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Small Plates and Dips · Card SP19
Pesto Caprese Skewers
Red and orange cherry tomatoes threaded with little balls of fresh mozzarella, then rolled in a bright homemade basil pesto so every bite is coated in herbs, garlic and olive oil. Chopped parsley adds a fresh finish. Salad on a stick, basically, and exactly what you want on a hot afternoon when turning on the stove sounds terrible.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 3 min
- Total
- 28 min
- Serves
- 8
- Level
- Easy
- Cuisine
- Italian
Method
Step 1: Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes, shaking often, until golden in spots and fragrant. Move them to a plate right away so they do not scorch.
Step 2: Pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic and salt in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the parmesan and lemon juice, then drizzle in the olive oil with the motor running until the pesto is loose enough to coat, about 20 seconds.
Step 3: Thread each of 24 knotted bamboo picks with a red cherry tomato, a mozzarella ball and an orange tomato half, cut side facing out.
Step 4: Put the skewers in a wide bowl, spoon over half the pesto and turn them gently with your fingers until the tomatoes and cheese are glossy and green.
Step 5: Arrange on a platter, sprinkle with parsley and a tiny pinch of salt on the cut tomato halves, and serve with the remaining pesto in a small bowl for extra dipping.
Kitchen note
The lemon juice in the pesto slows the browning of the cut basil, so the coating stays vivid green for a couple of hours on the platter instead of dulling to olive drab.
Easy swap
Thread on a folded slice of prosciutto next to the mozzarella for a salty, meaty version.
Filed nearby
See the whole volume
