{easy appetizer} Bruschetta with Prosciutto, Asparagus, and Stracchino

I am surprised it’s taken me so long to share this “recipe” (which is really more of a how-to than a recipe) because it so often makes an appearance at my house. The key is to get great quality ingredients and let them really shine.

I love to use stracchino cheese for this, which is also known as crescenza. It’s an Italian cow’s milk cheese that is soft and spreadable but with a bit of a tang. You can substitute burrata if you can’t find stracchino.

Here is how you do it:

Get some kind of delicious country bread like a wheaty sourdough or something. Cut it into medium-thick slices (about an inch thick is good.) Toast lightly under the broiler for a few minutes.

Snap the tough ends off of a bunch of asparagus then cut the spears so they are about the same length as the bread slices. Toss asparagus with olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread on a sheet pan. Roast at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, until tender but still a bit crisp.

While waiting for the asparagus to come out of the oven, spread a thin layer of stracchino cheese on the toasts. Top the cheese with a few spears of hot asparagus. Artfully (?) fold a piece of prosciutto on top. Drizzle with a few drops of truffle oil or good quality olive oil. Serve immediately. So good.