Ripe Tomato Salad With Smoked Mozzarella And Prosciutto Food

PROSCIUTTO AND TOMATO SALAD WITH SMOKED MOZZARELLA CROUTES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place tomatoes in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain. In a large bowl, toss together tomatoes, salad greens and prosciutto.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Place the bread on a baking sheet and top each piece with a slice of mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
• Toss the salad with the dressing and divide between 2 or 4 plates. Divide the croutes between the plates and serve immediately.

SPAGHETTI WITH ASPARAGUS, SMOKED MOZZARELLA AND PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Cook the asparagus in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. With a spider or slotted spoon, remove asparagus from boiling water to a bowl of ice water to cool and stop the cooking. When cool, strain, cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces, and set aside.
• Return the water in the pot to a boil, adding additional water, if necessary. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
• Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add asparagus to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the pasta, and if needed, some of the reserved cooking liquid. Toss to coat. Add the prosciutto, mozzarella, and basil, and toss to combine. Turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

MOZZARELLA AND PROSCIUTTO TURNOVERS

Steps:

• Roll the pastry out into a 12 by 18-inch rectangle. Slide onto a pan and refrigerate for about 1 hour, until the dough is firm and rested. Use a floured, round, 21/2-inch cutter to cut out the dough. Arrange the cut dough on the prepared pans, about 1- inch apart. In a bowl, stir together the cheese, ham, parsley and pepper. Brush the egg wash lightly on the dough and arrange the filling over half of each circle of dough. Fold the empty side of the dough over the filling and seal the edges well with your fingertips. Seal again by pressing around the rim with the back of the tines of a fork. Dip the fork in flour so it doesn't stick. Arrange the turnovers about 1-inch apart on the prepared. Refrigerate the turnovers loosely covered with plastic wrap until 30 minutes before serving. Set a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Egg-wash the tops of the turnovers and bake for about 20 minutes, until they're well colored and crisp. Cool the pastries on the pans and reheat to serve. Serving: Reheat the turnovers at 350 degrees at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes to serve them warm. Storage: Refrigerate or freeze leftovers and reheat before serving.