Grilled Nectarine and Prosciutto Panzanella

While technically it is officially fall now, I’m still not quite ready to give up on summer flavors. The pumpkin spice and apples can wait just a tiny bit longer. This Grilled Nectarine and Prosciutto Panzanella is the perfect late summer/early fall recipe to make when you’re like me and don’t want to give into fall just yet. This is a hearty and delicious salad, but without all the heaviness. It has a lot going on but don’t let that fool you because it still feels light and breezy, if that makes sense. Give this a try before all of the pumpkin spice and fall recipes start to take over our lives.

To make the dressing, in a mason jar, combine the oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, chives, tarragon, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Secure tightly with lid and shake vigorously until well combined and emulsified. Give it a taste and adjust seasoning accordingly, adding more salt or pepper as needed. Set aside.

**Tip: The dressing can be made several days in advance and kept in the fridge until ready to use. Just let come to room temperature before shaking and serving. This is a great dressing for so many salads!**

Heat a stovetop grill pan over moderate heat. Generously drizzle the bread slices with olive oil on both sides and place on the very hot grill. Cook until charred on both sides. Transfer to a cutting board and set aside to cool before cutting into cubes.

Toss the nectarine wedges in a bit of oil and add to the hot grill in a single layer. You might have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your grill pan. Cook until charred on either side, about 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer to a bowl or plate and set aside to cool slightly.

To assemble the salad, in a very large mixing bowl, combine the arugula, tomatoes, shallot, cucumber, basil, tarragon, capers, and a large pinch of salt and pepper.

Add the cubed grilled bread, the grilled nectarines, and the chopped hazelnuts. Toss everything until well combined.

Transfer the mixture onto a large serving platter (or just leave in the large bowl if you’d like). Top the salad with the prosciutto pieces and small dollops of the ricotta.

If you want to plan ahead, you can prepare all the different steps ahead of time and keep everything separate in the fridge. Then just assemble and toss right before serving. That way the grilled bread won’t get too soggy.

You can try this recipe with a variety of different stone fruit if you’d like. Peaches or plums would also be delicious! Or you can also use cantaloupe, I wouldn’t grill it though, I’d just cube it up and toss it in directly into the salad. Either way, I hope you’ll give this recipe a try! Let me know what you think below. Thank you so much for reading and following along!

Grilled Nectarine and Prosciutto Panzanella

This Grilled Nectarine and Prosciutto Panzanella is the perfect late summer/early fall dish to make when you're not quite ready to let summer go!

Servings 6

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Equipment

• Mason jar
• bowls
• Grill Pan

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 medium lemon juiced
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
• Kosher salt and coarse black pepper

Salad:

• 6 slices thick-cut sourdough bread
• 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 3 -4 medium ripe necarines cut into wedges
• 4 cups baby arugula
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 small shallot thinly sliced
• 2 Persian cucumbers thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves torn
• 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon chopped
• 2 tablespoons capers
• Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
• 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts chopped
• 4 ounces prosciutto torn into pieces
• 4 ounces ricotta

Instructions

• To make the dressing, in a mason jar, combine the oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, chives, tarragon, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Secure tightly with lid and shake vigorously until well combined and emulsified. Give it a taste and adjust seasoning accordingly, adding more salt or pepper as needed. Set aside.
• Heat a stovetop grill pan over moderate heat. Generously drizzle the bread slices with olive oil on both sides and place on the very hot grill. Cook until charred on both sides. Transfer to a cutting board and set aside to cool before cutting into cubes.
• Toss the nectarine wedges in a bit of oil and add to the hot grill in a single layer. You might have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your grill pan. Cook until charred on either side, about 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer to a bowl or plate and set aside to cool slightly.
• To assemble the salad, in a very large mixing bowl, combine the arugula, tomatoes, shallot, cucumber, basil, tarragon, capers, and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Add the cubed grilled bread, the grilled nectarines, and the chopped hazelnuts. Toss everything until well combined.
• Transfer the mixture onto a large serving platter (or just leave in the large bowl if you'd like). Top the salad with the prosciutto pieces and small dollops of the ricotta. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: Appetizer, Fruit, Quick & Easy, Salad, Summer