Caprese Prosciutto Crostini

As the weather gets warmer and we head towards summer, I start craving caprese salad, an Italian dish of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil. And lately I've been on a prosciutto kick so that's how we wound up with this dish. I've added arugula for it's peppery bite and the balsamic adds the right balance of sweetness and acidity. We've eaten this for easy weekend lunches and even for a quick dinner. I plan to serve individual slices as an appetizer for an upcoming family dinner. If you make these on a smaller bread such as a baguette, you will have single bites for hors d'oeuvres. 

My favorite bread to use in this dish is the rosemary parmesan bread from Costco, but I've tried it on others types of bread and it's just as good. Just make sure the bread is nice and crusty; it needs to be able to hold up with all the toppings. Burrata is a favorite cheese of mine, but it can be harder to find at some grocery stores. Since burrata is basically extra creamy mozzarella, you can just use fresh mozz instead. I'm not including any ingredient amounts, because this is more of a throw together than a recipe. How much you need depends on the size of your bread and how many people are being served. This dish is all about simple ingredients. Buy the best and freshest ingredients you can and it will be delicious no matter what!

INGREDIENTS

rustic bread like an Italian loaf or French baguette 
pesto [My recipe HERE]
prosciutto di parma
arugula 
burrata cheese
cherry tomatoes
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
black pepper
flaky sea salt


INSTRUCTIONS

1) If making homemade pesto (which I highly recommend you do) start with that and keep in fridge for up to one week.

2) Slice bread into roughly 1/2 inch thick pieces. Place slices on a baking sheet and place under the broiler just until it is golden brown. 

3) Allow bread slices to cool until you are able to handle with bare hands.

4) In a small bowl drizzle washed arugula with equal amounts of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Use a clean hand to mix the oil and vinegar well in with the arugula.

5) Assemble by smearing a generous amount of pesto on each slice of bread, coating it completely.

6) Then top the pesto with small slices of prosciutto. If the slices are too big, tear with fingers into a more manageable size. 

7) The dressed arugula goes on top of the prosciutto. Shake off any excess dressing from the arugula before putting it on.

8) Tear burrata into chunks and drop those on top, followed by sliced cherry tomatoes.

9) Lastly season the entire toast with lots of freshly cracked black pepper and large flaky sea salt.