Hey guys–I’m back! Moving overseas is NO JOKE. I’ve done it before but this time was definitely more …”intense”. We had to deal with lots of sorting, tossing, packing, cleaning all kinds of stuff and arranging all the details to make this move happen — in a VERY short time. Thankfully, I survived all the craziness and I can formally announce I’m writing you from my favorite place in the world: ITALY. Oh yeah. I wish I could tell you I’m nothing but happy to be here in my homeland, but the truth is a big part of me is sad. It will be a loooong time apart from my husband. *big tear*
OK. Switching back to happier thoughts… how about I give you an easy and quick recipe? What if it was an appetizer that could also become a light dinner? The magic word is CROSTINI! The ones you see in the pictures are very fresh and quite satisfying. I LOVE dining off appetizers–they’re more fun to eat than a regular meal and they’re SO easy to prepare. You’ll only need 5 main ingredients, one non-stick pan and 15-20 minutes of your time.
You already know how much I love prosciutto crudo, but I don’t think I’ve ever told you how much I love burrata cheese. Oh my. It’s creamy cheesy goodness. You absolutely need to try it. Burrata is simply a shell of mozzarella holding a soft, buttery heart of fresh cream, mixed with soft stringy flecks of curd (scraps of mozzarella bits, also called rags). It’s just plain delicious.
The ingredient sequence to prepare these crostini is as follows:
toasted bread + burrata + prosciutto (from San Daniele!!) + seared cherry tomato + basil + balsamic glaze.
How simple is that?? Little effort for a delicious and quick dinner. I love that.
- a small ciabatta baguette (about 5 oz)
- 8 oz burrata cheese, sliced
- 2-3 oz (about 4-5 slices) San Daniele prosciutto
- 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 12 basil leaves
- balsamic glaze
- extra-virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
- Slice ciabatta baguette into 12 slices. Drizzle each slice with extra-virgin olive oil.
- Place slices of bread on non-stick pan, over medium-high heat. Toast them on both sides until they reach a golden brown color (don't lose sight of them or they'll burn).
- In the same skillet, add another bit of oil over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add tomatoes halves cut-side down and sear them for 1 minute, briefly turning them. Sprinkle some salt on top and remove from the heat before they get too soft, placing them on a separate small dish.
- Break prosciutto with your hands, in smaller pieces.
- Assemble crostini: place a slice of burrata on each crostino, add a piece of prosciutto as a second layer; top with a cherry tomato and a basil leaf.
- Drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve.
This crostini looks delicious! Love the light flavours – creamy burrata is my favourite!
🙂 Grazie Jess! OH yeah, burrata is my favorite, too. Sooooo good!
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