Rainbow roast tomato, mozzarella salad with basil and pine nut oil.

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This recipe was originally written for Town & Country UK.

An elevated twist on the classic tomato mozzarella this is a brilliant ‘do ahead’ dinner party (or lunch party dish).  Roast your tomatoes and prepare the dressing ahead of time and tear over your mozzarella just before you serve. The roasting gives the tomatoes a wonderful richness and the various flavours of each colour really shine through. Go for British grown if you can. At this time of year they are really at their best.

Serves 6 

Ingredients

  • 1kg mixed cherry tomatoes (red, orange, yellow)

  • olive oil

  • 1 tbsp dried oregano

  • 80g pine nuts

  • large bunch of basil

  • 1 small garlic clove, crushed

  • pinch sea salt

  • 125-150g ball Buffalo Mozzarella

Method

  • Preheat your oven to 250°C fan setting and line a large oven tray with parchment.

  • Spread your tomatoes over the parchment lined tray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle over the oregano. Season with salt and massage everything with your hands to ensure all the tomatoes have an even coating.

  • Roast for 20-25 minutes until the tomatoes have cooked and are slightly blackened in places. Allow to cool completely before removing from tray.

  • Toast the pine nuts in a frying pan over a low-medium heat until lightly browned. Remove and allow to cool.

  • Finely chop the basil and add to a small bowl. Add the garlic, sea salt and olive oil and give it a good stir.

  • When ready to serve stir through your pine nuts.

  • To serve, transfer the tomatoes onto a serving dish. Tear over the mozzarella and spoon over the basil, pine nut oil. Enjoy.

Note. This also makes for a very good bruschetta topping. Take slices of sourdough or baguette, brush with oil and toast them on a hot griddle pan for 3-4 mins either side. Top with tomatoes, torn mozzarella and the basil pine nut oil.

Dinner Party, Sides, Starters, VegetarianAlexandra Dudley