Tortellini Caprese Bites

This is a recipe that makes me look good! I have made this recipe on several occasions and with several variations. You might want to add an olive (Queen) and or a cube of dry Italian sausage to the other ingredients on the skewer. A good Balsamic Vinegar dressing is a nice or Strompomus Basil Dressing is good. You can also make them the night before with good results.

Excellent appetizer. I left off the basil vinaigrette and the kids loved it.

Delicious, easy but a little time consuming to skewer the ingredients but if you have kids that like to help in the kitchen this is a great recipe because they can help skewer and mix the dressing. I did not cut the grape tomatoes in half because they were already the perfect size and it kept the tomato juice and seeds run onto the serving platter. I made the Basil Vinaigrette listed in the Dec. 2011 issue of Southern Living.- 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp. kosher salt, 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 6 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil-Whisk vinegar and salt until blended, gradually add oil in slow steady stream, whisking constantly until smooth, stir in fresh basil and ground pepper (to taste)...I did not put the pepper in the marinade because I put it on top right before serving. I also marinaded for a little longer than it said. I substituted spinach tortellini to add more color since it was for a Christmas party- red, white and green on a skewer. It was a hit! Please try!

While a bit time consuming, these were simple to make. I searched at multiple stores and could not a find a basil vinaigrette dressing; I used a balsamic vinaigrette. If anyone has found the basil vinaigrette dressing, I would like to know the brand, as I would like to try again with the exact dressing. The appetizer was a big hit at the party where I served this tasty appetizer. Use good cheese.

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