italian antipasto skewersitalian antipasto skewersitalian antipasto skewersitalian antipasto skewersitalian antipasto skewersitalian antipasto skewersitalian antipasto skewers

Simple is great too so these appetizers require more assembling and less preparing but a little effort will make it tastier ! Once you get the cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls and fresh basil leaves, then you can decide whether you use prosciutto or pancetta or other smoked and cured meats or you may decide to leave aside the cured meat and replace it with pickled and marinated vegetables such as eggplant or artichoke which is a great vegetarian option. There are two similar but slightly different marinades for this recipe, one for the mozzarella balls and cherry tomatoes and a slightly different one for the bread cubes. They’re both quite simple so I suggest starting with the bread cubes first which require some baking, then the cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls. And then after the bread cube baking and the marinating is done, all that is left is the assembly of the appetizer skewers... Enjoy :)

italian antipasto skewers

10.07.2015

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ingredients

  • 30 mini-skewers (made of wood, bamboo or stainless steel)
  • 30 baby mozzarella balls (250 grams)
  • 30 cherry tomatoes (250 grams)
  • 30 slices thinly-sliced pancetta or 15 slices of prosciutto cut in half (200 grams)
  • 30 bread cubes (125 grams or ½ baguette)
  • 30 small fresh basil leaves

marinade for tomatoes and mozzarella balls

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/8 cup chopped fresh basil

marinade for bread cubes

  • 1/4 – 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp mix of dried herbs such as “herbes de provence”
  • 2 medium garlic cloves (crushed or finely chopped)

instructions

  • slice your bread or baguette into smaller bread cubes about 25 x 25 mm each
  • preheat the oven to 200°C
  • in a bowl (or in a food-processor), combine and mix the ingredients for the marinade for the bread cubes and quickly dunk and coat the bread cubes
  • place the bread cubes on a baking sheet covered with baking paper and bake for 5-7 minutes then remove from oven and let cool
  • in a bowl (or in a food-processor), combine and mix the ingredients for the cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls marinade
  • add the cherry tomatoes and the mozzarella balls and toss together to coat well
  • using your skewers, begin by skewering a bread cube, then a folded or rolled slice (or 1/2 slice) of pancetta or prosciutto, then a cherry tomato, followed by a basil leaf and finally a mozzarella ball
  • after finishing the preparation of all skewers, serve immediately or place in a container and refrigerate and serve later at slightly colder than room temperature