Caprese sandwich with pesto

About this recipe

A classic Italian sandwich, stripped to the essentials. Five ingredients, no cooking, ready in five minutes. Precisely because the recipe is so simple, the quality of each ingredient matters enormously — there's nothing for mediocrity to hide behind.

If you have good bread, real pesto, fresh mozzarella and tomatoes with real flavour, the result is far more impressive than you'd expect from such a simple combination.

Ingredients

• 1 homemade bread loaf (or a piece of baguette/ciabatta)
• 2 tbsp good quality green pesto (shop-bought or homemade) — a thin layer so it doesn't get too oily
• 125 g mozzarella, well-drained and sliced — original: mozzarella di bufala or fior di latte / vegan: plant-based mozzarella made from soy or cashew
• 1 large good tomato (in season) or 5-6 quality cherry tomatoes, sliced
• a handful of fresh rocket
• sea salt (to taste, for the tomatoes)
• a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil (optional, if the pesto is on the lean side)

Method

1. Prepare the bread

Cut the loaf in half horizontally.

2. Spread the pesto

Spread a thin and even layer of pesto on both halves. Generosity is tempting, but quality pesto is rich in oil — too much softens the bread and smothers the other flavours. Thin is the keyword.

3. Arrange the mozzarella

Place the mozzarella slices on the bottom half, in an even layer covering the whole surface. Mozzarella goes directly over the pesto — its oil will integrate beautifully.

4. Salt the tomatoes

Place the tomato slices over the mozzarella. A pinch of salt on the tomatoes — salting brings out the hidden flavours, especially in cherry tomatoes which tend to be sweeter.

5. Add the rocket

Place a generous handful of rocket over the tomatoes. The leaves lift the flavour, balancing the richness of the pesto and cheese with their bitter, peppery note.

6. Close and serve

Place the top half over. Press lightly to compact. Cut on the diagonal (looks better and easier to eat).

Serve immediately — a caprese sandwich doesn't sit well. The bread softens from the tomato juices, and its charm is the contrast of fresh textures.

Notes & Tips

Pesto — homemade or bought

If buying: look for one in a jar from the chilled section, with fresh basil, extra-virgin olive oil, parmesan and pine nuts (or almonds) in the first 4 ingredients. Avoid those with sunflower oil instead of olive oil, or with "basil flavouring" — these are industrial versions that don't compare with the real thing.

For the vegan version — there's vegan pesto in shops (no parmesan, with nutritional yeast) or you can make it at home: blend 50 g basil, 30 g pine nuts (or almonds), 30 g nutritional yeast, 1 garlic clove, juice of ½ lemon, salt, pepper and 80-100 ml extra-virgin olive oil.

Mozzarella — the choice matters enormously

Mozzarella di bufala (from buffalo milk) is the richest, creamiest, most flavourful — top choice for caprese. Fior di latte (from cow's milk) is milder and more accessible, but still very good. Avoid pizza "mozzarella" which is rubbery and tasteless.

Very important: drain the mozzarella well before using. Wrap it in a clean cotton towel or kitchen paper and leave it for 5-10 minutes. Excess water from the mozzarella softens the bread instantly.

Tomatoes — the season makes the difference

In summer, ripe garden tomatoes are the queen of this recipe — local, in-season tomatoes from the market or your own garden have unbeatable flavour. Look for tomatoes with firm flesh, sweet and aromatic. In winter, when large supermarket tomatoes are bland and watery, switching to quality cherry tomatoes (especially "on the vine") saves the recipe — they have concentrated flavour even off-season.

The bread — fresh, no question

The bread should be as fresh as possible — ideally just out of the oven or no more than a day old. Sourdough or a homemade loaf with a crispy crust and an open crumb is perfect for caprese — no additional toasting needed.

Variations

• With roasted aubergine: add a slice of oven-roasted aubergine between the mozzarella and tomatoes — more filling
• With black olives: a few halved olives over the tomatoes — Mediterranean note
• With balsamic reduction: a few drops over the rocket for a sweet-tangy finish
• With fresh basil: a few whole basil leaves alongside the rocket, or more to replace the rocket entirely — doubles the aroma with the pesto