Grilled Bruschetta Skewers
These grilled bruschetta skewers with ricotta pesto are an easy summer appetizer!
Traditional bruschetta is essentially a mixture of chopped tomatoes, basil and garlic on toasted bread and it’s simple but delicious. These skewers have all of those wonderful flavors, but in a new fun presentation that’s perfect for summer entertaining. No need to turn on the oven! And they can be grilled right alongside whatever else you’re serving— chicken, burgers, veggies, etc.
Who can say no to charred bread and tomatoes drizzled with a quick ricotta pesto sauce? Nobody! These skewers are sure to be the hit of any backyard cookout or summer potluck. Plus the recipe scales up and down easily to fit the size of your party, big or small.
How to make grilled bruschetta skewers
These bruschetta skewers are so simple to make! Toss cubed french or sourdough bread (or any bread really) and cherry/grape tomatoes with olive oil and plenty of salt. Assemble them on wood or metal skewers and grill over medium high heat for just a few minutes until bread is slightly charred and tomatoes soften and begin to burst. Don’t walk away from the grill, as these will cook very quickly.
The ricotta pesto sauce I like to serve them with is simply store-bought pesto, ricotta cheese, and olive oil. If you’d rather just use traditional pesto for these skewers they’ll still be great, I just love the additional flavor and creaminess. You can either drizzle the skewers with the sauce before serving or let guests dunk or drizzle themselves.
This appetizer takes less than 15 minutes total to make and everyone is sure to love them!
Grilled Bruschetta Skewers
Ingredients
Skewers:
- 1 dry pint cherry or grape tomatoes
- 4 cups crusty sourdough or french bread , cubed (about 1 small loaf)
- Olive oil
- Coarse salt
- 20 6- inch mini bamboo skewers , see Notes
- Ricotta pesto , for dipping
Ricotta pesto:
- 1/3 cup basil pesto
- 1/4 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Add tomatoes and cubed bread to a large bowl. Drizzle with enough olive oil to lightly coat the bread and tomatoes and heavily season with salt.
- Assemble on skewers, alternating bread cubes and tomatoes.
- Grill over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes, turning often to make sure bread is toasting evenly. Skewers are done when bread is slightly charred and tomatoes have softened and start to burst.
- Serve immediately with ricotta pesto.
To make the ricotta pesto:
- Stir together the pesto, ricotta cheese, and olive oil. Add more olive oil as needed if sauce is too thick.
- Can be make in advance and stored in the fridge for several days.
Notes
- Soak bamboo skewers for 30 minutes before using.
- If you can't find 6-inch skewers, you can cut regular skewers in half.
- You can also just use traditional pesto for dipping if desired.
- This recipe scales up and down really well to fit your needs.
