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Winter Caprese Salad


  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • Oven-Roasted Tomatoes
  • Agrodolce
  • Basil Pesto
  • Six 3-ounce balls fresh mozzarella (preferably mozzarella di bufala)*
  • Pine Nuts, for garnish

for the Oven-Roasted Tomatoes:

  • 12 Plum Tomatoes
  • Olive Oil
  • Kosher Salt, for seasoning

for the Agrodolce:

  • 1/8 c. red wine vinegar
  • 1/8 c. sugar

for the Basil Pesto:

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 1/2 - 2 cups fresh basil
  • 1/8 cup pine nuts (also called pignoli)
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup good-quality parmesan cheese
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

for the Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut the tomatoes length-wise in half and using your fingers, scoop out the seeds and pulp. Place tomatoes on the baking sheet and drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Using your hands, make sure tomatoes are evenly coated with the oil and salt. Arrange cut side down on the baking sheet.
  2. Bake the tomatoes for 20-30 minutes, until the tomato skin begins to shrivel. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 250°F.
  3. Carefully remove the skin from the tomatoes and discard. Transfer peeled tomatoes to another baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and roast for about 1 1/2 hours, until the tomatoes are collapsed and slightly wrinkled but still moist. Let cool. These can be made a couple days ahead of time and kept refrigerated.

for the Agrodolce:

  1. Combine the sugar and red wine vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and let cool. This can be made a few days ahead of time and kept refrigerated.

for the Pesto:

  1. Place the garlic in a food processor and chop. Add in the basil and pine nuts and process until finely chopped. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and stir in Parmesan cheese. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. If making ahead of time, top pesto with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil to prevent browning and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature and stir before serving.

When Ready to Serve:

  1. Combine the tomatoes and with agrodolce in a small bowl.
  2. Divide the tomatoes among six plates. Top with mozzarella and pesto. Garnish with pine nuts and serve.