Recipe for Vesuvio Tostadas with capers and anchovies

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 8 slices of homemade bread
• a glass of tomato puree or 4 fresh ripe tomatoes
• 32 capers in salt
• a mozzarella
• 16 anchovies in oil
• extra virgin olive oil
• origan
• pepper
• salt

Preparation:

To prepare the delicious Tostadas Vesuvio, follow these simple steps which will lead you to an explosion of flavours. First of all, to guarantee the right consistency and flavour, take 32 salted capers and put them in cold water for 10 minutes, so as to make them soft and ready to be used. After that, drain them and rinse them carefully under running water, then place them on a cloth to dry them and concentrate their unique flavour.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 220 degrees to ensure it’s piping hot when it comes time to put your tostadas in the oven. Take some slices of homemade bread and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper, to ensure even cooking and easy cleaning afterwards. Or if you have the opportunity, prepare the embers in your fireplace and toast the slices of bread on a grill. Brown the slices of bread on both sides to make them crunchy and delicious.

Once the bread slices are golden, you can add the ingredients that will give your Vesuvio Tostadas all their unique taste. Season the tomato puree in the glass with extra virgin olive oil, salt, a pinch of pepper and oregano. Or with well-ripe tomatoes for sauce, peeled, cleaned of seeds and chopped, which will give a note of freshness and sweetness to your dish. Then add the chopped anchovies, which will give an intense and saline flavour. Don’t forget to add the previously prepared capers, which will give a unique and tasty note to your tostadas. Add a pinch of oregano to give an aromatic and spicy touch and season with salt and pepper to taste to balance the flavours.

Then put the seasoned bread slices back in the oven already hot at 220 degrees, leaving them to cook for a few more minutes so that the ingredients mix and the flavors blend perfectly together. In the meantime, take some fresh mozzarella and chop it finely to have morsels that will melt perfectly on your tostada. After about 5 minutes, take the tostadas out of the oven and add the mozzarella on top of the still hot slices. Put them back in the oven for another 5 minutes, or until the mozzarella is melted and stringy, creating an incredible harmony of flavors and textures.

When your Vesuvio Tostadas are ready, take them out of the oven and serve them while still hot, garnishing, if you want, with a few leaves of fresh basil to give a final touch of freshness.

Pair them with a fresh and lively white wine. A Chardonnay from Veneto is an excellent choice for a fragrant and fruity white wine, while another option could be Verdicchio from Marche, which is a drier white wine, but both suitable for combining with the spicy fragrances of the tostada and for complete this delicious dining experience.

Enjoy your meal!

To prepare the delicious Tostadas Vesuvio, follow these simple steps which will lead you to an explosion of flavours. First of all, to guarantee the right consistency and flavour, take 32 salted capers and put them in cold water for 10 minutes, so as to make them soft and ready to be used. After that, drain and rinse them thoroughly under running water, then place them on a tea towel to let them dry and concentrate their unique taste.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220 degrees to make sure it’s piping hot when it comes time to bake your tostadas. Take some slices of homemade bread and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, in order to guarantee uniform cooking and easy cleaning afterwards. Brown the slices of bread on both sides to make them crunchy and delicious.

Once the slices of bread are golden brown, you can add the ingredients that will give your Tostadas Vesuvio all their unique taste. Start with peeled tomatoes, cleaned of seeds and chopped, which will give a note of freshness and sweetness to your dish. Then add the chopped anchovies, which will give an intense and salty flavour. Pitted olives, with their sharp, rich taste, will be a great addition. Don’t forget to add the previously prepared capers, which will give a savory and unique note to your tostadas. Add a pinch of oregano for an aromatic and spicy touch and season with salt and pepper to taste to balance the flavors.

Then put the seasoned slices of bread back into the preheated oven at 220 degrees, leaving them to cook for a few more minutes so that the ingredients mix and the flavors blend perfectly together. In the meantime, take some fresh mozzarella and chop it finely for bite-sized pieces that will blend perfectly on your tostada. After about 5 minutes, take the tostadas out of the oven and add the mozzarella on top of the still warm slices. Put them back in the oven for another 5 minutes, or until the mozzarella is melted and stringy, creating an incredible harmony of flavors and textures.

When your Tostadas Vesuvio are ready, take them out of the oven and serve them still hot, garnishing with a few leaves of fresh basil to give a final touch of freshness.

Pair them with a fresh and lively white wine. A Chardonnay from the Veneto is a great choice for a fragrant and fruity white wine, while another option could be Verdicchio delle Marche, which is a drier white wine, but both suitable for combining with the spicy fragrances of the tostada and for complete this delightful dining experience.

Enjoy your meal!