Supper Splurge

Before my mom came to visit a few weeks ago, I was flipping through my recipe box, trying to plan some meals for while she was here. I came across a recipe I had cut out more than a year ago and decided to try it the evening Keith had his class. It was a hit and since I had the ingredients on hand, I made it again a couple of nights later for Keith and I.

Prosciutto and Cheese Tartine

from Cooking Light, April 2012 (with a couple little changes)

1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. or 1 package dry yeast
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
5/8 tsp. salt, divided
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Cooking spray
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/3 cup very thinly sliced red onion
2 cups arugula
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
4 slices (about 2 oz.) very thinly sliced prosciutto
1 ounce fresh Parmesan cheese, shaved or shredded

1. Preheat oven to 450˚.

2. Combine water, sugar, and yeast in a medium bowl, and let stand for 5 minutes or until bubbly. Stir 4 teaspoons olive oil into yeast mixture. Add flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to yeast mixture, stirring until a soft dough forms. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic (dough will be soft and tacky).

3. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes.

4. Drizzle 2 teaspoons  oil into an 11 x 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Press dough into dish. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place, 30 minutes or until puffy; sprinkle dough with 1/4 teaspoon salt, nuts, and onion. Bake at 450˚ for 18 minutes or until golden.

5. Place arugula in a bowl; drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and lemon juice. Toss. Turn bread out on to a work surface. Slice bread into 4 rectangles (7 x 2 3/4"); top with prosciutto, 1/2 cup arugula mixture; sprinkle with salt and top with cheese.

The first night, my mom and I each ate half for supper. When I made it for Keith, we had some soup and each had one piece of the bread, saving the rest for the next day. On its own, it makes for a nice, light meal but works really well with soup too. I might even make just the bread more often to accompany some of our favorite soups. 

The prosciutto can get a little pricey, but I found it prepackaged and on sale. I opted to use Parmesan rather than the Parmigiano-Reggiano the original recipe called for since it was $4 a wedge versus $8. As I was buying the arugula, cheese and prosciutto, I thought it seemed expensive but since we got two rounds out of everything, it wasn't so bad.  We used the rest of the arugula in place of lettuce in sandwiches and taco salads, and have been enjoying fresh Parmesan on pasta. Not much has a chance to go to waste around here!