Name: Mozza Caprese Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 4 h 40 min
Total time: 4 h 50 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: For the Pesto Sauce:; 6 tbsp pine nuts; 2 tbsp garlic; ¾ cup fresh basil; ¾ cup fresh flat leaf parsley; 2 tsp kosher salt; 1 cup olive oil; ½ cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese; 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice; For the Insalata:; 2 lbs baby roma or cherry tomatoes on the vine; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp kosher salt; black pepper; 2 lb burrata or balls of mozzarella di bufala or buffalo mozzarella; sea salt; 8 large fresh basil leaves; 4 tsp olive oil

How To Make Mozza Caprese

This mozza caprese is full of fresh flavors and ingredients. The richness of the cheese is cut by the brightness of the tomatoes and the herbs.

Preparation: 10 minutes

Cooking: 4 hours 40 minutes

Total: 4 hours 50 minutes

Serves:

Ingredients

For Pesto Sauce:

6tbsppine nuts
2tbspgarlic,finely chopped
¾cupfresh basil,chopped
¾cupfresh flat leaf parsley,chopped
2tspkosher salt
1cupolive oil,good quality
½cupparmigiano-reggiano cheese,grated
2tbspfresh lemon juice

For Insalata:

2lbsbaby roma tomatoes,or cherry tomatoes on the vine
2tbspolive oil,good quality
1tspkosher salt
black pepper,freshly cracked
2lbburrata,or balls of mozzarella di bufala or buffalo mozzarella
sea salt
8large fresh basil leaves
4tspolive oil,good quality

Instructions

Pesto Sauce:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spread the pine nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly golden and fragrant. Watch the pine nuts closely, because they burn easily. Pour onto a plate and let cool.
Transfer the pine nuts to a mortar, add the garlic, basil, parsley, and salt, and pulverize with a pestle to a smooth paste. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, working it in with the pestle, then add the cheese, again mixing well with the pestle.
Just before serving, season with the lemon juice then taste and adjust with more lemon juice and salt.

Insalata:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange the tomatoes, with their vines intact, on the rack.
Brush with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with the salt and pepper. Roast for 4 to 4 and a half hours, or until the skins begin to shrivel like a raisin but the tomatoes remain plump. Remove from the oven and let cool.
If each ball of cheese weighs half pound, cut it half; if each ball weighs 1 pound, cut it into quarters. Slice the cheese crosswise into slices about ¼-inch thick and arrange them on 8 small plates or a single platter.
If using burrata, season the cheese lightly with sea salt. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the pesto over each cheese portion.
Using scissors, snip a basil leaf over each cheese portion. Again using scissors, snip the vines of the tomatoes to create 8 equal portions with their vines intact, and arrange the tomatoes on top of the cheese.
Drizzle about half a teaspoon olive oil over each serving of tomatoes and serve immediately.