While Caprese is a hallmark of summer, the dish can delight guests year-round with seasonal variations, ingredient swaps, new formats and culinary craftsmanship. When chefs view Caprese as a compilation of enticing components rather than a rigid recipe, it opens the door to explore both cold and hot iterations beyond the traditional build. This approach transforms Caprese into an adaptable flavor system that can move across cuisines and into unexpected menu areas.

If you still have doubts about Caprese’s incredible versatility, look no further than the Caprese Martini at Jac’s on Bond in New York City. Wholeheartedly embracing the savory cocktail movement, the drink features Grey Goose vodka infused with tomato and basil, Lustau Blanco vermouth, olive oil and a few dashes of balsamic vinegar.

Below, we venture into new territory with six formats ripe for Caprese flavors, from the usual suspects like bowls and salads all the way to hearty entrées and eggs. The three key components—mozzarella, tomato and basil—serve as anchors in many of the examples, but even these core elements can be mixed up in the pursuit of fresh flavor finds.

1

Salad and Bowls

Classic Caprese salad, with its harmonious layers of fresh mozzarella and ripe tomatoes topped with fragrant basil and an optional drizzle of olive oil or balsamic reduction, is primed for seasonal ingredient swaps and novel interpretations.

Flavoring:

• Introduce new textures through slices or pearls of fresh mozzarella.
• Explore the endless varieties of tomatoes, or swap in other summer produce, like peaches, watermelon, cantaloupe or cherries.
• Adapt in the colder months by using beets, winter squash, caramelized figs or citrus in place of tomatoes.
• Feature a specific variety of fresh basil, or substitute mint with other fresh herbs.

Try This

• Cajun Crab Caprese Salad: fresh mozzarella slices + fried green tomato slices + chilled crabmeat salad + micro basil + Cajun spice avocado oil drizzle
• Southern Charm Caprese Salad: fresh mozzarella slices + grilled fresh peach wedges + fresh mint chiffonade + hot honey-bourbon syrup + toasted chopped pecans
• Verde Power Caprese Bowl: arugula + fresh mozzarella pearls + black cherry tomato wedges + quinoa + charred sweet corn kernels + cilantro leaves + avocado salsa verde dressing + chopped grilled chicken breast

2

Pasta

Caprese flavorings are ideally suited to enhance almost any style of pasta, especially when applying diverse flavor treatments through global ingredients and infusions.

Flavoring:

• Use fresh mozzarella or light cream as a delectable filling.
• Go bold via globally spiked tomato sauces.
• Introduce subtle flavor nuances and colors through different basil varieties.
• Spark menu interest with housemade pesto prepared using different basil varieties or nuts.

Try This

• Caprese Ravioli: burrata- and ricotta cheese-filled ravioli + walnut Italian basil pesto + chopped sun-dried tomato + Kalamata olives
• Gnocchi alla Caprese: spinach- and sweet basil-infused gnocchi + yellow and red tomato confit + chopped mozzarella + purple basil chiffonade
• Thai Caprese Pappardelle: pappardelle + ground pork in Roma tomato-red curry sauce + chopped fresh mozzarella + torn Thai basil leaves + sliced scallion

3

Sandwiches and Wraps

Caprese can lighten up a variety of sandwiches, from hot to cold, vegetarian to pescetarian and meat-filled options. And while Caprese isn’t an especially sharp or aggressive flavor system, it does bring herbaceous depth.

