Ingredients:
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
10 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons garlic stir-in paste
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 large ripe tomatoes
1/4 bunch fresh Italian parsley
6 Greek pepperoncinis
1 large shallot
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (3 oz) packages dry-cured Coppa ham
1/2 loaf Bakery French bread (about 6 oz)
5 tablespoons Bacon Jam (see recipe)
Steps:
1. Finely chop rosemary; add to small saucepot. Stir in 4 tablespoons oil until blended; heat over medium-low. Gently cook 8–10 minutes to infuse oil; remove pot from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. Combine in small bowl: ricotta, rosemary-olive oil, garlic, and pepper until blended; chill until ready to serve. Meanwhile, halve tomatoes and remove seeds. Finely chop tomatoes, parsley, pepperoncinis, and shallot.
3. Combine in small bowl: tomatoes, pepperoncinis, shallots, salt, and 2 tablespoons oil until blended; set aside. Cut Coppa slices into 1/2- inch pieces.
4. Preheat grill (or grill pan) on medium. Cut bread into 1/4-inch slices; drizzle with remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange bread slices on grill and cook 2–3 minutes on each side until grill marked and lightly toasted. Wine and Dine: Northern Italy
5. To serve, spread 1 tablespoon ricotta mixture on each slice. Top with 1 teaspoon bacon jam. Place 1 tablespoon tomato mixture on top of bacon jam, then evenly top with Coppa; serve.
Bacon Jam
Ingredients:
3 oz shallots '
3 cloves garlic
1 lb sliced bacon
1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
Steps:
1. Finely chop shallots and garlic; finely chop bacon (wash hands). Preheat large sauté pan on medium 2–3 minutes. Add bacon to pan and cook 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bacon is crisp.
2. Drain bacon fat from pan (leave 2 tablespoons). Add shallots and garlic; cook 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until shallots soften.
3. Lower heat to medium-low; stir in crisp bacon, sriracha, vinegar, and sugar until blended. Cook 18–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bacon mixture is thick and sticky. Remove pan from heat and set aside to cool; serve. (Makes about 1 1/2 cups.)