Carrabba's Italian Grill Bruschette Carrabba

Posted by Chef Chad in Houston TX

"Bruschette" (singular form is Bruschetta); is a grilled rustic Italian bread, embellished, with a variety of toppings. In its simplest form, Bruschetta can consist of toasted bread, rubbed with fresh garlic and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil. Or it can be topped according to your own tastes and imagination, like these mouthwatering variations from Carrabba's. Carrabba's Manager Charles Criswell graciously shares their tantalizing version of this simple, rustic antipasto, which includes some with saut ed mushrooms paired with Fontina cheese, as well as the ever-popular tomato-pesto-mozzarella combination. The pesto can be made at home, but it is widely available now in our markets.

1 loaf Italian-style or French bread
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 slices Fontina cheese, thinly sliced and trimmed to fit bread slices
3 slices mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced and trimmed to fit bread slices
3 ounces mushrooms, sliced, and sauteed in butter
3 slices Roma tomato, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 1/2 tablespoons pesto sauce (use the classic Pesto containing basil
    and pine nuts - available in most grocery stores)
Pinch of extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of fresh basil, cut into fine strips (julienne strips)

Bake loaf of Italian bread in oven until lightly browned. Slice the bread into 1/2-inch slices and discard end pieces. Cut larger middle slices into equal halves.

Mix softened butter with chopped garlic and garlic powder. Spread garlic butter over six of the smaller pieces of bread. Place Fontina slices on 3 buttered slices of bread. Place mozzarella on the three remaining pieces of buttered bread. Place sauteed mushrooms on top of the Fontina cheese. Top the mozzarella cheese with the tomato slices and Pesto. Place all six slices on a baking pan and bake in a preheated 500 degree F oven for 4 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Remove from oven and top Fontina-mushroom bruschette with a drizzle of olive oil. Do not add olive oil to the tomato-pesto bruschette. Sprinkle all bruschette with the thinly sliced basil leaves.

Makes 6 slices.