Great Gatherings:
Glamorous Dinner Party—With a Purpose

Buratta with Prosciutto and Heirloom Tomatoes

This salad is a variation of the popular summer Caprese salad. The roasted tomatoes give the salad a distinct autumn flavor. The name Caprese comes from the island of Capri, the fashionable European meeting place of the cognizetti in the 1960s, a wry nod towards this dinner’s theme.

• 1 pound Campari tomatoes or large cherry tomatoes ripened on vine
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 10 ounces fresh mozzarella or burata cheese,* thinly sliced
• 2 ounces very thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma, cut into thin strips
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 300°F.  Place tomatoes in medium bowl; drizzle with enough olive oil to coat. Transfer tomatoes to foil-lined 15x10x1-baking pan; sprinkle with kosher salt.  Roast, uncovered, 45 to 60 minutes or until softened but not mushy.   

Cool tomatoes about 20 minutes. On four salad plates arrange cheese, tomatoes, prosciutto, and basil leaves. Drizzle with additional oil; sprinkle with pepper. Makes 4 servings.

*If using burata, chill the cheese well before slicing.