Your favorite tomato basil and mozzarella salad is now a warm and wonderful quesadilla! Caprese quesadillas are a delicious and different summertime treat.
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Why we love this recipe ❤️
We love ALL things that include the word Caprese, that salad made of tomatoes and basil and mozzarella CHEESE, and when you combine “Caprese” with “Quesadilla,” well, you know magical things are going to happen.
As in, you are going to layer some cheese and tomatoes and pesto on a tortilla, pop another tortilla on top, fry the whole thing until the cheese is melty and perfect, and take that first heavenly bite.
It’s like the world’s best summery grilled cheese sandwich, and I am HERE FOR IT.
What is a quesadilla? 🧀
A quesadilla is a Mexican recipe that takes corn or flour tortillas and fills them with everything from cheese to meats, seafood, vegetables, sauces and spices.
Typically the tortillas are used like a sandwich with one on top of the other and the filling inside, and then the quesadilla is grilled until the insides are warm and the tortilla is just a bit crispy.
What is Caprese? 🥗
Caprese is an Italian salad made with fresh mozzarella or burrata cheese, fresh sliced tomatoes and a handful of basil leaves, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and sprinkled with salt.
Why Caprese? It’s named after the island of Capri, where it’s believed to have originated. And fun fact: Caprese features the colors of the Italian flag with the red tomatoes, the white cheese and the aromatic green basil! 🇮🇹
Ingredients you need 🍅
Ingredient notes and substitutions 📝
- Tortillas: You can use either the flour or corn version of these these flat round savory pancakes. We like flour tortillas for their softer texture. You can also use any size…if this is going to be the main course, we recommend 8 inch tortillas.
- Pesto: This basil-based garlicky spread helps to enhance the basil flavor that is going on. There are lots of great pesto recipes out there, or you can pick up a prepared jar in the pasta sauce section of your supermarket.
- Tomatoes: Fresh local tomatoes are the BEST in this recipe…and if you can find an heirloom variety you are going to be in Caprese Quesadilla Heaven. 😇
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
How to make this recipe 👩🏻🍳
STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 200 (this is so you can keep all the quesadillas warm while you cook them in batches).
STEP 2: Place your sliced tomatoes on some paper towels, place another paper towel on top and press gently. Leave them there while you get the rest of your ingredients ready so they get as dry as possible.
STEP 3: Get out your griddle or your largest skillet and heat over medium high.
While you are waiting for the skillet or griddle to heat up, lay four of the tortillas down and brush with olive oil. Flip them over and brush them with the pesto. Place a layer of cheese over the pesto, then a layer of sliced tomato, then sprinkle on the basil. Cover it all up with the other four tortillas.
STEP 4: Brush the outside of the top tortilla with olive oil and place it on your griddle. Press the quesadilla down with a spatula to smoosh it just a little.
STEP 5: Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes per side minutes or until the cheese is melted and the quesadilla is golden. Remove carefully to a cookie sheet, pop it into the oven and repeat with the remaining quesadillas.
STEP 5: Slice into quarters and serve!
Recipe FAQs 🧐
You can! We like flour tortillas for their softer, more flexible texture, but if you prefer the more rustic style of corn tortillas then go for it!
Pesto is a magically delicious Italian paste made with basil leaves, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, and garlic. It is super simple to make (here is my friend Elise’s perfect recipe) but you can also find it in prepared form in the pasta sauce aisle of your grocery store.
Kind of – you can make an hour or two ahead, but don’t wait much longer than that.
Pop your question in the Comments section under the recipe card and I will answer pronto!
Equipment we used for this recipe 🥣
These are some of my favorite kitchen tools! These are Amazon affiliate links, which means I get a little something if you buy through my links at no extra cost to you. (Which helps pay for all that bacon I keep buying! 😄) And I only share things I use and love. I’m so grateful for your support!
- Measuring Cup: We love these angled cups that show the measurements on both the inside and outside of the cup.
- Cutting Board: These sturdy, dishwasher-safe cutting boards come in all different sizes.
- Griddle: Perfect for making everything from these quesadillas to these cinnamon oat pancakes!
Other Caprese recipes we love! 🍅🌿🧀
We want to know what you think! 🤔
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below the recipe card.
Caprese Quesadillas
This easy recipe for caprese quesadillas combines fresh tomatoes with basil, pesto and melty mozzarella cheese for a summertime supper treat!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 quesadillas 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 thinly sliced large tomatoes
- 8 eight inch flour tortillas
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup pesto
- 1 pound thinly sliced or shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 (this is so you can keep all the quesadillas warm while you cook them in batches).
- Place your sliced tomatoes on some paper towels, place another paper towel on top and press gently. Leave them there while you get the rest of your ingredients ready so they get as dry as possible.
- Get out your griddle or your largest skillet and heat over medium high.
- While you are waiting for the skillet or griddle to heat up, lay four of the tortillas down and brush with olive oil. Flip them over and brush them with the pesto. Place a layer of cheese over the pesto, then a layer of sliced tomato, then sprinkle on the basil. Cover it all up with the other four tortillas.
- Brush the outside of the top tortilla with olive oil and place it on your griddle. Press the quesadilla down with a spatula to smoosh it just a little.
- Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes per side minutes or until the cheese is melted and the quesadilla is golden. Remove carefully to a cookie sheet, pop it into the oven and repeat with the remaining quesadillas.
- Slice into quarters and serve!
Notes
-
- Tortillas: You can use either the flour or corn version of these these flat round savory pancakes. We like flour tortillas for their softer texture. You can also use any size…if this is going to be the main course, we recommend 8 inch tortillas.
-
- Pesto: This basil-based garlicky spread helps to enhance the basil flavor that is going on. There are lots of great pesto recipes out there, or you can pick up a prepared jar in the pasta sauce section of your supermarket.
-
- Tomatoes: Fresh local tomatoes are the BEST in this recipe…and if you can find an heirloom variety you are going to be in Caprese Quesadilla Heaven. 😇
Hi Karen and Happy Summer! That sandwich definitely has my name on it…and I just got some sourdough bread this morning…it’s a sign! Thank YOU and xoxo!
Karen Nelson says
You’ll love it❣️🍞🥪
Xoxo