Want to know when I share a new recipe? Subscribe today!
Bruschetta with Sundried Tomato Pesto, Ricotta and Prosciutto
Bruschetta with sundried tomato pesto, ricotta and prosciutto is creamy, salty, and full of rich Mediterranean flavour. Crisp toasted bread is layered with smooth ricotta, punchy sundried tomato pesto, and delicate slices of prosciutto for a simple combination that tastes far more impressive than the effort involved. It’s perfect as a starter, light lunch, or something easy to serve with drinks.
Bruschetta with sundried tomato pesto, ricotta and prosciutto
My bruschetta with sundried tomato pesto, ricotta and prosciutto is crisp, creamy, salty and packed with flavour. I layer toasted bread with rich sundried tomato pesto, soft ricotta and slices of prosciutto for an easy appetiser that looks far more impressive than the effort involved. I love serving these for drinks, relaxed lunches or grazing-style dinners because they’re quick to assemble, full of contrast and exactly the sort of little bite that disappears almost as soon as it hits the table.
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.
Notes
- This bruschetta is all about layering simple, quality ingredients. Creamy lemony ricotta, deeply savoury sun-dried tomato pesto, silky prosciutto, and fresh basil. It's elegant without being fussy.
- Lemon juice stirred through the ricotta lifts it beautifully and stops it from feeling too heavy. Don't skip it.
- Season the ricotta generously. It's a mild cheese that needs salt and pepper to bring it to life.
- Use a good quality sourdough with a proper crust and an open crumb. It needs to be sturdy enough to hold the toppings without going soggy immediately.
- Toast the sourdough on a griddle pan rather than a toaster if you can. You get beautiful char marks and a better texture.
- Sun-dried tomato pesto is rich and intensely flavoured. A generous tablespoon per slice is all you need. You can find my recipe for homemade sun-dried tomato pesto here.
- Prosciutto is delicate and should be laid on top rather than pressed down. Let it drape naturally over the toppings for a more elegant presentation.
- Tear the basil rather than chopping it to avoid bruising the leaves and keep the flavour bright.
- This bruschetta is best eaten immediately while the bread is still warm and crispy. It doesn't store or reheat well once assembled.
- Not suitable for freezing.
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.
Serve this with
- Serve alongside my Prosciutto, Pear and Brie Tarts for an easy lunch or grazing spread. The sweet pear and creamy Brie complement the salty prosciutto and punchy sundried tomato pesto.
- Pair with my Caprese Salad for something fresh alongside the rich ricotta and prosciutto. Juicy tomatoes and basil echo the Italian flavours while keeping the spread light.
- Add marinated olives, artichokes and roasted capsicum to turn the bruschetta into an antipasti-style spread. Their sharp, savoury flavours work beautifully with the creamy ricotta.
Want to know when I share a new recipe? Subscribe today!
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.
Frequently asked questions
Why does lemon juice go into the ricotta?
Ricotta on its own is mild and slightly dense, and without anything to lift it the layer sits heavily under the toppings rather than feeling light and fresh. The lemon juice brightens the flavour considerably and gives the ricotta a freshness that makes it a proper component of the bruschetta rather than just a bland base.
Can I use a different bread?
Sourdough is the right choice because it has a sturdy structure that holds the toppings without going soggy immediately and a slight tang that works well with the richness of the ricotta and sun-dried tomato pesto. Ciabatta works as a substitute. Avoid anything too airy or soft because it won’t hold up under the weight of the toppings.
Why tear the basil rather than chop it?
Chopping bruises the leaves and turns the edges black almost immediately, which looks unappealing and dulls the flavour. Tearing keeps the edges clean, releases the fragrance more gently, and gives you irregularly shaped pieces that sit more naturally on the bruschetta.
Ingredient breakdown
Sourdough
Good quality sourdough with a proper crust and an open, chewy crumb, toasted until golden and crisp before the toppings go on. A griddle pan gives you char marks and a better texture than a toaster if you have one available. The bread needs to be sturdy enough to hold the ricotta, pesto, and prosciutto without immediately softening underneath. Serve it while it’s still warm so the ricotta stays soft and the whole thing feels like something rather than a cold assembly.
Ricotta
Mixed with lemon juice and seasoned generously with salt and pepper before it goes anywhere near the bread. Ricotta is a mild cheese that needs both the lemon juice and the seasoning to taste like something worth spreading. The lemon lifts it and the salt brings the flavour forward. Spread it generously across each slice so it forms a proper creamy layer rather than a thin scrape.
Lemon juice
Half a small lemon squeezed into the ricotta before mixing, which brightens the flavour and gives the cheese a freshness and lightness that makes it work as a base for the more intensely flavoured toppings above it.
Sun-dried tomato pesto
A generous tablespoon per slice spread over the ricotta layer, adding a concentrated, deeply savoury richness that is the flavour centrepiece of the bruschetta. The recipe for homemade sun-dried tomato pesto is elsewhere in this collection and is worth making specifically for this.
Prosciutto
Laid over the top rather than pressed down, draped naturally so it sits in soft, irregular folds rather than lying flat. Prosciutto is delicate and silky and its texture is part of what makes it worth using. Handle it gently and let it drape rather than arranging it tightly.
Fresh basil
Torn and scattered over the top just before serving. Fresh basil is non-negotiable here and tearing rather than chopping keeps the edges clean and the flavour bright. It ties the ricotta, pesto, and prosciutto together with a herbal freshness that makes the whole thing taste distinctly Italian rather than just toast with toppings.
Salt and pepper
Used to season the ricotta mixture before it goes on the bread. The sun-dried tomato pesto and prosciutto both bring significant saltiness so there’s no need to add more once everything is assembled. Season the ricotta well because it needs it.
