Pesto Caprese Toast is the perfect Summer dish! Toasted bread topped with basil pesto, sweet ripe tomatoes, melted fresh mozzarella for a ooey goeey cheesy goodness. This mozzarella toast is my go to lunch, light dinner or snack all summer long.
PESTO CAPRESE TOAST <---- All things Summer has to offer.
Meet my go-to summer lunch! Toasted crusty bread, topped with basil pesto, thick slices of sweet ripe tomatoes, ooey gooey melted fresh mozzarella and finished off with a drizzle of olive oil, red pepper flakes and more chopped basil.
It is Caprese salad on bread. And, we add basil pesto to the mix.
You know, this Caprese toast is gonna be good
- Toasted Bread
- Basil Pesto
- Ripe juicy tomatoes
- Fresh mozzarella
- Fresh basil
Now that we are occasionally venturing into grocery stores with recommended precautions, we no longer have to be dependent on only pantry ingredients.
What is Caprese salad?
Caprese is probably one of the most simple salad recipes out there. This Italian salad is simply sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil arranged on a plate and then drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. The red, green and white colors features the colors on the Italian flag.
I tend to eat a lot of Caprese during summer with gorgeous heirloom tomatoes that I pick up from our farmers market.
When topped on top of toasted bread, this makes a great lunch but when pesto is added to the mix, it elevates this simple salad.
Tomato mozzarella basil bread is always a winning combo!
How to make Caprese salad on bread?
1.Toast bread in a 425 degree oven, until golden brown
2. Spread basil pesto on top
3.Top with sliced tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Top with a thick slice of fresh mozzarella.
5. Bake until cheese begins to melt.
6. Finish with more olive oil, red pepper flakes and chopped fresh basil.
Enjoy HOT!
It is more of an open face pesto caprese sandwich. It can be served as
- Lunch
- Light dinner
- Snack
- Appetizer (use baguette slices instead)
Few notes on making this pesto Caprese toast:
Bread - Country, Italian, French, Ciabatta, sour dough are all good options or just buttermilk sandwich bread. Aren't we baking a lot of sourdough now? Just add tomato mozzarella pesto to it and you have a great lunch.
Tomato - Heirloom / beef steak tomatoes are great. Make sure the tomato is absolutely ripe and juicy (not squishy).
Mozzarella - I went for a good ¼-inch thick slice. It is absolutely delicious when combined with all other flavors.
Pesto - I used jarred pesto. If you have a lots of fresh basil that you want to use then check out this highly rated pesto recipe.
Season - Season well with a good extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
This pesto caprese sandwich (open face) is best eaten hot. So, not a great option for school/work lunch. However, you can find a huge collection of lunch box ideas here.
Pesto Caprese Toast
Ingredients
- 6 slices crusty bread refer notes for choices
- ½ to ¾ cup basil pesto
- 2 to 3 large tomatoes heirloom / beef steak, ripe but firm, sliced
- 8 to 12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese sliced
- Chopped fresh basil for garnish
- Extra Virgin Olive oil salt and pepper, as required
- Red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 425 degrees.
- Place bread slices on a baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from oven (do not turn oven off) and spread 1 to 2 tablespoons pesto on top of each slice, depending on the size of your bread (careful with the hot baking pan).
- Top with sliced tomato, season with salt, pepper and a light drizzle of olive oil.
- Place a slice of mozzarella on top (cut to fit) and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes (if using). Another drizzle of olive oil on top and bake for 5 to 7 minutes , until cheese melts slightly.
- Place pan on a wire rack and sprinkle chopped fresh basil (season again if you'd like).
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third party calculations, should be considered estimates and not be construed as a guarantee. Varying factors such as product types, brands purchased, produce, the way ingredients are processed and more change the nutritional information in any recipe.
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Michael James Sams
This is bruschetta. I've been making it for years, without the pesto. Definitely going to have to try that though