Caprese skewers make ahead with pesto dressing is simple, yet delicious, a family favorite, and the perfect festive appetizer to serve your holiday guests.
It seems like the holidays are all about decadence but today I thought I would share this recipe for caprese skewers make ahead with Pesto dressing. This recipe is a little more healthy than my previous posts. But, make no mistake, these delicious skewers will still wow your family and friends, and with the red and green colors, they are very festive and perfect for Christmas entertaining. These caprese skewers are simple to make, can be made ahead of time and will keep well in your refrigerator for 3-4 days. Oh, and did I mention that they are delicious and very kid-friendly!
Not only do these flavorful caprese skewers make ahead make a wonderful appetizer for parties, they make a great salad dish for pot-luck or buffet dinners.
The ingredients for the caprese skewers make ahead are spinach tortellini, cherry tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella balls. The dressing ingredients are olive oil, pesto, and red wine vinegar. For the pesto, you can use fresh or jarred. On the mozzarella, I like the fresh mozzarella balls, but you can certainly use regular mozzarella cut into cubes. Use the cheese stuffed spinach tortellini you find in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, usually next to the cheese. Don’t use dried pasta here.
In addition, if you want to make these caprese skewers make ahead a little more substantial, feel free to add some cubed salami or summer sausage on top. Oh, you will also need some fresh basil or parsley for a garnish and wooden skewers.
If you like this appetizer, you might also be interested in these yummy recipes:
Easy Mardi Gras Hot Muffuletta Dip
For even more appetizer recipes, here is a link to all of my appetizer recipes.
How to make Caprese Skewers Make Ahead With Pesto
To make the dressing, simply mix olive oil, pesto, and red wine vinegar in a glass jar and shake well. To make the skewers, thread 1 cherry tomato, a mozzarella ball, and then the cooked tortellini. If making ahead, cover your skewers with plastic wrap and store in your refrigerator along with your dressing. As you can see, I doubled the recipe for the picture below.
When you are ready to serve the skewers, simply drizzle on a little dressing, and sprinkle with some chopped basil or parsley.
Enjoy!
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Easy Caprese Skewers Make Ahead With Pesto
Ingredients
Pesto Dressing
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp pesto
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
Skewers
- 9 oz package refrigerated spinach tortellini cooked according to package directions and cooled
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 6 oz fresh mozzarella balls or cubed mozzarella
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley or basil minced
Instructions
For the pesto dressing
- Mix together the olive oil, pesto and vinegar in a jar and shake well.
For the caprese skewers
- Thread, 1 cherry tomato, 1 mozzarella ball, and 1 spinach tortellini on a skewer.
- Lay the skewers on a plate and just before serving, lightly drizzle with dressing.
- Sprinkle with minced basil or parsley.
Sharon, Would like to make the Caprese Skewers. When you say “freshly made mozzarella balls, do you purchase from a deli? I know you said we can use cubes…but the balls go so well with the little tomatoes.
Gail Cherry Rappa
Hi Gail,
Yes, you can purchase from a deli, but your grocery store should also have them in the refrigerated cheese section.
All my best,
Sharon