Roasted Caprese Salad

Perfect Pairing:  Off-season tomatoes

While I love cold-weather comfort food sometimes I crave something fresh that reminds me of warmer days. Especially with the negative temperatures and dreary, dirty snow outside.

The perfect summer dish is a caprese salad made with garden-grown tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and sweet basil.  Now we are stuck with hothouse tomatoes that barely resemble the summer varieties that you could eat like an apple.   Roasting mediocre tomatoes brings out their natural sweetness and concentrates all of the good tomato flavor. 

I used a variety of grape and Campari tomatoes, but use whatever you have on hand or what is on sale.  

After roasting they are topped with shards of fresh mozzarella, julienned basil, and a drizzle of good balsamic vinegar.  

Park yourself under a heat lamp, pour a glass of sauvignon blanc, turn on some Bob Marley and it is practically summer.

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Limoncello Cheesecake Squares

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Three years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Cucumber Sandwiches

Roasted Caprese Salad

Lindsay at Perfecting the Pairing

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 pints grape tomatoes (or a mixture of grape and halved Campari tomatoes)
• 3 Tb olive oil
• 3 Tb balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 oz. fresh mozzarella, torn into bite sized pieces
• 6 basil leaves, julienned
• Drizzle of balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.  In a large bowl combine the tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss to evenly distribute.  Pour onto the baking sheet and roast, stirring occasionally, for 20 – 25 minutes.  The tomatoes should have reduced in size, but should not be falling apart.

Layer the tomatoes on a plate with the fresh mozzarella and basil.  Drizzle on some additional balsamic vinegar and a dose of salt and pepper.

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