Bruschetta skewers with fresh pesto
Makes: 18 skewers
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Martin Poole
Bruschetta skewers with fresh pesto
A neater, easier and far more fun way to serve up this Italian-style appetiser with drinks. This recipe makes a generous amount of pesto (about 200g). Leftovers can be tossed through pasta or stirred into yogurt and mayo to dress a potato salad
Makes: 18 skewers
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (skewer, plus pesto)
Calories
88Kcal
Fat
7gr
Saturates
2gr
Carbs
3gr
Sugars
1gr
Fibre
0gr
Protein
3gr
Salt
0.2gr
Nadine Brown
When Nadine isn't busy developing delicious recipes and using her experience as a health food editor to create healthy treats, she's munching and reviewing her way around her beloved home town of Tottenham. Find out what she's cooking and eating on Instagram @n0sh.17
See more of Nadine Brown’s recipes
Nadine Brown
When Nadine isn't busy developing delicious recipes and using her experience as a health food editor to create healthy treats, she's munching and reviewing her way around her beloved home town of Tottenham. Find out what she's cooking and eating on Instagram @n0sh.17
See more of Nadine Brown’s recipes
Ingredients
- 3 chunky slices of sourdough or other rustic bread
- 15g pine nuts
- 36 cherry tomatoes
- 18 mozzarella pearls (you’ll need to buy 2 x 125g packs) - use vegetarian cheese if required
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 18 medium basil leaves
For the pesto
- 30g basil leaves
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 50g Parmesan, grated
- 125ml olive oil
Step by step
Get ahead
Prep to the end of step 4 up to 2 hrs ahead. Leftover pesto keeps in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Soak 18 bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes. Slice the crusts off the bread; cut it into roughly 2cm cubes; you need 36 pieces (2 per skewer).
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat for 2 minutes, until golden, then transfer to a food processor and leave to cool.
- For each skewer, alternately thread on 2 pieces of bread and 2 tomatoes, leaving space at the pointed end to add a mozzarella pearl later. Brush all the assembled skewers with the oil and season lightly.
- To make the pesto, put the basil and garlic in a food processor and pulse to a finely chopped paste (don’t over-process). Scrape into a large bowl and stir in the Parmesan, then gradually add the olive oil, stirring as you go. Season to taste and set aside.
- Preheat a griddle pan; add 6 skewers (or more if you have room). Griddle for 2-3 minutes, turning every so often until the bread is evenly toasted and the tomatoes are a little charred. Transfer to a platter and repeat with the remaining skewers. Add a basil leaf and mozzarella pearl to each one.
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To serve, drizzle a little of the pesto over the skewers, serving extra pesto in a small bowl for dipping.
