Caprese Pasta With Leftover Giant Zizzona Mozzarella

Neapolitans are spoiled, they make Caprese salad only with the mozzarella produced the same day. The next day, as the mozzarella wouldn't taste as good as the first day, they make a pasta Caprese salad.

Jump to:

• Type of mozzarella
• Which Tomatoes
• The rest of the ingredients
• Pasta Caprese with the leftover Zizzona
• Instructions
• How to serve it
• Top tips
• Don't you dare add Balsamic
• FAQ
• Recipes you might also like
• 📋Easy Fresh Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe
• Tips for making the original Caprese

This recipe is made with the traditional Caprese salad, exactly how it is made on the Island of Capri of the Gulf of Naples, in Campania. Fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh tomatoes, and fresh basil leaves seasoned with extra-virgin olive oil and salt.

Here I make it with the gigantic mozzarella called Zizzona.

We moved to Rome in 1972, and since then we have been traveling back to Reggio Calabria regularly for vacation. My father always stopped in Battipaglia to buy the fresh mozzarella directly from the producer.

This tradition still stands today: every time we travel back to Reggio Calabria by car, we stop in Battipaglia to buy the mozzarella. We now stop at the Zizzona Village, the name coming from a huge mozzarella shaped like a breast; Zizzona is a dialect name.

As there is always some leftover, the following day we make a caprese pasta.

You don't need to add anything else to a good Caprese salad if you have Naples's classic mozzarella and fresh tomatoes.

The colorful Caprese pasta salad is made with fresh produce and minimal ingredients

More authentic recipes from Naples you can find: Caprese cake, Lasagne di Carnevale, pizza Napoletana, fried pizza Montanara

For more Fake Italian Recipes on the web, check out my Web Story: This Is Why You Should NEVER trust Italian recipes online

Type of mozzarella

If you go to an Italian Pizzicagnolo (cheesemonger), you will be amazed to find such a wide variety of Mozzarella.

There are four main types of fresh mozzarella:

• Regular cow milk mozzarella also called Fior di Latte
• Buffalo mozzarella made with Italian buffalo's milk
• Burrata which has a buttery creamy heart
• Smoked mozzarella also called Provola in Naples

The classic Caprese salad is made with Fior di Latte, but you can also use the Buffalo mozzarella.

There are also solid mozzarella blocks that are not stored in water, which are used for cooking for example pizza.

They cannot be used for Caprese salad as they are not juicy enough.

Fresh mozzarella can also have different shapes:

• Regular: fresh mozzarella balls
• Bocconcini: fresh mozzarella pearls, smaller in size
• Treccia: large braid shape
• Zizzona: gigantic shape

What Zizzona means

Yes, you see it right. It looks like a big breast; in the 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 mozzarellas remind me of the big ladies you find at the markets with such prominent breasts 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!

The Zizzona Village in Battipaglia

They are perfectly located for travellers, only a few kilometres from the autostrada exit. They have a deli shop that sells everything bufala and an outdoor restaurant with wooden tables where they serve food all centred around the bufala milk.

They trademarked the name and the product, so they are the only producer.

We leave from Rome early in the morning to avoid traffic, and we get there in time for a late breakfast with fresh mozzarelline.

We always buy a Zizzona to take home; they are 1 kilo each.

The unique taste of eating it freshly made is what makes it exceptional.

If you want to know more about the cuisine of this region, you can read the article: Campanian Cuisine

Which Tomatoes

You can use summer tomatoes like Bull Heart or Fiascone from Capri.

You can also use sweet Cherry tomatoes or Pachino, but if you do that, you need to use the bocconcini mozzarella.

A simple rule is that the tomatoes should be the same size as the mozzarella.

Whatever you choose should be fresh, firm, crunchy, and juicy tomatoes but not watery.

If you are in Italy, I recommend looking for the Melinda or Zerbini tomatoes.

They are as crunchy as an apple and sweet. Perfect for a nice Caprese.

Although, if you grow your garden tomatoes, they would be your best choice.

The rest of the ingredients

• Pasta corta: meaning short pasta. It should be of the same size as the tomato and mozzarella bites
• Fresh basil leaves
• A simple dressing made of good quality extra virgin olive oil, salt and freshly grated black pepper

You can find the measurements in the recipe card below.

