Prosciutto & Ricotta Toast
Sometimes I like to get complicated with my food, and sometimes I just like to keep it simple – bread, meat, and cheese can make a great meal! Lots of people my age have a healthy appreciation for avocado toast (which – fun fact– is apparently why so few of us are buying houses), but I'm here to tell you that ricotta toast should have your attention too. Especially if it has Italian meats on top.
For those moments when you need something tasty but light, let me recommend this prosciutto, ricotta, and arugula toast! Whether you're in need of an appetizer or just a light meal, this stuff will hit the spot. Feel free to play around with this recipe by changing out the toppings if what I've chosen doesn't sound appealing to you – the prosciutto and arugula could just as easily be roasted root vegetables and balsamic drizzle! It can be a lot of fun to take a recipe and change it up a little to make it your own. Baking is a science, but cooking is an art!
If you're making it as part of a meal, this toast is perfect paired with some roasted potatoes or vegetables on the side. Since I was enjoying this for dinner and I could only pile a little bit of arugula on top of the toast, I used the extra leaves to make a light salad! As much as I love bread, meat, and cheese, greens are also important. Life is all about keeping a healthy balance. The more vegetables and greens I eat, the more prosciutto and ricotta too, and I am all about anything that enables my love for Italian foods.
PROSCIUTTO, RICOTTA, AND ARUGULA TOAST
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serves 2-4
Ingredients
1 cup arugula
1 t lemon zest
1 t lemon juice
5 oz ricotta cheese
12 slices prosciutto
1 Portuguese or french-style bread loaf, or something similar to my Boule recipe
salt and pepper
Optional: 2 cups arugula, 1 T lemon juice, 2 T olive oil, 1/2 t dried basil
Directions
Wash the arugula and pat dry. Slice your bread loaf, and toast the slices of bread. Cut the slices into smaller pieces if you used a larger sized loaf. Tear the prosciutto into smaller pieces and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the ricotta and lemon zest. Add a squeeze of lemon juice (about one teaspoon), and salt and pepper to taste. Feel free to add a drizzle of olive oil to make the spread less thick if that's your preference.
Spread the ricotta mixture on one side of each slice of bread. Top the spread with the prosciutto pieces and as much arugula as you'd like. Crack a little fresh black pepper over the top, and you're ready to serve (and eat)!
Optional: If you'd like to use up some leftover ingredients and add a small side salad of arugula, in a small bowl combine about 1 T of lemon juice and 2 T olive oil. You can change these proportions depending on your vinaigrette preferences. Add salt and pepper to taste, and a little dried basil if you have it. Pour over and mix into 2 cups arugula.
Happy Eating,
Natalie