This nectarine bruschetta is inspired by the Italian classic dish.  Instead of simple ‘tomatoes on toast’ I opted for something a little more fancy.  Wholegrain flatbreads are smeared with with creamy ricotta, a nectarine and tomato topping, and then finished with Parma ham*.  It makes a gorgeous light summer lunch. 

*This post is commissioned by Parma Ham

My favourite pizza has always been as crispy as they come, and piled high with fresh peppery rocket and ribbons of Prosciutto di Parma. The kind of pizza you generally only find made by the most expert Pizzaiolo and baked in wood fired oven. Preferably in Italy on a warm balmy night.  So. Really no point in me trying that in my oven at home is there?

Instead I thought I’d try and emulate those flavours, on the most humblest of bases – a quick flatbread.  You can make your own flatbreads like I have done (I always use Anna Jones’ recipe) and today used a mix of 50/50 wholegrain rye and spelt flours. The wholegrain flours makes them rather rustic, but then you do also get a tonne of fibre which most of us don’t get enough of…  If you don’t have an inclination to make them yourself (go on, give it a go!) you could also use shop bought wholemeal pitta bread, or even serve this topping tartine style on some delicious toasted sourdough bread.  I actually did something similar last year, also funnily enough with nectarines.

I used 200g flour in total which made 4 substantial flatbreads, and this will do perfectly as 1 per person for a light lunch or supper with a leafy green salad. You could also make them a little smaller, and serve as part or an antipasti, along with olives, marinated artichoke hearts, and perhaps some griddled aubergine and courgette.  In fact I like that idea very much, you could even serve those extras any time!

To add some pzazz to a diced tomato topping I thought I’d add some chopped up white nectarine.  I’d read that nectarine (as well as peach, melon and fig), are great fruits to pair with the salty rich Parma ham so it sounded like a good idea as any!  The sweet nectarine fits in like it should always have been there, complemented nicely by the balsamic vinegar.  The nectarines are from Spain, but the tomatoes are most definitely British.  I usually opt for the cherry ones on the vine if given a choice.  They always have so much more flavour.

The ricotta then brings the base, the tomato-nectarine and Parma ham topping together nicely, and of course being an Italian soft cheese fits with my all Italian theme today. If you can’t get hold of any, a cream cheese or labne would do nicely.  Just make sure you give it a good whip before using, it will spread better that way.

I’ll be back later in the summer with another Parma ham recipe, looking forward to trying my way through some more of those flavour combinations!

5.0 from 2 reviews

Nectarine Bruschetta Flatbreads with Parma Ham & Ricotta

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

This nectarine bruschetta is inspired by the Italian classic dish. Smear ricotta on wholegrain flatbreads, top with nectarine and tomato and add Parma ham.

Author: Ceri Jones

Recipe type: Lunch

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 16 cherry tomatoes on the vine, diced
• 1 nectarine, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced into a paste with a pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (fresh even better)
• a few leaves of basil, shredded
• 250g ricotta
• 4 wholegrain flatbreads
• 4-8 slices of Parma ham
• Handful fresh rocket
• Optional; basil infused oil or olive oil to serve
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. First make up your bruschetta topping, mix together the diced tomatoes with the nectarine and stir through the garlic, oil, balsamic, oregano and basil, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Spoon the ricotta into a bowl, add a pinch of salt and pepper and then whip with a whisk or fork till its smooth and creamy and a bit lighter.
3. Warm your flatbreads, or if making your own cook now.
4. When the flatbreads are ready, divide the ricotta between the 4 breads, spreading over all the surfaces, top with the nectarine and tomato mix, drape over the slices or Parma ham and finish with a handful of fresh rocket. For extra lusciousness drizzle over some basil infused olive oil! Best served warm

Notes

For how to make basil oil you should check out my nectarine tartine recipe

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*Disclaimer:  This post and recipe was commissioned by Parma Ham UK.  Thank you for supporting the brands who help make it possible for me to continue developing and sharing recipes on Natural Kitchen Adventures.