Pasta Caprese with the leftover Zizzona

As there is always some leftover, the following day we make a caprese pasta.

The real Neapolitans only eat fresh mozzarella from the day; the next day they snub it and use it for cooking.

So if I have leftover Zizzona, I make the pasta salad.

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, and add the pasta. If you want al dente pasta cook it for 1 minute less than indicated on the package directions
2. In the meantime, cut the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil leaves in a large bowl. Add salt and extra virgin olive oil for seasoning. Stir them all together.
3. 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.
4. Serve warm or at room temperature

If you want to cook pasta like an Italian, read the article: 38 tips to cook pasta like an Italian

How to serve it

This easy Caprese pasta salad recipe is perfect for a hot Summer day. It can be served as a primo piatto, a light main dish, or a side dish on a buffet table for a barbecue.

Traditionally in Italy, we do not serve pasta with chicken as the pasta was considered a peasant meal and chicken was too fine meat to combine it with.

This tradition still stands in Italy.

We wouldn't combine the classic caprese flavors with seafood, either.

If you are serving a simple Caprese salad, you can serve it with some fresh crunchy bread.

...and the gigantic Zizzona? Well, you will not find tomatoes of the same size, so you serve it on a large plate surrounded by tomatoes and basil.

What a feast!

Top tips

Here are a few more things about Caprese salad:

1. The mozzarella should be at room temperature
2. The water from the mozzarella should be drained completely
3. Use the best extra virgin olive oil you can find
4. The size of the mozzarella bites/chunks should match the size of the tomatoes and the pasta shape.

Don't you dare add Balsamic

Although, if you want to add even just a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, you may as well look for another recipe, as this combination of flavors is certainly not from Capri.

Capri is an island off the coast of Naples, and the classic Caprese salad was created after the war to reflect the color of the Italian flag.

• Red the tomato
• White the mozzarella
• Green the basil

Balsamic vinegar originates from Modena in the North of Italy.

Italian cuisine is traditional, very regional, and uses only local ingredients. If you want to know more about Italian cuisine's historical background, you can read the article: Italian Ingredients

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 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 does not go on pizza, same concept!

So please, feel free to add these ingredients if you like, but don't call it Caprese.

Caprese's colors represent our National Flag, and there is no purple or yellow in it!

FAQ

What is a Zizzona mozzarella?

A Zizzona is a giant fresh bufala mozzarella shaped like a breast; Zizzona is a dialect name. It is made in Battipaglia, where the Zizzona Village trademarked the name and the product, so they are the only producer. The ones we buy are 1 kilo each.

What does Zizzona mean?

In the Neapolitan dialect, Zizzona means big breast.

How do you serve a Zizzona?

You will not find tomatoes of the same size, so you serve it on a large plate surrounded by tomatoes and basil. The mozzarella should be at room temperature.

What can I do with the leftover Zizzona?

The real Neapolitans only eat fresh mozzarella from the day; the next day they snub it and use it for cooking. So if I have leftover Zizzona, I make this caprese pasta.

Can I make Caprese pasta salad ahead of time?

You can make it a few hours ahead, but it is better to eat it freshly made.

Can I use burrata instead of mozzarella?

Caprese is from Capri, near Naples, where mozzarella comes from. Burrata is from Puglia, so if you make a caprese with burrata, call it Pugliese.

Why is there no balsamic vinegar on a Caprese?

Balsamic vinegar is not a traditional ingredient from Capri. It originates 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 doesn't make sense for me.

Which pasta shape is best for Caprese pasta salad?

Short pasta. It should be the same size as the tomato and mozzarella bites.

Where can I buy a Zizzona?

If you are in Italy, you can order it on their website: zizzona.com. I am not sure it is available abroad. We even struggle to find it on the French Riviera, and we are just across the border; there is a man, Fabrizio, who brings it once per month. If you are traveling to Italy, look for it in specialized shops.

Should I use fior di latte or buffalo mozzarella?

The classic Caprese salad is made with Fior di Latte, but you can also use Buffalo mozzarella.

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