Tuscan Pillar Tomato Stack (Printable)

Vertical stacks of tomato, mozzarella, and basil with olive oil and balsamic glaze for a fresh starter.

# What you need:

→ Fresh Produce

01 - 4 medium ripe tomatoes
02 - 1 small bunch fresh basil leaves

→ Dairy

03 - 8.8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese

→ Pantry

04 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
05 - 2 tbsp balsamic glaze
06 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
07 - Sea salt, to taste

# Directions:

01 - Cut tomatoes and mozzarella into 8 uniform rounds about 0.4 inches thick each.
02 - Wash basil leaves thoroughly and pat dry to remove excess moisture.
03 - On a serving plate, layer one tomato slice, one mozzarella slice, and one basil leaf. Repeat layering to create a stack 3 to 4 layers high, finishing with a basil leaf on top.
04 - Insert a long toothpick or bamboo skewer vertically through the center of each stack to hold layers firmly together.
05 - Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze over each pillar. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
06 - Present immediately as a refreshing and elegant starter.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • It looks restaurant-worthy but takes fifteen minutes, which means you can finally impress people without the stress.
  • No cooking required—just perfect ingredients stacked in the right way, so the tomato's sweetness and the basil's brightness actually shine through.
  • You can make these ahead and chill them, which is a quiet game-changer when you're hosting.
02 -
  • The stack will only stand tall if you slice everything to roughly the same thickness; uneven pieces shift and topple, which looks careless even though it tastes fine.
  • Mozzarella that's too warm will collapse under its own weight, so keep it cool until the moment you assemble, and work quickly.
  • Basil bruises if you handle it roughly or let it sit cut for more than a few minutes, so slice or tear it right before you build.
03 -
  • Let tomatoes come to room temperature just before serving—cold tomatoes taste muted, but you want them chilled enough that they're still crisp and hold their shape.
  • If your basil keeps bruising, try separating whole leaves from the stem and using them uncut, or tear them by hand along the natural lines of the leaf rather than cutting across the grain.
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