prosciutto stuffed with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes

By stancec44

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• Fine sea salt
• 1 3/4 pounds tomatoes
• 1/3 cup Taggiasca olives, or other mild, fruity olives, pitted and roughly chopped
• 12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
• 1 1/2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 slices prosciutto, about 11 inches long
• 4 fresh chives or scallion greens
• 8 green-leaf lettuce leaves

Preparation

Step 1

In a small skillet, toast pine nuts over very low heat, occasionally shaking pan back and forth, until nuts are lightly browned and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Bring saucepan of salted water to boil. Drop tomatoes into water and boil 30 seconds; drain, peel, seed and roughly chop.

Set a fine-mesh sieve over a large glass measure or container, then transfer tomato to sieve and let drain until liquid from tomatoes is separated from pulp, 3 to 5 hours, depending on juiciness of tomatoes. Discard juices or save for another use.

Set aside 1 tablespoon pine nuts and 1 tablespoon chopped olives for garnish. Tear cheese into small pieces; put pieces into a bowl. Add tomato pulp, remaining pine nuts, remaining olives, oil, basil and generous pinch pepper. Stir to combine.

Center 1 slice prosciutto over 1 ramekin; press prosciutto into edges of ramekin. Center a second slice over the first to make a cross; press second slice into edges of ramekin. Spoon a quarter of the cheese mixture into prepared ramekin, then pull up ends of prosciutto to create a sack. Gently tie together sack with 1 chive. Repeat with remaining prosciutto, cheese mixture and chives to make 4 fagottini.

Divide lettuce among 4 serving plates; drizzle with oil and season with pepper. Gently remove fagottini from ramekins and transfer onto the lettuce, garnish with reserved pine nuts and olives.