We’re here to give your next caprese salad an upgrade! Today, we’re making a parmesan crust and creating a tart that will hold your beautiful and fragrant caprese salad. This dish is fresh and flavourful, a perfect recipe to welcome the summer and looks wonderful on an Easter table.
Here’s what you need:
For your tart crust:
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons pine nuts or blanched almonds
1/4 cup finely grated Reggiano Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter – cold, cut in 1″ pieces
3 tablespoons milk – cold
For your caprese salad:
3 to 4 medium ripe tomatoes – sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese – sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
Flaky sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
Preparation:
Let’s begin by making our tart shell for the salad. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F/170 degrees Celsius
Place the flour, nuts, Parmesan and salt in a food processor. Process at high speed for 30 seconds until you see that the nuts are nice and finely chopped. Add in your cold butter, making sure they don’t touch each other, and pulse until the mixture looks crumbly. Slowly pour in the cold milk evenly over the flour mixture and pulse until the dough comes together. Once the dough is ready, form a ball and flatten with the palm of your hand to form a 1 1/2″ thick circle. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes until cold, but still able to be worked with.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it and set it on a floured surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and roll it out into a 12″ circle. Carefully arrange the dough in the prepared mold and trim the excess around the rim. Place the mold in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes until firm. Line the dough with aluminum foil and press carefully but firmly against the sides. Place the mold on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes until pale yellow at the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the foil. Now it’s time to assemble your caprese salad in your parmesan tart shell.
Inside the tart, arrange your tomatoes, mozzarella and basil in an alternating pattern. Season generously with flaky sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle with some olive oil and a delicious balsamic glaze. You’re ready to serve!
This tart is a unique and more savoury spin on a classic Caprese salad by giving it some more heft and complexity. It looks gorgeous on any table! If you make this recipe and want to share it with us, tag us on Instagram @stokesstores and use the hashtag #StokesMoments.