Roasted Tomato & Mozzarella Caprese

Elevated Tomato & Mozzarella Caprese

Elevate the classic Caprese salad with this Roasted Caprese Recipe! Juicy cherry tomatoes are roasted until blistered and caramelized, then paired with creamy mozzarella, fresh basil, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. The warm, roasted tomatoes bring out an incredible depth of flavor, making this dish perfect as an appetizer, side, or light meal. Simple, elegant, and bursting with freshness—this is Caprese like you’ve never had before!

Caprese commonly refers to a tomato & mozzarella topped with basil. The more common variety of this salad features fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil. And while nothing is quite a wonderful as a vine ripened fresh tomato in the peak of summer, nothing is quite as terrible as a tomato grown halfway around the world in the dead of winter. So with one of two main ingredients being extremely seasonal, it’s hard to find a really good Caprese salad in the northeast, during winter. The solution is to roast the tomatoes! And they are so good, you may never want to serve a raw slice of tomato again!

Slow roasting plum tomatoes in the oven helps bring all their sweetness and delicious rich flavors out. The tomatoes are absolutely delicious served by themselves, in a salad, alongside a chicken or steak, but my favorite way to serve these roasted tomatoes is by making a Caprese platter to serve to friends or bring to gathering.

With so few ingredients in this Caprese salad, or any Caprese salad, the quality of the ingredients in this dish is vital to its success. You need to select really good fresh mozzarella, preferably from a good Italian market or cheese shop. I use a basic balsamic vinegar for the roasting, and I finish with a high quality, thick balsamic that I use sparingly for drizzling.

Make Ahead: The roasted tomatoes can be made up to 2 days in advance but be sure to pack them gently in a single layer, if possible. Bring to room temperature before serving. 

Roasted Caprese Salad

Elevate the Classic Caprese salad with Slow Roasted Tomatoes. Plum tomatoes are roasted at 275°F until blistered and caramelized, then paired with creamy mozzarella, fresh basil, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.

5 from 1 vote

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Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

  

• 12 plum tomatoes halved lengthwise, seeds removed and excess liquid drained.
• 1/4 cup good olive oil plus more for drizzling
• 1 1/2 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2 large garlic cloves minced
• 2 tsp sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 16 oz fresh salted mozzarella
• 12 fresh basil leaves julienned

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 275° F.
• Arrange the tomatoes on a sheet pan, cut sides up, in a single layer.
• Drizzle with 1/4 cup of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with the garlic, sugar, 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Roast for 2 hours until the tomatoes are concentrated and begin to caramelize.
• Allow the tomatoes to cool to room temperature.
• Cut the mozzarella into slices slightly less than 1/2-inch thick. (If the slices of mozzarella are larger than the tomatoes, cut the mozzarella slices in half.)
• Layer the tomatoes alternately with the mozzarella on a platter and scatter the basil on top.
• Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil and a very good quality, thick balsamic vinegar or syrup.
• Serve at room temperature.

Notes

The roasted tomatoes can be made up to 2 days in advance but be sure to pack them gently in a single layer, if possible. Bring to room temperature before serving.