Caprese BLT

     Tomato. Basil. Mozzarella. They just belong together. The caprese salad is a staple antipasto of Italian cuisine, and I wondered what it would be like to try it as the base for a BLT. After I finished it off, I decided to research what others had tried. My recipe was pretty close to the rest except for the pesto. I'll probably tweak it a few more times before I settle in on my favorite version, but here's how today's attempt looked.
   
Caprese BLT (from the bottom up)
sliced Italian bread (focaccia, ciabatta, etc.)
fresh mozzarella
salad spring mix (arugula, spinach, romaine, et al.)
sliced tomato
fresh basil, roughly chopped

bacon slices, cooked

extra virgin olive oil
basil pesto

     I wanted my bread toasted, so it went into the oven while I was finishing up with the other ingredients. A friend of mine convinced me to toast the bread topped with the mozzarella so that it begins to melt when it's time for final assembly.
     Top the slice of bread with the cheese with the remaining ingredients and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Spread pesto on the second slice and serve with cold pasta salad.

     You'll like this one.