Cooking web notes

Prosciutto Mozzarella Roll-ups

Antipasto

Anton Arkhipov

This unique appetizer combines several great Italian flavors into a single bite for a tasty appetizer!  It includes mozzarella balls, fresh basil leaves and cherry tomatoes wrapped up in a slice of prosciutto, the heavenly spicy Italian ham.  They are so very easy to make and so very delicious!

If your grocery store has an antipasti or olive bar, you should be able to find the mozzarella balls there.  But, if it is your lucky day and you come across marinated mozzarella balls, that is even better and you better rush out and buy a lottery ticket!  However; if you can not find them, just cut the mozzarella into bite-size chunks the size of half of a cherry tomato. 

Using lean prosciutto makes them hold together easier as you roll them and depending on the size, it may be better to slice the prosciutto into thirds lengthwise, thereby giving you more servings also.  The sliced prosciutto should be about the width of the cherry tomatoes and the mozzarella balls. 

Prosciutto Mozzarella Roll-ups

Ingredients:

8 thin slices lean prosciutto, halved lengthwise

8 large basil leaves, torn in half or 16 smaller ones

8 small, 1” diameter, mozzarella balls, preferably marinated

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, optional

Place a slice of prosciutto on a cutting board, lay a basil leaf on top at one end of the slice.

Top the basil with a mozzarella ball and tomato, matching the cut sides to make a ball.

Sprinkle very lightly with salt and liberally with fresh ground pepper.

Roll up the ball in the prosciutto.

Secure the ball with a toothpick.

Repeat as above with the remaining prosciutto, mozzarella and tomatoes.

Arrange them on a serving plate, drizzle with the olive oil and serve.

(They will keep at room temperature for an hour before serving.)

Note:  This recipe does not require marinated mozzarella balls but, since they really add to the flavor, do the following to make them yourself:  Mix together, Italian vinaigrette, a little pimento or roasted red pepper and add the mozzarella.  Let the mixture marinate in the refrigerator for a day or two before serving. 

This will be a great appetizer for your New Year’s Eve party!

Enjoy!

This entry was posted on Friday, December 30, 2011 at 5:31 AM and is filed under Appetizers, Cheese, Holidays, Italian, Mozzarella, New Year, Proscuitto, Tomatoes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response.