Easiest Italian appetizer ever, Antipasto Skewers are loaded with the same zesty flavors in your favorite Antipasto Salad but in single serve, grab and go, food on a stick goodness!. Super simple to throw together for a party any time of year.

Overhead shot of Antipasto skewers on a white square plate with a bowl of pesto in the upper right corner.


Easy Antipasto Skewers

With football season ramping up, it looks like it’s time to start making all the tiny appetizers. I love to entertain during the cooler months when everyone can come huddle in the kitchen and just snack on some hors d’oeurves willy nilly while sipping on a cocktail. It seems like the thing to do when the weather gets chilly.

Add in all the holidays that somehow sneak up on you and it’s good to have a few no bake appetizers in your back pocket to whip up at a moments notice. Like these Easy Antipasto Skewers. They’re so perfect for tailgating, Sunday game day parties, Halloween and more. 

I know I’m not reinventing the wheel here but neither are the 46,000 other food bloggers who have made Antipasto Skewers in the past. I, actually, have a recipe page torn from a magazine dated 1995….I can’t read the title of the magazine anymore because of an olive oil stain….but antipasto salad skewers were the drool-worthy recipe I needed to remember.

Antipasto Skewers on a white platter with pesto in a white bowl.

Easy Antipasto Recipe

I love this appetizer so much because I’m not a big salad lover because I don’t really love a gigantic bowl of lettuce….which most salads are. BUT when I do order a salad it’s almost ALWAYS an Antipasto Salad which kind of shouldn’t even be a salad because it’s loaded with so much other stuff like meat and cheese that it borders on not so healthy. Right? 

But, honestly, I don’t even know who decided salads needed to be designated as healthy….maybe someone who was looking for an excuse to eat something that was decidedly unhealthy so they threw some lettuce in a bowl and deemed it a salad. I’m sure that’s how the Antipasto Salad came to be. It’s like a bowl full of charcuterie….with a splash of dressing for good measure.

Ingredients for antipasto skewers in blue bowls and charcuterie on a platter.

What is Antipasto

Antipasto is commonly mistaken for a dish or salad, as I mentioned above, BUT the italian meaning of Antipasto literally translates to “Before” “Meal”. So, antipasto is actually any dish or salad or soup that precedes your meal.

These Antipasto Skewers are exactly that….a dish that would be served before a meal so you can really add whatever you want to them and not follow this recipe at all. 🙂

BUT, in all fairness, these Antipasto Skewers are super satisfying and if you want, you could totally eat a whole pile of them and call them your dinner. I won’t tell anyone. We’re all adults (mostly) here so you can really eat whatever you want and call it dinner even if it’s cake. 

Also, it’s typical for Italians to serve an Antipasto plate consisting of meats, cheeses, olives, etc. By putting everything onto one skewer, it’s so much easier for guests to grab and go and mingle and sip without having to return back to a charcuterie board again and again. Plus, it’s just fun serving food on a stick. Right?

Antipasto skewers on a white platter being assembles with ingredients in the blue bowls.

Ingredients You Will Need

Some typical ingredients for an Italian Antipasto consist of an assortment of meats and cheeses, olives, pepperoncini, artichokes, anchovies and vegetables. I like to add a cheese tortellini to the mix just for heartiness and….well, cheese tortellini is the schnizz. You can leave it out if you’re following a low carb, keto or gluten free diet.

Antipasto skewers on a white square platter.

What To Serve Them With

So, I like to have a variety of dips available to mix things up. 

Here are a few things to serve with them:

Basil Pesto in a glass jar with a wooden spoonful of basil pesto on a white striped napkin and basil leaves in the background from TheSuburbanSoapbox.com

You can also serve them with some crusty bread and roasted garlic for spreading all over the top. It’s simple and amazing!

So next time you have a party or just want to have appetizers for dinner….make this easy Antipasto Skewer recipe and watch in amazement as they vanish right before your eyes!

We also love these easy Antipasto Squares….perfect for tailgating! OR make this easy Hoagie Dip for the same great flavors!

More Easy Appetizer Recipes

Ready in minutes, Strawberry Caprese Salad Skewers are the perfect party appetizer recipe for spring and summer. | TheSuburbanSoapbox.com

Looking for even more simple to make party food? Follow us over on Instagram to check out what’s cooking next!

Get the Recipe: Easy Antipasto Skewers

Easy no cook appetizer, these Antipasto Skewers are great for parties!
5 from 1 vote

Ingredients

  • 20 long wooden skewers
  • 1 9 ounce package cheese tortellini
  • 1/2 cup Greek Salad Dressing
  • 40 olives, black or kalamata
  • 40 cherry tomatoes
  • 20 thin slices Genoa salami
  • 20 thin slices Soppressata
  • 20 mozzarella balls
  • 20 pepperoncini peppers
  • 50 pieces basil
  • 20 pieces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

Instructions 

  • Cook tortellini according to package directions.
  • Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking.
  • Transfer the tortellini to a large bowl and toss with the salad dressing. (Tortellini can be dressed up to 4 hours prior to serving.)
  • When ready to assemble, drain and discard remaining dressing.
  • Thread one olive, tomato, basil, tortellini, basil, folded salami slice (fold the salami into quarters), mozzarella ball, tortellini, basil, folded salami piece, artichoke heart, pepperoncini, basil, tomato, olive.
  • You can skewer your ingredients any way you like but for better visual appeal stick with a pattern.
  • Serve your Antipasto Skewers with basil pesto, if desired.
Calories: 277kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 35mg, Sodium: 677mg, Potassium: 178mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 374IU, Vitamin C: 17mg, Calcium: 154mg, Iron: 1mg