You’ve had bruschetta more times than you can count. Tomato, mozzarella, and basil on a little piece of grilled bread with olive oil, right? It’s a classic for a reason – if you’ve got great ingredients it’s amazing. And we’re going to make that here today. BUT… what if I told you you can put whatever you want on top of that grilled bread? There are many variations of toppings we can use and we’ll try out two not-so-common options in addition to the classic.
Tomatoes
In this recipe, we use datterini tomatoes which have a sweet, rich taste and inviting aroma. They are small in size with an elongated oval shape (like a date), which is how they got their name. The skin is thicker than most tomatoes and with fewer seeds, which means more flesh. Like cherry tomatoes, datterini tomatoes have high sugar content. Cherry tomatoes can be substituted in this recipe.
Bread
The recipe calls for a loaf of bread. Pretty much every grocery store in the US has a loaf of Italian bread available, which isn’t always high quality. If you can make it yourself, do it! We’ll add a recipe for that in the near future. In the meantime, just find the best bread you can get ahold of.
Modification
The variants for this starter are endless. Artichokes can replace eggplant; pumpkin or squash cubes can take the place of the tomatoes; another soft cheese for the burrata. Peppers can replace the onions; substitute chicken for the sausage. Use your imagination to discover which combination you would like the most.
Cooking Tip:
In order to have all three bruschetta ready and warm at the same time, I recommend that you prepare the eggplant and tomatoes, onions and sausage, and shrimp at the same time in different pans and keep them warm while completing the rest of the recipes.
Storage:
It is best to serve the trio of bruschetta immediately, and it’s not going to hold up well in the fridge. If you have any leftover, the zucchini pesto itself can be stored in a refrigerator in a sealed container for 2 days.
Bruschetta Trio
Ingredients
- 1 Bread loaf (preferably homemade)
- qb Extra virgin olive oil
- For 2 Eggplant, Burrata cheese & Tomato Brushetta
- 7 oz (200 g) Buratta cheese
- 6 Eggplant slices
- 10 - 12 Datterini tomatoes
- 1 tsp Sugar
- Salt
- Thyme
- Mint
- qb Extra virgin olive oil
- For 2 Onion & Italian Sausage Brushetta
- 7 oz (200 g) Italian sausage
- 1 White onion
- 2 tbs Balsamic vinegar
- 4 oz (120 ml) Water
- qb Extra virgin olive oil
- For 2 Shrimp and Zucchini pesto Bruschetta
- 2 - 4 Shrimp per bruschetta depending size
- 2 Zucchini
- 3 oz (85 g) Almonds, peeled
- Paprika
- Basil
- Salt
- qb Extra virgin olive oil
Directions
- Step 1 Bruschetta: To prepare the bread, put the loaf on a cutting board and slice it about 3/4 inch thick(1). Put wax paper on a baking sheet and place the bread slices brushed with olive oil (2). Bake in a preheated oven at 425° for 5 minutes, then grill for another 2 minutes or until the bread is golden and slightly crunchy(3).
- Step 2 Eggplant, Burrata Cheese & Tomatoes: Start by washing the eggplant and cutting it into thin slices 3/8″ – 1/2″ (1). Transfer the slices to a baking tray covered with wax paper, salt them (2), and pour extra virgin olive oil on each (3). Bake in a preheated stove at 400° for 10 minutes and then grill for another 2 minutes. When the eggplant slices have softened and appear golden (4), transfer them to a bowl and season with mint leaves (5). Cover the bowl with the saran wrap and let it rest for about 5 minutes at room temperature so that they soften further(6). Wash the tomatoes and cut them in half. Put the tomato halves in a non-stick frying pan and add olive oil (7). Add the cane sugar (8) and thyme (9) and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat, or until the tomatoes lose some of their liquid. Place the slices of bread on a cutting board and form a layer of eggplant (10), Burrata Cheese(11), and then add tomatoes (12).
- Step 3 Onion & Sausage: Remove the sausage skin (1). Form the sausage into small balls (2), and thinly slice the white onion (3). Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and then add the sliced onion (4). When the onion begins to brown, add water (5) and balsamic vinegar (6), and cook for 5 minutes on low heat. Once the onion has softened and turned translucent, add the sausage (7), cover the frying pan (8 ) and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Then transfer the sausage and the onion to the slices of toasted bread, adding the ‘sauce’ formed during cooking (9). Serve hot!
- Step 4 Shrimp & Zucchini Pesto: Remove the shrimp heads (1) and peel the shells (2). Pour oil into a non-stick frying pan, add the shrimp (3) and cook for 5 minutes. Cook the shrimp until they reach a light pink color. Salt to taste (4) add the paprika (5), then mix and cook for an additional minute (6). Prepare the zucchini pesto: carefully wash the zucchini, cut it into thick slices, and put it in a blender. Add peeled raw almonds (7), basil leaves (8), and olive oil (9). Run the blender until the mixture is dense and creamy (10). Spread on the slices of toasted bread (11). Add shrimp (12).”
source Giallozafferano.it
Bruschetta
Eggplant, Burrata Cheese & Tomatoes
Onion & Italian Sausage
Shrimp & Zucchini
