures - The skewers are composed of a mix of olives, mozzarella, tertellini, marinated artichokes, salami, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil. You can add other cheeses, different meats, sundried tomatoes, or even those little cocktail onions! Everything is drizzled with a simple vinaigrette to tie it all together.
Simple and versatile - This recipe can be followed very loosely. There are no specific rules, you can mix and match your ingredients and thread them on each skewer differently to have different variations. I went with 6-inch skewers to give each person a variety of all the flavors but you can make mini ones to have more serving and choices.
Ingredients
- Tortellini - I chose classic cheese tortellini, you can choose any filling you like. They're a great addition when you're serving these skewers on their own with no bread.
- Mozzarella - Look for bocconcini, they're usually available at most grocery stores. Be careful not to buy perlini which are even smaller and would break and fall off your skewers.
- Cherry tomatoes - I used regular red cherry tomatoes but you can use a mix of red, orange, and yellow cherry tomatoes for even more color.
- Olives - I went with kalamata olives and green olives, and goat cheese-filled olives but any olives you prefer work. Make sure the olives are pitted to be able to thread them on the skewers.
- Artichokes - Marinated artichokes can be found in most grocery stores near things like olives and sundried tomatoes
- Basil - This one is optional but I highly recommend adding some fresh basil leaves to your skewers for extra flavor and freshness.
- Vinaigrette - I make a dressing or a vinaigrette for the skewers with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, sea salt, pepper, and fresh parsley. I toss it with the mozzarella and tortellini to give them extra flavor before threading them on the skewers.
Variations and Substitutions
- Vinaigrette - You can substitute red wine vinegar for white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, or even just freshly squeezed lemon juice. If you want to make it a little sweeter, add a little bit of honey.
- Different meat - You can add any kind of ham, salami, chorizo, prosciutto, or any vegan ham if you prefer.
- More veggies - Bell peppers would be a great addition or a substitute for cherry tomatoes. You can also add sundried tomatoes, pepperoncini, or cocktail onions.
- Different cheese - You can use any hard cheese instead of the mozzarella or use both for more flavor and texture.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- In a small bowl or a cup, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, finely chopped fresh parsley, sea salt, and black pepper. Set aside.
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- Cook tortellini in salted water according to package instructions.
- Drain and rinse the tortellini with cold water.
- Toss the tortellini with 1-2 tablespoon of the dressing and set aside.
- Toss mini mozzarella with 1 tablespoon of the dressing and set aside.
- Thread the tortellini, cherry tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, salami, and fresh basil leaves on wooden skewers evenly dividing all ingredients between the skewers.
- Serve the skewers right away drizzled with the remaining dressing or store in the fridge until ready to eat.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve these skewers on their own or with sliced up and toasted baguette or crusty bread. They're also delicious with any kind of crackers!
I like serving them either as finger food because it's so delicious on its own and it's super easy to serve for a large crowd but it's also delicious served as a starter for a family dinner.
Storing and Make Ahead Options
You can prepare the skewers a few hours before you plan to serve them and store them in the fridge to keep them cool. If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
I don't recommend making the skewers longer than a few hours ahead because the basil might turn brown as it sits with the vinaigrette and the mozzarella and tortellini could get dry as it sits. The finished skewers can be stored for longer but they will look and taste the best the first day you make it.
FAQs
Antipasto has more veggies, especially pickled and marinated veggies. A charcuterie board can have jams, spreads, dried fruit, nuts, or grapes which are all usually missing from antipasto.
Yes! You can either use vegan "meats" like vegan ham or skip it altogether and only add vegetarian ingredients. There are so many flavors going on, the skewers will still be just as delicious!
Similar Appetizers
Below are four other appetizers that I think would go great with these skewers! They're also similar in flavors so if you like this recipe, you should definitely check out any of the ones below! To see all the latest ones, head over to Appetizers.
📖 Recipe
Antipasto Skewers
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
These Antipasto Skewers are an easy and colorful appetizer, packed with flavor, and perfect served as finger food at a party or as a starter for dinner. Everything can be prepped ahead and it's always a crowd-favorite!
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp packed finely chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp freshly grated black pepper
- 100g cheese tortellini
- 1 cup mini mozzarella
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup olives (green, black, kalamata, stuffed, or marinated)
- 2-3 artichoke hearts, cut into quarters
- 100g salami
- Handful of fresh basil leaves
- 20 6-8-inch wooden skewers
Instructions
- In a small bowl or a cup, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, finely chopped fresh parsley, sea salt, and black pepper. Set aside.
- Cook tortellini in salted water according to package instructions. Drain and rinse the tortellini with cold water. Toss the tortellini with 1-2 tablespoon of the dressing and set aside.
- Toss mini mozzarella with 1 tablespoon of the dressing and set aside.
- Thread the tortellini, cherry tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, salami, and fresh basil leaves on wooden skewers evenly dividing all ingredients between the skewers.
- Serve the skewers right away drizzled with the rest of the dressing.
Equipment
Notes
Storing: The skewers are best enjoyed right away but you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
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Veronika Sykorova says
These are such a good appetizer for any party or game night! You can really make them your own and add whatever you have!