I’m a bit of a mad scientist in the kitchen. Sometimes my dishes are new takes on old favorites, other times they are just mashups of my favorite ingredients. This Weekend Chew is a little of both.

I call this one “Caprese Lasagna Salad.” It’s deconstructed lasagna with a twist. The perfect treat for when you want lasagna, but it’s too hot to turn on your oven. Also, fresh tomatoes are delicious and plentiful this time of year.

Ingredients:

• 10 lasagna noodles
• ½ cup fresh mozzarella
• ½ cup fresh grape tomatoes, halved
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2-4 fresh basil leaves, shredded (to taste)
• Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Instructions:

• Break the lasagna noodles by placing them in a large, sealable plastic bag and rolling over them with a rolling pin. You can also break the noodles by hand, but the rolling pin method is my preferred method to release tension.
• Bring water to a boil and cook the lasagna noodles until al dente.
• Drain and combine with other ingredients.

Feel free to play around with the proportion of ingredients to personalize the recipe. Besides combining many of my favorite flavors, this recipe also has major nutrition perks. Each ingredient adds to the laundry list of beneficial nutrients. The tomatoes deliver vitamin C and other antioxidants, the mozzarella provides calcium and protein, the noodles have B vitamins and complex carbs, and the olive oil tops it all off with healthy unsaturated fats.

Enjoy this fast, fresh deconstruction of a classic. Happy experimenting!