Caprese salad (a.k.a. Insalata Caprese or “salad from Capri”) is a classic, crowd-pleasing appetizer, side dish, or light lunch that’s as refreshing as it is easy to prepare. The recipe originated in the 1950s at the Trattoria da Vincenzo for lunchtime regulars they’d simply order a ripe tomato picked off the vine, which would be served with fresh fior di latte (cow’s milk mozzarella, as buffalo weren’t found on Capri).

Recipe information

• Total Time 15 minutes
• YieldServes 4 to 6

Ingredients

2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes (about 4 large), sliced ¼-inch thick

1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced ¼-inch thick

¼ cup packed fresh basil or arugula leaves, washed well and spun dry

¼ teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled, if using arugula instead of basil

3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Fine sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

1. On a large serving platter arrange tomato and mozzarella slices and basil leaves, alternating and overlapping them. Sprinkle salad with basil or arugula and oregano and drizzle with oil. Season salad with salt and pepper.

Notes

For this classic caprese salad recipe, it’s imperative that you use the freshest ingredients you can get your hands on: Thick slices of tomato (heirloom, please) at the peak of their season and which have never been refrigerated; milky fresh mozzarella cheese; fragrant basil leaves swiped from your backyard or your closest farmers market; and your best bottle of extra-virgin olive oil. Another piece of advice: Keep it simple. Pesto? Save it for another night. Balsamic glaze? No thanks. The vinegar would drown out the delicate flavors of the cheese. Ideally eaten in the shade, overlooking the sea (or, okay, on your patio), this classic Italian summer salad is a balm of a dish on any blistering day.