Caprese resembles the Italian flag.
I love Caprese salad. I order at any Italian restaurant if they have it. I make Caprese sandwiches. I even make mini Caprese bites for parties (stick a grape tomato, a chunk of fresh mozzarella and a basil leaf on a toothpick). There is just something about the fresh basil, mozzarella cheese and tomato that is wonderful. The colors are straight from the Italian flag. It’s the food of my people.
The ingredients have to be fresh. Dried basil and shredded mozzarella from a package just won’t work as well. They would probably be good, but not as heavenly as the fresh stuff.
Something I commonly eat when I am in a hurry is this quick Caprese salad. It takes no time at all and it’s so yummy. It’s good warm or cold. I prefer it to be kind of room temp. When you heat it, the mozzarella and tomatoes lose a little bounce, but still good. Some people use pesto instead of fresh basil leaves, but I like the leaves and I always have some in my garden.
- 1 12 oz box bowtie pasta (farfalle)
- 1 pint of grape tomatoes, cut in fourths
- 1 7 0z container fresh mozzerella balls, cut in half
- 1 cup fresh basil, ripped or cut into shreds
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
- 1 chopped clove of garlic
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Boil and salt pasta water. Cook pasta according to box (or your tastes).
- Drain pasta. Put in a big container.
- Toss everything together until well mixed.
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