Caprese Salad with a Flair / Insalata Caprese
Description
One of the most delicious dishes found in all of Italian cuisine is Caprese salad or the Insalata Caprese. This dish marries some of the most notable ingredients in Italian cuisine including tomatoes, olive oil, fresh burrata cheese, and fresh basil. The dish has been popular for many decades. The first story of Caprese salad dates to post-World War I Italy. A patriotic chef wanted to make a dish that was a true tribute to Italy and that visually incorporated the tricolor of the Italian flag into the presentation. The first printed mention of the Caprese salad was on a menu at the Grand Hotel Quisisana in Capri. We grow our own heirloom tomatoes and basil, and when they are ripe and in season, there is nothing better than this wonderful salad!
At a Glance
Equipment
No special culinary equipment is needed to make this memorable Italian salad.
Ingredients
4 ripe Heirloom Tomatoes, sliced
2 ounces of Pancetta, cooked in a sauté pan until it is crisp and then set aside and let it cool completely,
1 ½ tablespoons of Blue Cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons of Pickled Red Onions, coarsely chopped (which you can access easily by clicking on that recipe title)
2 tablespoons of Burrata Cheese
5 Basil Leaves, chiffonade cut (or cut into thin ribbons)
½-1 teaspoon of freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste
Drizzle of aged Balsamic Vinegar
Directions
Place the tomato slices in a single layer on a serving platter. Sprinkle them with the blue cheese crumbles and the pickled red onion. Sprinkle the pancetta, and then add the burrata cheese in dollops on top. Add the chiffonade of basil and black pepper, and then drizzle with the aged balsamic vinegar over the top of the salad. Serve and enjoy.
