Caprese Skewers
Cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil on skewers with balsamic glaze. Festive red, white, and green colors.
- 24 piecescherry tomatoes
- 24 piecesfresh mozzarella balls(ciliegine size)
- 24 large leavesfresh basil leaves
- 2 tbspextra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbspbalsamic glaze
- for finishingflaky sea salt
- for finishingblack pepper
Skewers can be assembled up to 4 hours ahead. Refrigerate covered. Bring to room temperature and add drizzle just before serving.
- 1Pat cherry tomatoes and mozzarella dry with paper towels.
- 2Thread onto 6-inch skewers in this order: tomato, folded basil leaf, mozzarella ball.
- 3Arrange on serving platter.
- 4Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic glaze.
- 5Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
- 6Serve at room temperature for best flavor.
Insalata Caprese takes its name from the island of Capri in the Bay of Naples, where the combination of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil is believed to have been created. Its earliest documented appearance was on a menu at the Hotel Quisisana in Capri in the early 1920s, when the Italian Futurist movement held a gathering there. The founder of Futurism, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, was served the dish as a nod to his philosophy of light, modern eating over heavy traditional Italian food. The salad gained international recognition in the 1950s when Capri became a destination for celebrities, royalty, and jet-setters — including exiled Egyptian King Farouk, who reportedly ordered it daily at his hotel. The Caprese skewer variation adapts the classic salad format for cocktail parties, replacing platters with individual servings on picks.