Ingredients
Scale
- 24 cherry or grape tomatoes, washed and dried
- 24 fresh mozzarella balls (ciliegine), drained
- 24 fresh basil leaves, washed and patted dry
- 3 tablespoons balsamic glaze (balsamic reduction)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Flaky sea salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 24 small wooden skewers or decorative toothpicks
Instructions
- Prepare your ingredients: Drain the mozzarella balls and pat them completely dry with paper towels. This prevents the skewers from becoming watery and helps the olive oil and balsamic adhere better. Wash and thoroughly dry the basil leaves and tomatoes.
- Fold the basil: Take each basil leaf and fold it in half or accordion-style so it fits nicely on the skewer and doesn’t overpower the other ingredients visually.
- Thread the skewers: Start each skewer with a cherry tomato, followed by a folded basil leaf, then a mozzarella ball. You can also reverse the order (mozzarella, basil, tomato) or do tomato-basil-mozzarella-basil-tomato for a longer skewer. Keep the assembly consistent for a professional look.
- Arrange on platter: Place assembled skewers on your serving platter in neat rows or a circular pattern. You can overlap them slightly for a more abundant appearance.
- Season generously: Sprinkle the skewers with flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Don’t skip this step—the salt really brings out the sweetness of the tomatoes and the creaminess of the mozzarella!
- Drizzle with balsamic glaze: Using a spoon or squeeze bottle, drizzle the balsamic glaze artistically over the skewers. You want enough to flavor each bite but not so much that it pools on the plate.
- Drizzle with olive oil: Do the same with the extra virgin olive oil, creating a beautiful presentation with both drizzles crisscrossing the skewers.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate: These are best served at room temperature for optimal flavor. If you’re making them ahead, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 hours, then let them sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Make it fancy: Add a sprinkle of fresh cracked black pepper and a light dusting of dried Italian herbs (oregano or basil) for extra flavor complexity.
- Size matters: If your tomatoes or mozzarella balls vary in size, try to match similarly-sized ones together on each skewer for even bites.
- Gluten-free confirmation: While this recipe is naturally gluten-free, always check your balsamic glaze label to ensure no gluten-containing additives were used.
- Serving temperature: Room temperature is ideal! Cold mozzarella loses some of its creamy texture and mild flavor, so remove from the fridge 20-30 minutes before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No-Cook Assembly
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2-3 skewers
- Calories: 85
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 15mg