Caprese Salad

I love this salad. It always reminds me of being in Rome, sitting on the rooftop terrace of the Forum Hotel, or at an outdoor cafe.

There are other foods that remind me of Rome as well. Canteloupe wrapped in prosciutto, and Penne Alla Carbone come to mind immediately. We found a fabulous local trattoria in Rome in the Aventine district that was probably one of the best meals we ever had. It didn't even look like a restaurant. We were quite far off the beaten track and when we got to the address I thought...uh oh...it's closed.

Behind two layers of frosted glass and an imposing entranceway a jewel was hidden. Our waiter spoke little english, and we little Italian. We managed to choose our first course easily but when it came to the meat course and pasta course we were pretty clueless. We told him to pick for us. I did also get across that tripe would not be ideal...LOL. We dined on the most marvelous roast of lamb I've ever had, and discovered penne alla carbone.

I've never been able to duplicate the lamb, but I'm getting close with the penne. Once I perfect it I'll share. In the meantime we had a light dinner tonight and had Caprese salad.

Very easy to make, and just scrumptiously good.

Ingredients.

1 or 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced

1 package fresh mozzarella ball (s)

handful of fresh basil chopped

salt to taste

olive oil

All you do is slice your tomatoes and place on a plate. Spread the chopped fresh basil over the tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil, and a dash of salt. Cut the fresh mozzarella and place over the tomatoes. Poof...you're done.

This is the sure fire way to get my kids to eat fresh tomatoes. Given the season the tomatoes and basil are both from our struggling garden this year.

Ravioli Caprese

One of my favorite shows on television is Everyday Italian on the Food Network. I have tried so many of Giada's recipes and all have turned out fabulously. This one in particular is excellent. It's very light tasting but filling at the same time. I have trouble finding it on the food network site so I've taken notes from my pvr.

This recipe is not a 30 minute meal by any stretch. Preparing the raviolis take time. I can usually whip them off from start to finish in about an hour. Well worth the time though. My kids love it and I certainly can't complain. One of my favorite salads is Caprese salad so this just seems appropriate.

I don't have a picture of this one as I haven't made it for a couple of months but will take one and add it next time I make it. (Probably next week)

Dough:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 cup very hot water.

Filling:
3/4 cup whole milk ricotta
1 egg
1/2 cup finely shredded store bought rotisserie chicken
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 tblsp finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the dough:
In a large bowl combine the flour and water. Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine into a large ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for about 10 minutes. * I toss the flour into my kitchenaid mixer and using the dough hook start adding water. It's easier.

For the filling.
Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine. (I use a food processor to shred the chicken then mix the rest of the ingredients in with a mixing blade)

To form the ravioli. cut the dough into 4 evenly sized pieces. It should be slightly sticky. Add extra flour as necessary for rolling, but only use a little bit as needed. Form each piece into a 2 by inch rectangle. Recover the dough with the plastic wrap.  You can also use a ravioli mold.  I picked one up at a gadget store. 

Lightly dust the work surface and a rolling pin. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll the dough into a 4 x 19 inch rectangle. Place 9 rounded teaspoons of filling about 1 inch apart down the center of the dough. Fold the dough over the filling. Press down around the edges of each of the ravioli with your fingertips. Cut the ravioli into small squares and press down around the edges again to seal. Place on a lightly floured baking tray and continue until you've exhausted the mixture.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add half the ravioli and cook until the ravioli float, stirring occasionally for about 3-4 minutes. Drain into a large bowl and cook the remaining ravioli. Pour the olive oil over the cooked ravioli, add the basil, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Gently toss the pasta to coat and serve immediately.

If you take the time to prepare this recipe you will not be disappointed. It is lovely. The combination of the lemon and the basil and salt is reminiscent of sitting at an oceanside trattoria in Italy. Truly delightful.