This post is in partnership with California Prunes for a twist on a classic recipe. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Bakes by Brown Sugar possible.
Welcome to the delightful world of ricotta toast and this delicious and easy recipe for Prune and Prosciutto Ricotta Toast. It’s a wonderful and tasty combination of creamy ricotta, salty prosciutto, sweet California prunes, and a tart balsamic glaze. This delicious combination is packed with flavor, texture, and all the goodness you need to kickstart your day.
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Ricotta toast starts with great-tasting bread and creamy ricotta. And when California Prunes asked me to come up with a twist on a traditional dish I knew that ricotta toast served with sweet and soft prunes was the perfect dish. I loved testing and tasting this dish and you will too. It's an easy recipe and that's absolutely delicious. Plus no oven is required so it's perfect for summer.
My goal was to create a treat that is perfect for a quick lunch, a delicious meal when served with a salad, or an appetizer for a dinner party.
California prunes not only make a great snack, but they add a fruity sweet taste to any part of the meal. Serve them with yogurt and granola for breakfast or in a Breakfast Cookie, for lunch as part of this ricotta toast, dinner as part of this Beef Stew, or dessert as in this Prune Clafoutis.
What You'll Need for This Recipe
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this tasty ricotta toast:
- California Prunes: The prunes are sweet with a slight tartness. Their softness and sweetness ae perfect with the salty prosciutto and creamy ricotta.
- Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese: The creamy texture of ricotta is perfect with the toasted bread and salty prosciutto. If you prefer you can use skim milk ricotta, but skim milk ricotta is grainier than whole milk ricotta and doesn’t taste as rich. Make sure it is at room temperature (60-65 degrees F) when you assemble the ricotta toast.
- Rustic Bread: This recipe calls for four slices of bread. Use a crusty bread that has a nice chewy texture. Make sure to slice the bread at least 1/2 -inch thick. You can use sour dough or whole grain bread.
- Prosciutto de Parma: Prosciutto is a type of dry-cured ham. It’s usually thinly sliced and has a salty sweet taste. The saltiness tastes great with the creaminess of the ricotta and the sweetness of the prunes.
- Balsamic Vinegar: The balsamic vinegar has a sharp flavor with a hint of sweetness. The tartness and sweetness can vary by brand, so don’t hesitate to adjust the amount of honey based on the taste of the vinegar.
- Raw Honey: The honey is combined with balsamic vinegar to create a delicious sweet and tart glaze.
- Fresh Herbs: For this recipe I used fresh thyme. Thyme has a minty, slightly lemony flavor. But if you prefer you can also use fresh basil or mint.
- Toasted Pistachios: The pistachios taste great and add a delightful crunch to this treat. You can also use almonds. If you’re allergic to nuts you can leave them off.
- Flaky Sea Salt: Flaky sea salt is a great way to finish the ricotta taste.
How to Make Ricotta Toast
This ricotta toast is easy to make and everything is ready in less than an hour if making multiple servings. If you prefer to have this as a lunch or snack all the ingredients can be prepared in advance, and refrigerated until ready to make a single serving or multiple servings for a party.
Step 1: Prepare the honey balsamic glaze and the prunes. Whisk together the honey, balsamic vinegar, and salt in a saucepan. Add the prunes.
Step 2: Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat and then allow the prunes to steep in the honey and balsamic mixture. All the prunes and the honey balsamic glaze to cool to room temperature
Step 3: Combine ricotta cheese, salt, and pepper in a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk together until well combined. Transfer the ricotta mixture to a small bowl and set it aside until ready to assemble the ricotta toast.
For a super smooth ricotta, process it in a mini food processor for about 20-30 seconds.
Step 4: Brush the slices of bread with olive oil and toast the slices in a large skillet until they are golden brown.
Spread a generous serving of the ricotta cheese over the toasted bread. Top the ricotta cheese with a slice of the prosciutto. Next add 3 or 4 prunes, arranging them across the top. Sprinkle the fresh herbs and chopped pistachios across the top. Drizzle the honey balsamic glaze across the top of the ricotta toast.
For serving cut each assembled toast in half so they’re easier to handle.
