Name: Tomatoes with Basil and Mozzarella
Ingredients: 6 or more large ripe tomatoes, sliced fairly thick; 1 pound whole or part-skim milk mozzarella, sliced the same thickness as the tomatoes; A handful of fresh basil leaves, rinsed, patted dry, and minced; 1/4 cup olive oil; Salt and pepper to taste

Why it works: Tomato and olive are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 15,539 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓

Tomatoes with Basil and Mozzarella

Ingredients

6 or more large ripe tomatoes, sliced fairly thick
1 pound whole or part-skim milk mozzarella, sliced the same thickness as the tomatoes
A handful of fresh basil leaves, rinsed, patted dry, and minced
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Alternate the tomato and mozzarella slices on a large platter.
Sprinkle with the basil and drizzle with olive oil.
Prepare in advance, then season lightly with salt and pepper just before serving.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

382Calories

16 gProtein

28 gFat

19 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 7 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Milk	1 cup (244ml) whole	149
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Mozzarella Cheese	1 oz (28g)	85
Tomato	1 medium (123g)	22
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Basil	5 leaves fresh (2.5g)	1
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Tomato + olivetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together15,539 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Tomato + basiltop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together3,979 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Basil + olivetop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together5,063 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Basil + peppertop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together5,294 recipes

Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).
Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together17,923 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Tomatoes: Provide juicy body and acidity that balance the rich cheese and oil.
Mozzarella: Adds creamy, mild richness and soft texture against the tomatoes.
Basil: Contributes fresh, aromatic herbal flavour.
Olive oil: Adds fat that carries flavour and gives a silky mouthfeel.

The step that matters

Season just before serving. Salt draws water out of tomatoes, so salting early makes the platter watery and dilutes the dressing. Seasoning close to serving keeps the slices firm and the flavours concentrated.

Swap the basil

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tomato, milk, olive, pepper):

Basilthe original
Thymefits about as well
Oreganofits about as well
Corianderfits less well

Fit is the average pairing score against tomato, milk, olive, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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Tomatoes with Basil and Mozzarella