Bowtie Pasta Meatball Skewers (Printer-friendly)
Playful appetizer skewers with pasta, meatballs, and fresh vegetables.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meatballs
01 - 16 cocktail-sized beef or turkey meatballs, cooked
→ Pasta
02 - 1 cup dry bowtie (farfalle) pasta
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
04 - 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
05 - 16 grape tomatoes
→ Glaze
06 - 1/4 cup barbecue sauce or marinara sauce
07 - 1 tablespoon honey
08 - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
→ Garnish
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
10 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
# Directions:
01 - Cook bowtie pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking process.
02 - Heat frozen or precooked meatballs in oven or microwave until warmed through.
03 - Warm barbecue or marinara sauce with honey and Italian seasoning in small saucepan over low heat. Add meatballs and toss gently to coat evenly.
04 - Thread each skewer in order: red bell pepper piece, bowtie pasta, meatball, grape tomato, yellow bell pepper piece, and bowtie pasta. Repeat until all ingredients are used.
05 - Arrange skewers on serving platter. Drizzle with extra sauce if desired. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese. Serve warm or at room temperature.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The pasta and meatball combo feels like comfort food turned into a party snack everyone can grab and go
- You can prep almost everything ahead of time and just assemble when guests arrive
02 -
- Rinse the cooked pasta immediately under cold water or it keeps cooking and gets mushy, which makes threading frustrating
- Soak wooden skewers for 15 minutes before using so they don't char or burn during assembly
03 -
- Thread ingredients in the same order for each skewer so they cook evenly and look uniform on the platter
- Keep a small bowl of water nearby to wet your hands if the meatballs start sticking while threading