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Embracing the springtime produce with these simple Antipasto Tortellini Skewers with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette. Fresh cheese tortellini and mozzarella, marinated in a quick lemon basil vinaigrette, then layered onto skewers with roasted peppers, olives, tomatoes, and assorted meats. Serve the skewers with toasted ciabatta bread on the side and additional vinaigrette. This is the simplest of appetizers, yet so amazingly GOOD. Great for upcoming Mother’s Day and all the summer gatherings soon to follow.
So excited to be starting the week off with this recipe, I told you guys it was coming!
With Mother’s Day this Sunday, and Memorial Day just a couple of weeks away, I’m definitely in appetizer entertaining mode. Even more so now as the weather begins to warm. People are slowly venturing out and getting back to “normal life” with small get-togethers.
I’ve been planning these for a couple of weeks now. I saved them for this week in hopes that you guys would make them for Mother’s Day. But I’m going to be honest, these are so fun and delicious that I’d even enjoy them for dinner. They’re a nice change-up from the usual!
Here are the quick details
If you’re new to antipasto, it’s toasted bread cubes, olives, cherry tomatoes, artichokes, red peppers, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, cubes of sharp provolone, and fresh basil. I added my favorite cheese tortellini, which I felt like fit perfectly! I recommend mixing and matching your skewers. A few with olives and a few without. Maybe some with tomatoes and then some with peppers. I just kind of played around with combos and had fun layering them up. Any way you layer them they will be delicious!
Since you know I love everything with a little drizzle, I made a lemon vinaigrette for serving along with the skewers. The pesto keeps the veggies and bread from drying out while adding some serious flavor.
I love the idea of skewered appetizers. They’re hand-held and easy for people to grab and go, but yet also personal bites with no sharing required! Perfect for outdoor entertaining.
What’s even better about these skewers is that you can assemble them ahead of time, keep in them the fridge, and then simply pull them out before serving.
Just before serving, I like to drizzle a little of the vinaigrette over the skewers. Then I let them sit for a bit to marinate. I also serve up the toasted bread cubes on the side as a nice crunchy bite. They’re something extra to dip into the vinaigrette – delicious!
My final recommendation?
Try giving these a test run on Sunday for Mother’s Day. My hope is that you end up loving them so much that you recreate them all summer long.
Clearly, I am very excited for those warm summer days ahead over here!
PS. It is snowing!
Looking for other antipasto recipes, try these:
Antipasto Pasta Salad with Herby Parmesan Vinaigrette
Greek Inspired Antipasto Platter
Antipasto Mozzarella Sandwich with Lemony Basil Pesto
Lastly, if you make this Antipasto Tortellini Skewers with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Antipasto Tortellini Skewers with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 2 cups cubed ciabatta bread
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound fresh cheese tortellini, cooked
- 1 cup mixed olives, pitted
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup marinated artichokes, quartered
- 1 roasted red pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
- 6-8 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto and or salami
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella balls and or cubed provolone
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
- 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- kosher salt and red pepper flakes
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. On a baking sheet, toss the bread with olive oil. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly toasted and golden. Season with salt. 2. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Season with salt and red pepper flakes. 3. In a bowl, toss the tortellini and cheese together with a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette.4. To assemble, thread the tortellini, olives, tomatoes, artichokes, red peppers, prosciutto/salami, cheese, and basil onto skewers. You can mix and match your skewers or make them all the same. 5. Arrange on a serving plate and serve drizzled with the vinaigrette and toasted bread.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Made these, easy and the vinaigrette was fabulous!
Hey Kristin,
Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a wonderful week:) xTieghan
Hi! How far in advance can these be made?
Hey Jessica,
I would probably make these no more than the morning of serving. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
Pre roasted peppers? From the store? Or roast your own
Hey Maureen,
You can roast your own, or use jarred roasted red peppers, whichever you prefer. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Just made these to bring to our Neighborhood Party…thought they would be a nice, portable appetizer!! Hope everyone likes them!
ps – that vinagrette is YUMMY!!!!
Hey Christine,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
Do you have recommendations for substituting the red wine vinegar?
Hey there,
You could use white wine vinegar in it’s place:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I made these this weekend and they were a huge hit. Will probably be my go to appetizer for the summer. Thank you!
Hey Donna,
Fantastic! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
This recipe is so yummy! I made it as an appetizer for Mother’s Day and everyone loved it!
I had some basil lemon vinaigrette dressing left over and put it on my salad with grilled chicken and was amazing! I was wondering do you think this vinaigrette could be used as a marinade to grill chicken breasts?
Thanks,
Tricia
Hey Tricia,
Fantastic! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Yes, I think it would be great to marinate chicken with! xTieghan
Can you make the lemon vinegarette a few days in advance?
Hey Maria,
Sure, just keep it covered in the fridge. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Do you cook the tortellini?
Hey Davis,
Yes, you will want to cook your tortellini:) I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
I just made these for my graduation luncheon (ages toddler to grandparents) and they were LOVED by all. And they are just gorgeous! Thank you!
Also- I should add. We are a tree nut/peanut free family due to allergies, so I swapped roasted sunflower seeds for the pine nuts and it was still yummy. I actually swap them for nuts (and peanuts) in all of your recipes! Works great ♥️
That’s so great to hear!!
Hey Bridgid,
Fantastic! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
Ah yes! My Italian grandfather always makes us what he calls “antipasta” ….I’ve always looked up recipes for it but non compares to his. This looks JUST like his Italian recipe but in a way cuter (and cleaner) form. (He would just mix all the ingredients with his hands in a bin… while smoking cigars haha). So excited to try this, I’ll let you know how my family loves it!
Lol I love this so much Kari, thanks for sharing this story! xTieghan
Yeah, looks like she cut and pasted content from last years antipasto skewers with kale pesto and swapped the melon for tortellini and the pesto for vinaigrette. Not being negative, just pointing out an error. Both recipes are great!
Hey June! Thank you so much for making me aware of my typo!! Not sure what happened there, but it’d all fixed now. No pesto or melon in this recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Hey June,
The recipe has been fixed, but you can really play around with these skewers and add what you enjoy! I hope you love them! xTieghan
Looks delicious! What type of break would you recommend using?
Hey Carli,
Thanks so much! I used ciabatta bread for this recipe, I hope you love them! xTieghan
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it. I love your recipes and can’t wait to read your post every morning with my coffee. I LOVE this pink platter with dipping bowl! Where can I find it? Thank you!
Thanks so much Aruna! Sorry, I don’t have the link so that exact platter, but here is something similar:
https://shopstyle.it/l/buclI
xTieghan
The recipe says kale pesto but only basil was used plus, it also mentioned watermelon and cantaloupe… I am missing where you added these ingredients.
Sku
Will be making this soon with few subs i love italian food sooooooooooooo much perfect for my after office meals will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Thanks so much! I hope you love the recipe!! xTieghan