Hasselback Caprese
Stacking tomato, mozzarella, and basil makes this Hasselback Caprese a summer side dish that’s both delicious and visually appealing.
Hasselback Caprese
Photo Credit : Christine HanHere, the classic combination of tomato, mozzarella, and basil is stacked in a way that evokes Hasselback potatoes—a dish of whole spuds, sliced very thinly and roasted until crisp. The name, in turn, comes from the Hasselbacken restaurant in Sweden, where they were thought to be invented, so consider this a Scandinavian dish by way of Italy.
This recipe from Kat Ashmore first appeared in the July/August 2024 issue of Yankee Magazine. Kat’s first cookbook, Big Bites: Wholesome, Comforting Recipes That Are Big on Flavor, Nourishment, and Fun, is a New York Times bestseller.
Yield:
8 servingsIngredients
8 large Roma tomatoes
2 8-ounce balls fresh mozzarella
16 fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
Flaky sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
Slice a thin piece off the stem end of each tomato and discard. Then slice a thin piece of flesh from the long side of the tomato so it can sit flat on your cutting board.
Using a serrated knife, evenly score the tomatoes crosswise, making 4 to 6 cuts, depending on the tomato’s length. Slice three-quarters of the way down. Pay attention that you don’t cut all the way through, but please don’t stress.
One way to do this as you’re getting the hang of it is to use chopsticks on both sides of the tomato. This will stop the knife from going all the way through it.
Slice the mozzarella balls in half. Put them cut-side down on your board and thinly slice them into half-moons.
Lay a small basil leaf on top of each slice of mozzarella. If some leaves are large, cut them in half and use half at a time. Gently push a slice of cheese with its basil leaf into each cut in the tomato. The cheese should be flush with the top of the tomato. Repeat this process with the remaining tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil until all the tomatoes have been stuffed.
Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic glaze all over the tomatoes and sprinkle generously with flaky salt and black pepper. Serve.
