Panzanella Skewers
These Panzanella Skewers are the best bites of a classic Italian panzanella salad threaded onto a single stick: crusty bread soaking up olive oil, sweet bursting tomatoes, and salty olives tucked into a basil leaf.
They come together with just a handful of fresh ingredients, and require zero cooking beyond a quick whirl of the food processor for the pesto. Best of all, they’re make-ahead friendly, so you can prep everything before guests arrive and spend your time enjoying the party instead of being stuck in the kitchen.
Helpful Tips
- Let your bread go stale on purpose: Fresh bread can taste doughy and won’t soak up the olive oil the same way, so cube it and leave it out on the counter for a few hours, or even overnight, before assembling your skewers.
- Wrap, don’t fold, the basil: Wrapping a whole basil leaf around each mozzarella ball gives you a pop of fresh basil flavor in every bite and keeps the cheese from sliding off the skewer.
- Make the pesto ahead of time: The chunky basil pesto can be made up to a few days in advance and stored in the fridge, which makes party prep a breeze when you’re ready to assemble.
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Panzanella Skewers
These Panzanella Skewers are the best bites of a classic Italian panzanella salad threaded onto a single stick: crusty bread soaking up olive oil, sweet bursting tomatoes, and salty olives tucked into a basil leaf.
Equipment
- 16 small skewers
Ingredients
- 1 small baguette cubed
- 1 pint very small cherry or grape tomatoes
- 24 leaves fresh basil
- 8 ounces kalamata olives or mozzarella balls
For the pesto:
- 1/3 cup basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil + more for drizzling
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt to taste
Instructions
- The bread is best when it’s a little stale. Ideally, cube the bread and leave it out on the counter for a few hours overnight before making the skewers.
- Onto a skewer, thread a piece of bread, a cherry tomato, a mozzarella ball wrapped in a basil leaf, another cherry tomato, and another piece of bread. Arrange them on a serving platter.
- In a food processor or mini chopper, combine the 1/3 cup of basil leaves, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, olive oil, and salt. Blend to a chunky consistency. This can be made ahead, if necessary.
- Dab some of the basil onto the skewers. Drizzle them with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt.
Nutrition
Calories: 44kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0.4mgSodium: 272mgPotassium: 86mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 373IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 0.2mg
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