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This Pasta Caprese Salad is a quick, fresh, light and delicious lunch you can make in minutes and this is how it is made in Capri.
Why Caprese
The name already reveals the ingredients: fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil all season with an Italian extra virgin olive oil.
Capri is an island off the coast of Naples, and this recipe was created after the war to reflect the colour of the Italian flag.
- Red the tomato
- White the mozzarella
- Green the basil
So why some people add balsamic vinegar? I don’t know!
If you have the classic mozzarella and tomatoes from Naples, you don’t need to add anything else.
You can add balsamic vinegar at your peril, but if you do, don’t call it Caprese because Balsamic Vinegar is not an ingredient from Capri. In fact, balsamic vinegar is an ingredient originated from Modena in the North of Italy.
Tomatoes in the South of Italy already have a sweet flavor built naturally from the sun and the fertile volcanic soil. Adding a sweet dressing just doesn’t make sense for me … and many others.
Balsamic Vinegar and Peaches on Caprese
For the majority of the Italian population, mozzarella and balsamic vinegar do not belong together, and neither do peaches.
Like pineapple on pizza, same concept!
If you do add these ingredients, don’t call it Caprese. After all, it is our National Flag!
What mozzarella to use in Caprese
If you go to an Italian Pizzicagnolo (cheesemonger) you will be amazed to find such a vast variety of Mozzarella.
There are 4 main types of fresh mozzarella:
- Regular mozzarella also called Fior di Latte
- Buffalo mozzarella made with Italian buffalo’s milk
- Burrata which has a buttery creamy hearth
- Smoked mozzarella
The classic Caprese is made with Fior di Latte, but you can also use the Buffalo mozzarella. There are also solid mozzarellas not stored in water, which are used for cooking, they cannot be used for Caprese.
Fresh mozzarella has also different shapes:
- Regular
- Bocconcini: small
- Treccia: braid shape
- Zizzona: gigantic shape
What Zizzona means
Yes, you see it right. It looks like a big breast and in Neapolitan dialect, Zizzona means big breast. Even if you may think it is a sexual reference, I see it more as a maternal allusion.
More than Sofia Loren, those mozzarella remind me about the big ladies you find at the markets with such a prominent breast that if they need to put their hands on their chest (typical Italian hand movement to indicate themselves), their hand will have to be horizontally over the breast as there is no vertical space left on the cleavage.
..but then again, men might have other ideas!
Which Tomatoes
You can either use Bull Heart tomato or Fiascone tomatoes originally from Capri. You can also use Cherry tomatoes or Pachino, but if you do that you need to use the bocconcini mozzarella. In fact, a simple rule is that the tomatoes should be of the same size as the mozzarella.
Whatever you choose, the tomatoes should be fresh, firm, crunchy and not watery. If you are in Italy, I would recommend you look for the Melinda or Zerbini tomatoes. They are as crunchy as an apple and sweet. Perfect for a nice Caprese.
More tips for making the best Caprese
Few more things about Caprese salad:
- The mozzarella should be at room temperature
- The water from the mozzarella should be drained completely
- Use the best Extra virgin olive oil you can find
- The size of the mozzarella slices should match the size of the tomatoes.
How to serve the Caprese
You can serve the Caprese in a salad bowl with fresh bread.
or mixed with a short pasta (not spaghetti) as in this recipe.
…and the gigantic Zizzona? Well, you will not find tomatoes of the same size, so you serve it in a large plate surrounded by tomatoes and basil.
What a feast!
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Pasta Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb Penne Rigate or other types of short pasta (gnocchi shown in the picture)
- 10 oz Fresh mozzarella
- 2 Large tomatoes
- 3 tbsp Olive oil extra virgin
- 1/2 tsp Salt for salad
- 1 tbsp Coarse salt for cooking the pasta
- 5 Fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to boil, and add the penne. If you want the pasta "al dente" cook it for 1 minute less than indicated on the pasta box.
- In the meantime cut the tomatoes, mozzarella and the basil leaves in a large bowl. Add salt and extra virgin olive oil for seasoning. Stir them all together.
- Once the pasta is ready drain it, add it to the tomatoes and mozzarella salad immediately and stir well. The mozzarella will slightly melt with the heat from the pasta.
Notes
Tips for making the original Caprese
- Use either Fior di Latte or Buffalo mozzarella
- The tomatoes should be fresh, firm, crunchy and not watery
- The mozzarella should be at room temperature
- The water from the mozzarella should be drained completely
- Use the best Extra virgin olive oil you can find
- The size of the mozzarella slice should match the size of the tomatoes.
I love caprese salad with pasta and without! It’s so simple yet super delicious! A favourite a casa mia in summer!
..and in Italy you have no problem getting the right ingredients
These are my favorite things in a dinner dish! Caprese is my absolute favorite and I love the idea of eating it with pasta.
Thank you Julie
Such great classic flavours, it all looks delicious, sadly finding mozzarella of that quality outside of Italy is very much a rarity 🙁
Thanks, yes I know
I love the ingredients in a caprese salad and you’re right that if the tomatoes are lovely and ripe it definitely doesn’t need anything else. I think it’s great to put those ingredients into a pasta salad though to make it more of a main meal.
Thank you. It is a very fresh and easy summer lunch.
Capri is one of my most favorite islands. This salad is really reflective of this amazing place! I love the fresh mozzarella in this salad. Can’t wait to try your recipe!
Thank you, I love Capri too