Flavoring:

• Incorporate chilled or melted mozzarella to add creamy lusciousness.
• Add a craveable kick by blending tangy tomato powder into spreads or lightly sprinkling it on a fresh-pressed panini or grilled cheese. (Dust potato chips with tomato powder to carry the Caprese theme to a sandwich’s side offering.)
• Leverage basil in flavored spreads or as a flavoring in tortillas.
• Use slow-roasted tomatoes or dehydrated tomato slices in colder weather sandwich offerings

Try This

• Caprese Ham Pretzel Melt: hot Black Forest ham slices + melted mozzarella slices + smoked aïoli (smoked paprika, tomato powder, fresh sweet basil, roasted garlic, mayo) + soft pretzel roll
• Caprese Turkey Panini: roasted turkey + chopped smoked bacon + fresh mozzarella slices + beefsteak tomato slices + lemon basil pesto mayo + sourdough bread
• Greek Steak Caprese Wrap: shaved beef sirloin + fresh mozzarella slices + heirloom tomato slices + cucumber ribbons + shredded romaine + roasted red pepper dressing + hummus + tomato-Greek basil wrap

4

Meat Entrées

While main dishes rooted in Caprese flavors are rare, such entrées boast an inherent level of elegance, lighten otherwise hearty meats and expand consumer perception, demonstrating how its ingredients can be used across the menu.

Flavoring:

• Accentuate meats with fresh mozzarella to add moisture and meld overall flavors.
• Highlight tomato as a key flavoring in bold sauces.
• Flavor meats with pesto and fresh herb spreads.
• Elevate the presentation with strategically “tossed” Caprese components orbiting the center of plate.

Try This

• Caprese Cordon Bleu: baked, breaded chicken breast stuffed with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, lemon basil leaves + Dijon tomato cream sauce + grilled broccolini + garlic rice
• Hasselback Caprese Pork Tenderloin: Hasselback-style roasted pork tenderloin filled with fresh mozzarella and portobello mushroom slices + tomato chimichurri + fingerling potatoes + pencil asparagus
• Beef Roulade Caprese: pounded flank steak smeared with Italian basil pesto, topped with bacon strips and fresh mozzarella then rolled, seared and roasted + tomato beef gravy + steak fries

5

Pizza

Caprese is already a foundational flavor in pizza, but dough infusions, unexpected sauces, ingredient swaps and finishing flavor touches cast it in a new light.

Flavoring:

• Introduce an heirloom tomato variety for a specialty pizza or sprinkle tomato powder over a Caprese pepperoni pizza for additional flavor punch.
• Feature pesto, herb-infused oils or freshly blended tomato oil as the pizza sauce or as a memorable finishing touch.
• Substitute burrata in place of mozzarella for an extra-luscious mouthfeel.
• Focus on thinner styles of dough and flatbread so Caprese flavors can shine.

Try This

• Caprese Artichoke: Italian basil pesto + fresh mozzarella slices + grated fontina cheese + roasted artichoke hearts + fresh cherry tomato oil (drizzle finish)
• Garlic Lovers’ Caprese: Italian basil-infused olive oil + smashed roasted garlic cloves + fresh mozzarella slices + heirloom tomato thin slices + crispy garlic chips (topping)
• Caprese Sausage Fresca: light tomato sauce + fresh mozzarella slices + Italian sausage crumbles + thin-sliced red grape tomatoes + olive oil-garlic-sweet basil chiffonade + Asiago shavings

6

Breakfast Eggs

Egg dishes provide a mainstream base for melding Italian Caprese into other cuisines. Make a pronounced flavor-forward statement at breakfast by incorporating Caprese into core, egg-centric offerings.

Flavoring:

• Swap in fresh mozzarella to deliver a new flavor experience to egg dishes
• Elevate breakfast dishes with lively treatments to tomatoes
• Tap basil as the understated, stealth ingredient that complements the entirety of a Caprese egg dish
• Egg dishes provide a mainstream base for melding Italian Caprese into other cuisines

Try This

• Mexiprese Omelette: fresh mozzarella + ground chorizo + ranchero sauce + avocado-sweet basil crema drizzle
• Baked Caprese Eggs: two eggs baked in Italian basil pesto and cream (in flat ramekin) + fresh pico de gallo + side of melted mozzarella crostini
• Caprese Frittata: mozzarella-roasted onion frittata + blistered cherry tomatoes tossed in balsamic reduction + dollop Italian basil pesto