Smoked Mozzarella And Roasted Pepper With Olive Dressing On Italian Bread Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the orzo into a medium casserole dish, then stir in the oil, red peppers, olives, chilli flakes and dried oregano. Tip in the chopped tomatoes, then refill the can halfway with water and pour that in too. Give everything a good mix, season, then cover and bake for 20 mins until the pasta is almost cooked. Take it out of the oven and give the orzo a stir. Remove the foil and return to the oven for a further 5 mins.
• Heat the grill to high. Take the orzo out of the oven and tear the mozzarella over the top, then grill until melted and bubbling. Serve with salad on the side, if you like.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Cut the peppers in half, scoop out the seeds and white membranes with a spoon and discard. Drizzle the peppers with a little olive oil from the tomato jar, rub all over and season generously. Roast for 20 mins until softened and starting to char.
• Roughly chop the tomatoes and olives, then mix in a small bowl with 2 tbsp oil from the jar. Cut 4 anchovies lengthways, giving 8 thin strips, then add to the bowl along with the basil leaves. Season with black pepper. Keep the rest of the anchovies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
• Take the peppers out of the oven and turn the grill to High. Pour any juice out of the peppers, then spoon in a little of the olive mix. Snuggle a mozzarella half into each pepper and return to the roasting tin. Grill for about 3 mins until the top of the cheese has just softened, but not melted. Put the antipasti on a serving platter and add the peppers. Spoon over the rest of the olive mix and splash with a little balsamic vinegar. Enjoy with bread and a glass of wine.

Steps:

• To Roast Peppers
• Using a long-handled fork char the peppers over an open flame, turning them, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the skins are blackened. (Or broil the peppers on the rack of a broiler pan under a preheated broiler about 2 inches from the heat, turning them every 5 minutes, for 15 to 25 minutes, or until the skins are blistered and charred.) Transfer the peppers to a bowl and let them steam, covered, until they are cool enough to handle. Keeping the peppers whole, peel them starting at the blossom end, cut the tops, and discard the seeds and ribs. (Wear rubber gloves when handling chilies.)
• In a bowl or resealable heavy plastic bag combine the mozzarella, the oil, the garlic, the vinegar, the orégano, the basil, the thyme, and salt and pepper to taste and let the cheese marinate for at least 4 hours at room temperature or chilled overnight. Thread a mozzarella cube, an olive half, and a roasted pepper square onto each of the wooden picks and arrange the brochettes on a platter. The hors d'oeuvres may be made 4 hours in advance and kept covered.