Friday, April 3: Toasts with Pesto and Caprese Salad
Really into my toast dinners lately! Tonight’s featured homemade arugula pesto and a marinated caprese-style salad (grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, olive oil, balsamic, and plenty of salt and pepper). Fresh and delicious!
For the pesto: See recipe for my favorite arugula pesto here. You can also use a different homemade pesto, or your favorite store-bought pesto.
For the caprese salad: Slice 1-2 pints grape tomatoes in half and place in medium bowl. Drizzle in a few healthy glugs of olive oil, a glug of balsamic vinegar, a large pinch salt, a few grinds of black better, and a pinch of red pepper flakes and start them marinating while you prep the other ingredients. Chop fresh mozzarella into small cubes about the same size as the tomatoes. (Start with ~4 oz, and adjust ratios once you add to tomatoes to your preference; I like about the same amount of cheese as tomatoes, but you might want it heavier on the tomatoes or cheese). Add to bowl with the tomatoes and toss to combine. Let sit for about 20-30 minutes. This would be a good time to make the pesto if you are choosing to do so, or pour yourself a glass of wine! Note: when you’re ready to serve on the toast, make sure to mix the salad well to incorporate the delicious olive oil/balsamic/tomato juice mixture that will have accumulated at the bottom of the bowl. Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, or balsamic if needed.
For the toasts: Place thick slices of your favorite bread on a parchment-lined baking sheet, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, and bake in a 425 degree oven for ~8-10 minutes, flipping halfway. Spread on a layer of your favorite pesto (I used arugula pesto), then spoon on some of the caprese salad (plus some of the yummy oil/vinegar/tomato juice mixture from the bottom of the bowl). Devour!
See more:
See other toasts recipes here: spinach and sun-dried tomato pesto with mozz; artichoke pesto, beans, and cheese; arugula pesto with roasted tomatoes and goat cheese; arugula pesto with roasted tomatoes and mozz