Most of the time, when fresh mozzarella is made, it’s stored in
water. But mozzarella in panna, as Silverton explained to me, is
different because it’s stored in cream. “You can fake it,” she says,
“by pouring some cream on regular mozzarella.” I’ve taken it one
step further by warming the mozzarella directly in the cream, a
step that allows the mozzarella to absorb some of the cream and
makes this whole dish even sultrier. As for the tomatoes, roasting
them on a rack is a subtle change from roasting them directly on a
cookie sheet, but the tomatoes intensify even more this way (it
prevents them from steaming). And when they are combined with
the pesto, the warm mozzarella, and the cream? Watch out. You
may witness fits of ecstasy at your table.
A few bunches of cherry tomatoes, still on the vine
Olive oil
1 cup heavy cream
1 whole fresh mozzarella*
¼ cup pesto (use Melissa Clark’s recipe, minus the cilantro,
or store-bought)
Baby basil, still on the vine
Small sourdough croutons (see Anne Quatrano’s recipe),
optional
Preheat the oven to 250°F. Set the whole tomatoes, still on the
vine, on a rack on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Cook
them for about 2 hours, until they’re slightly shriveled and the
skins are just starting to fall off. Remove from the oven and allow