My Supper Club Girls are getting ready to have another dinner soon and pasta is on the menu. I was given the task of a side dish or appetizer. Since pasta is so starchy and filling I don’t really think that there are many “sides” that go well with it, other than a green salad, which is already being done by someone else. So what’s more fitting than an antipasto? It’s an appetizer and a side. Perfect!
Traditional antipasto can vary but some of the basics include cured meats such as prosciutto, lots of different cheeses like goat and reggiano, marinated artichokes and pepperoncini. Since I’m going for easy to skewer (and no pork) I came up with a few alternatives that I think work well.
Antipasto Skewers
1 pkg fresh Mozzarella
1 jar kalamata olives
Beefsteak*, cubed
Cherry tomatoes
Fresh basil
If you can’t find fresh mozzarella balls in water then cube pieces from a fresh block. I used mozzarella because it is a soft enough cheese to skewer unlike feta or parmesan, which would have been lovely, and it won’t break the bank like goat cheese can.
Also cube up your meat of choice. *I used a simple beefsteak- you know those logs of beef that Pepperidge farm sells around Christmas? But obviously you could cube ham and it would still work.
I thought that artichokes would be great (in theory)…. but not on a skewer. Of course, you could always serve some on the side.
Olives are also pretty versatile and you could go with a mixture of different ones. Many grocery stores have olive bars which allow you to mix and match. I went straight kalamata, but since they are so small in comparison to the other ingredients I will most likely serve extra on the side.
Just skewer everything onto 6-inch wooden skewers and make sure you put a few fresh basil leaves inbetween some of the pieces.
Just before serving you can do a light sprinkling of balsamic vinegar and EVOO, some fresh ground pepper and just a pinch of sea salt. Yum!
See ya tomorrow!
