Antipasto Skewers

Antipasto skewers with tortellini are a quick, easy, and delicious appetizer that can be served for any occasion. These appys take all the best parts of a traditional antipasto platter or salad, add perfectly cooked cheese tortellini, and put it all on a skewer for easy eating. They are loaded with salty and tangy flavors that are balanced out with fresh ingredients like basil and tomatoes. It's a colorful and creative way to switch things up for lunch or dinner. Plus, they are easy to make ahead, so make a double batch to feed a crowd.

Why You'll Love Antipasto Skewers

• Classic antipasto ingredients. Antipasto literally means a "before meal". This classic Italian appy is traditionally served as a platter with cured meats, cheese, anchovies, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, pepperoni, and pickled meats and veggies. They are often served with bread like Ciabatta Rolls or Garlic Breadsticks.
• Quick and easy. Antipasto skewers are one of my favorite appetizers to prepare because they are so darn quick and easy to make. All you need to do is cook the tortellini and let it marinate for a few minutes, then prep the remaining ingredients, and thread them onto skewers.
• Fresh ingredients. Cured meats and marinated vegetables and olives add tang and saltiness to these skewers that are so delicious. But of course, we need to cut those powerful, bold, and salty ingredients with something fresh. For that, we're using fresh basil, grape tomatoes, and cheese.

Ingredients and Substitutions

To make these easy Antipasto Skewers, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in the recipe card below):

• cheese tortellini
• Italian dressing - feel free to use store-bought dressing or try our easy Homemade Italian Dressing ready in minutes.
• olives - any type of olives will work. I used a combination of green olives and black olives. You can try kalamata olives, Spanish olives, or pimento olives (or all of them!)
• fresh basil leaves
• cured meat - I used salami and pepperoni but you can easily substitute with any of your favorite cured meats. Try prosciutto or ham.
• grape tomatoes - or cherry tomatoes.
• marinated artichoke hearts
• cheese - you can use cubes of cheddar cheese, bocconcini mozzarella balls, or provolone cheese. Marinated Mozzarella Balls are one of my favorite options to use here and add a ton of flavor.
• cocktail picks - you can use larger bamboo skewers as well but will need to add more items to each skewer.

See something you don't like? Or, do you want to add your favorite ingredients? Do it! Antipasto skewers are completely customizable, so make it your own. Some ingredients that you can thread onto these skewers are: roasted red peppers, marinated mushrooms, or other pickled vegetables.

How to Make the Best Antipasto Skewers

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Transfer to a bowl and toss with Italian dressing. Cover the bowl with plastic cling wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes up to 2 hours. Drain the marinade.
2. Prepare the remaining ingredients and arrange them in front of you. Thread the items onto cocktail picks (or 6-inch wooden skewers) making sure to alternate between different colors and textures. I threaded the items in the following order: black olive, basil, tortellini, salami, tomato, artichoke heart, pepperoni, black olive, and cheese.
3. Serve with a side of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, with a drizzle of balsamic glaze, or with pesto, if desired.

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