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Even More Sandwich Ideas!
Bruschetta with sundried tomato pesto, ricotta and prosciutto
Satisfy your family's taste buds with this delicious bruschetta dish! This recipe is a combination of sundried tomato pesto, ricotta cheese, and prosciutto that will impress even the pickiest eaters. It's simple to prepare and makes the perfect appetizer for a casual gathering.
Ingredients
- 4 slices of sourdough bread, lightly toasted
- 100g ricotta
- Juice of half a small lemon
- 4 tbsp sundried tomato pesto
- 75g prosciutto
- Small bunch of basil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Mix together the ricotta and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
- Spread the ricotta mixture onto the prepared toasted sourdough.
- Net, top with sundried tomato pesto, prosciutto and torn basil leaves.
- Serve whilst the toast is still warm.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 347Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 1099mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 2gSugar: 12gProtein: 17g
Please note, this nutrition information is to be used as a guide only. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
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Bruschetta with Sundried Tomato Pesto, Ricotta and Proscuitto
A Toast to Life in General
Bruschetta with Sundried Tomato Pesto, Ricotta and Prosciutto might sound a little fancy for a brunch-for-one, but sometimes you just need to make something a little bit special for yourself. Yesterday marked a quietly meaningful milestone for me – it’s been a year since I first met someone who became a very important part of my life. I’d have loved to spend the day with them, but life had other plans and they’re living in another city now. Turns out I’m a bit more sentimental than I thought! So instead of letting the day pass feeling sorry for myself, I turned to my favourite way of marking moments: cooking. And this beauty of a bruschetta was the result.
I had a jar of leftover sundried tomatoes taking up prime real estate in my fridge, thanks to a Mediterranean pasta night and gluten-free focaccia from the day before. I decided to blitz up a quick pesto that ended up being so flavourful I nearly stopped there and ate it with a spoon. But no, I had plans! A slice of fancy gluten-free bread, a good slather of ricotta made extra creamy with lemon, salt and pepper, and a drape of silky prosciutto to top it all off. It was rich and salty and fresh and honestly, exactly what I needed. This little dish is going straight into the brunch rotation. It’s perfect for lazy Sundays, slightly moody moments, or any time you find yourself with delicious leftovers.
Pots and Pans
Rebuilding a kitchen from scratch has its moments – some of them mildly frustrating! And some of them downright comical. When I moved back to Australia, I knew I’d have to start again, but I didn’t quite realise how much I’d come to miss my well-loved old pots, the lasagne dish that had cooked a hundred bakes, or the cast iron skillet that never let me down. Now, every time I get the urge to make something hearty or comforting, I have to first ask myself: do I have the cookware for this?
Case in point: I recently craved a bubbling pasta bake only to realise I didn’t own anything oven-safe and deep enough to pull it off. My kingdom for a lasagne dish! And don’t even get me started on one-pan dinners. Half the time I’m improvising with trays that are either too small, too warped, or suspiciously flimsy. The biggest heartbreak though? No cast iron skillet – it’s the one thing that haunts my culinary daydreams. Especially when it comes to crispy potatoes or a sizzling steak. Oh, and the fact I can’t drive due to a medical condition makes shopping for homewares even more of an ordeal. Argh.
Thank goodness for online delivery. Although in Australia, weekend deliveries are rare unless you pay for something like Amazon Prime. So, I bit the bullet and did exactly that. As I type this, a cast iron griddle is on its way to me, and I can almost smell the seared halloumi already. Slowly but surely, my kitchen is coming together.
Next Weekend
Next weekend is a big one. I’m turning 40. And instead of hiding under the doona with a tub of ice cream and a glass of bubbles, I’ve decided to lean into it and actually celebrate. I’m planning a weekend filled with all my favourite things. Saturday will be for family – a proper catch-up with laughs, hugs and an Indian-inspired feast I’m already dreaming about. Think rich, spiced curries, rice scented with cardamom, and all the sides. I want it to feel like a celebration of flavour as much as of life.
Then Sunday is for me. I’ll be heading to the coast for a bit of a wander, a bit of a soul reset, and popping into a crystal fair I’ve been hanging out for. It’s the kind of weekend I hope sets the tone for my forties: joyful, intentional, full of colour and light. And of course, ice cream cake. Because even at forty, I still don’t like regular cake. Give me layers of ice cream and crunchy biscuit base over sponge any day.
With all that planned, I probably won’t be whipping up any new recipes next weekend. But I will be cooking. And eating. And living. Which, if you ask me, is what food is really all about.
Ingredients Breakdown
At the heart of this Bruschetta with Sundried Tomato Pesto, Ricotta and Prosciutto is a trio of flavours that balance each other beautifully. The sundried tomato pesto is tangy, rich and savoury. I make mine with olive oil, a little garlic, toasted pine nuts or almonds, and plenty of those plump, oil-packed tomatoes that always taste like summer. It’s a handy way to use up leftovers and lasts well in the fridge for a few days.
Then there’s the ricotta. On its own, it can be a bit bland or grainy, but with a squeeze of lemon juice, a good pinch of salt, and some cracked pepper, it transforms into something creamy and bright. You can blend it if you want it ultra-smooth, but I like mine with a bit of texture. And finally, prosciutto – salty, paper-thin and melt-in-the-mouth. You only need a little bit, but it makes the whole thing feel a bit luxurious.
Serve all of that on your favourite thick-cut bread, toasted until crisp on the outside and chewy in the centre. Sourdough is my go-to, but honestly, any crusty bread will work. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil if you’re feeling fancy. It’s a ridiculously simple recipe, but one that delivers a proper wow moment. The kind of dish that tastes like you’ve gone to more effort than you actually have. Which, frankly, is the best kind of cooking.
