Thinking of Italian? Think Bruschetta!

by Catherine Ipcizade | More from this Blogger

21 Feb 2007 06:06 PM

I admittedly love almost all Italian food. It's delicious. It's comforting. It's succulent and yet usually surprisingly easy to prepare.

This recipe is no exception. All you have to do is a little slicing, a little dicing, and a little baking. The result-an amazing appetizer, light lunch, or finger food to nibble on or serve at your next get together.

Try baking the baguette ahead of time. Then all you'll have to do is assemble and enjoy.

For this recipe you'll need:

1 baguette (you'll use half)

3 TB olive oil for brushing bread

5 seeded and chopped Roma tomatoes

1 small shallot, diced

½ cup fresh basil, chopped

½ tsp. salt

¼ cup olive oil

½ tsp. balsamic vinegar

1 (8 ounce) package fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 20 slices

To make this recipe:

Cut the baguette in half (unless you're making this for a party, then double all the ingredients)-save the rest for a sandwich later.

Slice the baguette into 20 pieces, diagonally, using a bread knife. Place the sliced baguette on a cookie sheet and brush the tops with olive oil.

Bake the bread in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit and cool.

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, combine the tomatoes, shallot, basil, salt, olive oil, and vinegar. Allow to sit for about five minutes so the flavors can combine.

To assemble:

On each piece of baguette, place one slice of cheese and desired amount of topping. Serve.

Tip: Assemble this just a few minutes before you serve it. The cooked bread keeps it from getting soggy, but it's still a good idea not to prepare this too far ahead of time.

Try these Italian goodies, too!

Pasta with lemon and Parmesan

Calzone!

Learn more about Catherine Ipcizade

Cathy Ipcizade is 30 years old and currently resides in Southern California. Prior to coming to California she grew up in Arizona.

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