Variations
There are a lot of variations you can make with recipe, but don’t leave out the California prunes. Their sweet tart flavor is the star of the show. Here are some ideas for variations.
- Use crumbled bacon instead of prosciutto. The bacon will have nice crunch plus add a smoky flavor to the dish.
- You can use cream cheese or mascarpone instead of ricotta. Cream cheese has a slight tart flavor, while mascarpone is richer and sweeter tasting
- If you’re a vegetarian you can leave out the prosciutto.
- Drizzle the toast with just raw honey instead of the honey balsamic glaze
How to Serve the Ricotta Toast
This ricotta toast is amazing for breakfast, lunch, and even dinner. It has all the elements of a good breakfast: protein, fat, and carbs. If making it for dinner fix a salad to go with it. Depending on the size of the bread slices I recommend cutting them in half.
Make Ahead Instructions
The whipped ricotta cheese, prunes, honey balsamic glaze can all be made ahead of time for a quick and easy breakfast or lunch. Store the ricotta cheese and prunes in the refrigerator in airtight containers. The balsamic glaze can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
The dish should be consumed shortly after all the ingredients are assembled.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Make sure it is at room temperature (60-65°F) when you assemble the ricotta toast.
- Toast the bread. It will taste better and hold up under the weight of the toppings.
- If you want creamier ricotta for this recipe process the ricotta in a mini food processor for about 15 seconds.
- Use prunes that are plump, moist, and are already sweet. Avoid prunes that have a rubbery texture are on dry.
If you make this tasty recipe for ricotta toast please leave a rating and a comment below.
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Ricotta Toast with Prunes and Prosciutto
Ingredients
- 16 California prunes
- 4 tablespoons (63 grams) balsamic vinegar
- 8 tablespoons (168 grams) raw honey
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Fresh ground pepper
- 1 1/4 cups (303 grams) whole milk ricotta cheese
- 4 slices crusty rustic bread or sourdough bread
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 slices Prosciutto de Parma
- 1/4 cup (30 grams) chopped pistachios or almonds
- 8 springs fresh thyme
Instructions
- Place the balsamic vinegar, honey, and 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt in 2-quart saucepan. Stir the ingredients together. Add the prunes and place the saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a simmer (200 degrees F). Remove the saucepan from the heat, cover the pot with a lid and let the prunes steep for 15 minutes.
- Remove the prunes from the liquid and place them in a small bowl. Let the prunes and the honey balsamic glaze cool to room temperature.
- While the prunes and honey balsamic glaze cool prepare the ricotta cheese. Place the ricotta in a small mixing bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper to the ricotta cheese. Use a whisk to whisk the ricotta cheese for about 30 seconds until the ingredients are well combined. Set the ricotta cheese aside.
- Brush the four slices of bread with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat a nonstick skillet on high until very hot. Depending the size of the pan place 2 or 4 slices of the bread oil side down into the hot skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-high heat. Toast the bread for 2-3 minutes until the edges and some of the middle portion of the bread is toasted.
- Occasionally press down on the center of the bread with a spatula to make sure of the surface of the bread comes into contact with the hot pan. Toast the other side of the bread for 30 seconds. Remove the bread from the skillet and place it on a baking sheet or wooden board.
Assemble the Ricotta Toast
- Place 1/4 of the ricotta cheese on each slice of toast. Take a slice of prosciutto, tear it half and arrange it on top of the ricotta cheese. Repeat for each slice of toast. Arrange 3 or 4 prunes on top of the prosciutto. Sprinkle the chopped nuts and fresh herbs on top. Next drizzle the honey balsamic glaze across the toast. For a little extra saltiness sprinkle some flaky sea salt across the top.
Notes
- Use crumbled bacon instead of prosciutto. The bacon will have nice crunch plus add a smoky flavor to the dish.
- You can use cream cheese or mascarpone instead of ricotta. Cream cheese has a slight tart flavor, while mascarpone is richer and sweeter tasting
- If you’re a vegetarian you can leave out the prosciutto.
- Drizzle the toast with just raw honey instead of the honey balsamic glaze
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