Tomato — fiascone from the Sorrento Peninsula or San Marzano — buffalo mozzarella or fiordilatte, basil, oil, salt, sliced and layered on the plate: red, white and green like the Italian flag. Some add anchovies or oregano, but the base recipe has always stayed this way.
The name comes from Capri, but no document fixes when or by whom it was invented: tradition ties it to Neapolitan cuisine and imagines it born as a summer dish, light and quick, in the island's homes or restaurants. There are many legends about its origin, but none has a solid source.
Over the years it has become one of the best-known Italian dishes in the world, simple enough that the quality of the ingredients — a good tomato, a good mozzarella — makes all the difference.
