With the girls and the boyfriend in and out so much this summer, Week 4 became a just-us menu — this dish, the piccata, the branzino, and the pesto shrimp pasta are all portioned for two. Doubling for company? The chicken and ciliegine scale up easily.
The pan juices stirred into the caprese are what separates this from a plain pesto salad. The butter-and-chicken fond that collected in the pan while searing transforms the pesto mixture into something richer and more unified. Deglaze with a splash of water if the pan looks dry.
This recipe and the Pesto Shrimp & Spinach Pasta each draw from the same pesto batch — make the pesto first, then split it. This dish uses ¾ cup — taste as you toss the caprese and adjust to your preference.
A squeeze of fresh lemon over the finished plate is described as “never hurts” — it does more than that. The acid cuts through the richness of the pesto and butter, wakes up the tomatoes, and ties the whole plate together. Don’t skip it.
