There are endless possibilities when it comes to making bruschette (plural). For me, it’s a matter of what ingredients I have on hand. Bruschette are terrific any time of the day or night and can be a quick breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner.
Whether I’m making a single serving or enough to feed a crowd, I always roast the entire eggplant and a sheet-pan full of cherry tomatoes. They can be used for making panini, added to pasta or turned into salad. But, once you taste this bruschetta … you will want more. The sweet tomato juices oozing onto the creamy ricotta and a generous drizzle of aged balsamic is the kiss of perfection. This is both rustic and elegant and will make a lovely first course or light lunch for that special valentine!
Ingredients:
- Rustic bread
- Eggplant (unpeeled), cut into 1/4-inch slices
- Cherry tomatoes, whole
- Extra-virgin olive oil (Medium or Robust)
- Ricotta
- Balsamic vinegar
- Sea salt (I use Maldon Sea Salt)
- Lightly oil a baking pan with some of the olive oil and then place the eggplant slices in a single layer. Drizzle with more olive oil and then sprinkle with sea salt. Roast in a 375*oven for 30 minutes until tender.
- To roast the cherry tomatoes, drizzle them with olive oil and salt and then roast in a 400* oven until they burst and become soft (about 15-20 minutes).
- To assemble the bruschetta, grill or toast a slice of your favorite country bread and then drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt. Top with several slices of eggplant (taste and add more salt if necessary) and a mound of ricotta. Now, spoon on the sweet roasted cherry tomatoes, making sure you use all the delicious olive oil infused juices. Here comes the best part … drizzle a generous amount of your best aged balsamic over your creation. Squisito!
