Italian · Authentic-ish Italian
Insalata Caprese
219 kcal a serving, against 382 for the traditional version. That is 163 kcal off, or 43%, with 16.5g of protein. Serves 4. 15 minutes.
What the traditional version is
A summer salad relying entirely on the quality of its components. Thick slices of ripe tomatoes layered with full-fat mozzarella. Scattered with fresh basil leaves, heavily seasoned with salt and black pepper, and drowned in the best olive oil you can afford.
What changed, and what each change costs
60g of olive oil down to 15g
Oil is pure fat. Pouring 60g over a plate of tomatoes costs you a massive amount of energy for very little nutritional return. I keep just enough to dress the tomatoes lightly, because they do need some fat to carry their flavour.
What it costs you. You lose that glorious puddle of oil and tomato juice at the bottom of the plate. You can't mop it up with bread anymore. The mouthfeel is definitely less luxurious, and you'll notice it immediately.
300g of mozzarella down to 150g
Mozzarella is gorgeous, but it brings a heavy load of fat alongside its protein. Halving it pulls the energy load right down. You'll still get the creamy texture in every other bite, rather than every single one.
What it costs you. It throws the ratio off. A traditional Caprese is equal parts cheese and tomato. Here, the tomatoes dominate the plate. You have to hunt a bit for the cheese, which makes it feel less generous.
Adding 120g of prosciutto
This is the fix. By adding cured ham, you drag the protein right up without bringing in much fat. It adds a deep, savoury saltiness that compensates for the missing cheese and oil.
What it costs you. It ruins the purity of the vegetarian original. The delicate, milky flavour of the mozzarella gets slightly bullied by the aggressive saltiness of the ham. It becomes a meat dish.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 382 | 219 |
| Protein | 17.9g | 16.5g |
| Fat | 31.9g | 14.1g |
| Saturated fat | 12.5g | 6.4g |
| Carbohydrate | 7.1g | 7.2g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 4.7g | 7.6g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Italian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. milk.
The method is in the book
I changed my mind about it, and I stand by the result. Yes, I compromised the classic structure. Cutting the fat means you lose some of the magic. But the addition of cured ham turns a delicate side dish into a highly satisfying plate of food that actually fills you up.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Italian, along with 59 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.