Easy No-Cook Recipes to Deal with Summer Heatwaves

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© Pixabay / Omi Sido

Caprese salad

It doesn't get much simpler than caprese salad. Another Italian classic, it's made with nothing more than fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil. Our recipe adds a touch of pesto for extra flavor. Save this for a day when you don't have much of an appetite because of the heat but still want to eat something delicious and satisfying.

Serves 4

• 1 1/2 lbs ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 1 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 1/4 cup fresh whole basil leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tbsp pesto, store-bought or homemade
• Salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Arrange the tomatoes and mozzarella cheese slices on plates in an overlapping circular pattern.
2. Add a few fresh basil leaves in the center of each plate and scatter the sliced basil over the tomatoes and mozzarella.
3. Spoon the pesto sauce around the tomatoes and mozzarella (1 tbsp per plate).
4. Drizzle with a splash of olive oil.
5. Sprinkle with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve.