The dish I’m making today is Burrata and Prosciutto Bruschetta. Let me give you a little background on Burrata cheese first.

Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream. The outer shell is solid mozzarella, while the inside is filled with both mozzarella and cream. This gives this cheese a unique soft texture. The mozzarella is formed into a pouch and filled with soft, stringy curd and cream. Inside each container, there are 2 mozzarella balls. The dish I’m showing you today only uses half of the mozzarella ball.

Until recently, I had not been to a restaurant that offered a dish using Burrata. I wanted to recreate this dish, but the biggest hurdle is finding this cheese. I was totally surprised to find Burrata was available at my local grocery store. Tucked away right next to the fresh mozzarella. How I missed these gems, I’ll never know.

This recipe is easy to make and uses a few really good ingredients. Keeping it simple is what Italian recipes do best.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 12 to 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yields: 2 servings, 5 crostini per plate
Equipment: 1 rimmed baking sheet pan with a rack, chef’s knife, cutting board

Ingredients for the Toasted Baguette:
1 loaf of good baguette bread, 10 toasted baguette slices, 5 per plate
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt (for the bread)
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly-ground (for the bread)

Ingredients for the Bruschetta:
10 slices of toasted baguette bread, 5 per plate
1/4 cup of baby arugula leaves, divided
4 slices of Prosciutto cut into thirds
5 mini San Marzano or grape tomatoes, halved
2 teaspoons of kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly-ground, divided
10 tablespoons of Burrata cheese, divided
Garnish:
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
A drizzle (1 tablespoon) of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, optional

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Slice the baguette at a 45-degree angle into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange the bread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the top surface of each slice lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste. Place into the oven on the center rack. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the bread is golden. Take the baking sheet out of the oven and let the toast cool slightly before adding the toppings.

Slice in half, eight mini San Marzano tomatoes. In a sauté pan, on medium-low heat, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and the halved grape San Marzano tomatoes. Add kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper. Toss the tomatoes around in the pan for about 2-3 minutes, giving them enough time to soften and start to burst, then remove from the heat. Take 2 slices of Prosciutto and cut them into thirds, so they fit onto the toasted baguette slices.

At this point, the bread should be coming out of the oven. It’s really all about the timing. Setting the bread into the preheated oven, then sautéing the tomatoes, and slicing the prosciutto.  This allows you to complete a few easy tasks at the same time.

Once the bread and tomatoes are ready, it’s just a matter of plating the bruschetta. Take a round plate and lay 5 of the crostini in the shape of a star. Place a few baby arugula leaves on each piece of toast, then top with one slice of prosciutto.

Next, for the Burrata. Cut open the cheese very carefully and place a tablespoon of Burrata on top of the prosciutto. Top the cheese with two tomato halves, and garnish with another light sprinkling of kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper.

Repeat the process for the second dish.

There you have it, my Burrata and Prosciutto Bruschetta. A beautiful small bite loaded with flavor, and the plates look appealing too.

Note:
1) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.