“Cheese, wine, and friends must be old to be good.”
Mozzarella Caprese Sauté
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 mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. Often, Caprese salad is referred to as Italy's Beloved Antipasto. The salad is believed to have been created in the late 1930s by a hotel chef on the island of Capri. When the exiled King of Egypt, King Farouk, came to visit Capri in the 1950s he asked for a light meal and the salad became an international sensation. It’s so easy, tasty and beautiful ... this salad is unmistakably Italian thanks to the colors representing the nation’s flag.
Caprese salad is so versatile. It can be served hot, warm or cold. It can be enjoyed as a simple salad, a sandwich, over a bed of pasta, over or under an entrée such as a seared chicken breast fillet, etc.
This recipe is so easy to put together, then quick to cook and finally a breeze to clean up after because it is all in one pan. Tonight we enjoyed it along with flank steak but it is the ideal side to almost any entrée.
Ingredients
Instructions
-
In a large skillet, sauté the shallots, garlic and basil until tender and fragrant. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper; heat through. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the cheese pearls.
-
Plate and serve alongside entree and crusty garlic bread. Enjoy!
Serving Size 2/3 cup
Servings 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 127kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 9g14%
- Saturated Fat 4g20%
- Cholesterol 22mg8%
- Sodium 194mg9%
- Total Carbohydrate 6g2%
- Dietary Fiber 2g8%
- Sugars 4g
- Protein 6g12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
About the photos - Although the recipe provides four servings I took the photos one evening when I was cooking for two so if they appear a little on the light side, that's why! Also, the classic Caprese salad is supposed to be made with the colors of Italy, red, white, green; unfortunately as I prepared the salad I found that I had no fresh green basil so I was forced to use dried. I'll do better next time!