Bruschetta Gratinate

Bruschetta is a very popular appetizer, and many varieties of this flavorful dish can be found in fine and casual restaurants everywhere. A fine combination of fresh tomatoes, cheeses and delicious varieties of bread, bruschetta is sure to be a crowd-pleasing appetizer for your next dinner or gathering. Try this spectacular version of the classic favorite, a sampler from the upcoming book, The Italian Kitchen:

Bruschetta Gratinate

¼ pound of Fontina or Swiss or baby Swiss cheese
3 leaves of fresh arugula
1 large or 2 small very ripe tomatoes
4 slices of crusty Italian bread (can be day old)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tsp of Sapori D’Italia herbs- Tuscan Picnic blend (by Maria Liberati’s The Basic Art of Italian Cooking)

Cut fontina or Swiss cheese into small slices or small cubes. Wash and dry tomatoes, cut into small cubes and eliminate seeds. Wash and dry arugula and chop finely. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place bread slices on cookie sheet, drizzle with 1 tsp of olive oil and sprinkle spice blend on top. Place in oven till slices begin to get crusty and turn golden- for about 1 minute.

Remove from oven. Layer remaining ingredients in this way: First place cheese cubes or slices, then chopped arugula, then tomatoes. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and remaining ½ tsp of spice blend. Place under broiler of oven till cheese begins to bubble. Broiler times vary- should be 1-4 minutes depending on broiler.

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Get over 100 more of Maria Liberati’s famous authentic Italian recipes like this one right here at From the Italian Kitchen, or at MariaLiberati.com, with the coming release of The Italian Kitchen.