Summer is officially gone, actually it's been a few days already. It may be Summer "in full swing" when you see this post though, who knows! So why not sharing this burrata tomato caprese with a spicy touch, I thought. After all, I came back from my Sicilian vacation 10 days ago and I still have some beautiful and tasty organic tomatoes in the fridge.
This simple caprese salad doesn't have to be considered a side dish, instead it's an amazing nutritious main dish (remember it has a whole burrata in it!)
What is tomato caprese?
I'm sure you know it.
Tomato caprese is a salad made with a few simple ingredients: tomato (in Sorrento area they use Fiascone or San Marzano variety), sliced mozzarella di bufala (what you in the US call "buffalo mozzarella"), oil, salt and basil.
That's it.
Someone adds black pepper and/or oregano.
In Italy, we do not usually eat it as a side dish salad but as an appetiser (finger food version) or main dish.
If you think about it, caprese is a pretty rich dish: it has mozzarella, which is known for having a few fats in it, and also extra virgin olive oil (fats again.)
I personally love fats! But I don't suggest adding more in this recipe.
I usually serve it with sourdough bread.
Fun fact about caprese: the name comes from the island of Capri.
The secret behind such a simple dish...
You can imagine what I'm about to say: the real secret behind such a simple dish is...the INGREDIENTS!
High quality ingredients are essential here.
Choose the best tomatoes you can find at the market (or supermarket): they have to be fresh and firm. If possible, make this tomato caprese during Summer so they are bursting with flavor.
Tomatoes
As I mentioned above, originally, people from Sorrento area used San Marzano or Fiascone variety. If you can't find them use heirloom (or cherry tomatoes like I did).
For the quantity: I usually don't measure, but I eat about 250 gr (or more) pretty much every time. Eat how many you want!
Mozzarella
Regarding the mozzarella: you can use cow's milk or buffalo mozzarella, but in this recipe I've used burrata just because I wanted some creaminess (a small burrata here is about 200 gr)! Feel free to substitute and try the classical caprese.
Note: if a mozzarella is too moist, do not use it (or let it "drain" for an hour on a colander, THEN use it).
Best if used at room temperature.
And to complete our tomato caprese: basil and oil!
Basil? Another ingredient which is better in Summer! If you can grow it at home, you won!
Chop a couple of leaves with your hands.
(P.S. all that basil you see in the photos, that was for styling!;))
Last but not least, extra virgin olive oil: again, choose the best you can find. A good EVO oil is the key to many dishes.
To conclude: a classic caprese wouldn't have burrata and spicy oil, mine is just a variation. So if you wanted to give an extra touch to the classic recipe, here you have it!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to give it a rating and leave a comment! It would make me so happy! 🙂
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BURRATA TOMATO CAPRESE SALAD
Ingredients
- 500 gr Organic tomatoes or cherry tomatoes at room temperature - (NOTE: read the post for more information about the measurements)
- to taste Fresh basil leaves
- 1 Burrata at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- to taste Chili flakes
- Salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Heat up a tablespoon of oil into a small pan or microwave. Turn it off, then add chili flakes (to taste) and let aromatize for about 5 minutes.
- In the meantime, clean your basil and your tomatoes under running water.
- Chop them and start arranging the tomato caprese: into a bowl or on a plate, put cherry tomatoes, burrata (divide it into two pieces if serving in different plates) and some basil leaves ("chop" it with your hands).
- Remove the flakes from the oil then season your caprese with this spicy oil, salt and pepper.
- The classic caprese is served with everything sliced on a plate.
Nutrition
Do you love tomatoes? Try this savory galette, it's DELICIOUS!
© Healthy Little Cravings – Roberta Dall’Alba.
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