This has become my favorite salad.

Arugula Salad with Figs, Prosciutto, Walnuts, and Parmesan

4 tbls olive oil
2 oz thinly sliced prosciutto cut into strips
1 tbls raspberry jam
3 tbls fig balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup dried figs, chopped into ¼ inch pieces
1 tbls finely chopped shallot
5 cups baby arugula
½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
2 oz Parmesan, shaved into thin strips

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 10 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat; add prosciutto and fry until crisp, stirring frequently for about 7 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towel to drain and cool.

2. Whisk jam and vinegar in medium microwave-safe bowl; stir in figs. Cover with plastic wrap, cut several steam vents in plastic and microwave on high until figs are plump, about 45 seconds. Whisk in 3 tablespoons oil, shallots, ¼ tsp salt; toss to combine. Let cool to room temperature.

3. Toss arugula and vinaigrette in large bowl; adjust seasonings with salt. Divide salad among individual plats; top with portion of prosciutto, walnuts, and Parmesan.

Don't know but I just passed Corrado's the other day for the umpteenth time and wished we had stopped in! A friend tells me how great it is, he buys olives in large quantities among many other goodies. Next time!

In general, it can be put to good use in salads, soups, pizza, bruschetta, panini and omelettes or rolled around an olive or piece of cheese. But I'm sure you know that already.

To cite a specific soup which I like very much, I would make minestrone. At it's best it would include cannellini beans made from dried beans. Canned beans or beans other than cannellini bring it down a notch. It is important to have kale in it, tuscan kale or any other kind. A couple of other vegetables such as green beans and carrots are good. Then a bit of tomato sauce, just enough to make it pink. A small proportion of the beans should be mashed up to give body to the soup. Then, the proscuitto, chopped up. And some Italian herbs (flat parsley especially) and red pepper flakes. Those partaking can grate parmesan cheese into the soup to taste.

This is what a small windfall of proscuitto would lead to in my kitchen. Sort of like stone soup.

Enjoy your proscuitto. It's good stuff.

Jim

Here is a recipe we love.

Ravioli With Ricotta And Prosciutto

1/2 Cup prosciutto, diced
1 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove minced
1 shallot minced (green-onions would do fine)
1 Cup ricotta
1 Cup Parmesan Freshly Grated
1/2 Cup Asiago grated
1/2 Cup frozen spinach
thawed and squeezed dry
1 egg
nutmeg
salt and pepper
won ton wrappers (or fresh pasta)

Saute the prosciutto in the extra-virgin olive oil just until Add the garlic and shallot. Saute until limp but not browned.

In a bowl combine ricotta, Parmesan, Asiago, egg, spinach, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add prosciutto mixture. Place a spoonful of the mixture on top of a won ton wrapper, wet the edges. Place another wrapper on top and seal the edges.

Alternatively you can fold the wrapper over the filling to form a triangle. I often use a ravioli cutter to trim the edges.

Place the filled raviolis in boiling salted water. They don't take very long to cook. They float and become slightly translucent.

I love to chop some up & bake it into (homemade ) macaroni & cheese or to toss into a nice bowl of escarole and beans but my FAVORITE thing to do is to save it for pizza rustica. My mother would always buy up the ends of proscioutto, salami, capicolla, provolone and mozzarella and toss them in the freezer. When she had "enough" she would chop them all up, line a pie pan with a savory pie crust, throw in all of the chopped up bits then beat some eggs and pour them over the bits. Top with another crust, poke a few holes in the top and bake until brown. OMG, divine for picnics, for scarfing straight out of the oven and it was almost even better cold from the fridge or reheated on those rare occasions that there were leftovers.

I never get to make this because I NEVER find good prosciutto ends. It's probably best because I'd end up eating all of the ends out of hand.

Oh I just thought of something else! Chop & sautee some onions in olive oil until golden, add chopped prosciutto ends & 4 oz marscapone cheese. Stir until cheese melts & everything is warm. Serve over pasta, top with parmesean. Very rich, very sinful.

Nina

Make a Stromboli ! Throw in anything you can think of ,

Or, Good cooked with Cabbage.
Lou

Corrado's is opening up another store in Wayne....best place to get Italian food and produce in NJ!!!

My mom always used the end bits in pasta/beans, escarole/beans. It made the liquid extra good when dipping good Italian bread into it!

Enjoy!
Dee

Thanks everyone :)

DH (raised in Elizabeth with an Italian mom) really got a kick out of Corrado's after having not been there for years. The greek yogurt (I'm an addict) was $1.50 compared to $1.89 + around here and the overflowing produce was equally inexpensive. My mecca was the bread aisle, with fresh breads from about five to 10 local bakeries. I could have snorted bread all day ;)

I'm looking forward to another trip there - it's a hike, but I'm sure we'll come up with an excuse ;)

Sue

Sue :
Where is Corrado's ? I can't remember.
Lou

Make a basic risotto, add some blanched and chopped asparagus, throw in a handful of parmesan cheese and the prosciutto bits, and set an extra place for me. I'll be prompt and bring a good bottle of wine.
Yum.
Jo

I make lasagna that is very similar to Sharon's ravioli, but without the nutmeg. I add mozzarella cheese and pasta sauce to make the lasagna, but otherwise, the ingredients are very much the same. I use fresh spinach, however, and microwave it for a minute or two to release the moisture and then squeeze it to get it fairly dry.

Prosciutto is very good with spinach.

Lars

Oh yum Lars! I never thought of using it as a lasagna filling. I think it would be excellent! I would use fresh pasta sheets along with my homemade tomato herb sauce to keep the dish very delicate.

Lou, its in Clifton, NJ and you can see it from the Garden State Parkway.

Here is a link that might be useful: Corrado's

Here is one of Eileen's recipes that I have made several times. It is really good!

FANTASTIC PASTA
Pasta dish Fantastic!!!!!!!

1 10 oz pkg of frozen spinach thawed & drained
4 tablespoons Olive Oil
4 large cloves Garlic minced
1/2 cup White Wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground Pepper
4 ounces Proscuitto thin sice into small ribbons
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
1 pound Penne Pasta
1/4 cup grated Parmesean

Heat 3 tablespoons Olive Oil in pan add garlic saute 1 minute add Spinach cook 1 minute add Wine and reduce by half about 2 minutes add stock,cream and pepper Bring liquid to Boil reduce heat and simmer for 12 minutes. Take remaining 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil and fry Proscuitto until crisp drain on paper towel. On a low heat add Gorgonzola to the Spinach mixture and now add the Procuitto mix well...Pour mixture over cooked Pasta mix well and sprinkle Parmesean on top. Serve Immediately.
Courtesy of Nick Stellino

I have a cookbook called "The Bean Bible" and the author says to use prosciutto rinds in italian-style baked beans.

Oven Cooked Italian-Style Beans from "The Bean Bible" by Aliza Green

1 lb. (2 cups) dried red kidney beans or cannellini beans, soaked (soak in twice their volume of water overnight ~8 hrs., then rinse)
1/2 lb. prosciutto trimmings and bones
1 small whole onion, peeled
1 head garlic, 1/2 inch sliced off the top to expose the cloves (Whoa!)
1 bunch fresh marjoram, tied with kitchen string
8 cups cold water (2 quarts)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees farenheit. Drain and rinse the beans. In a large pot, cover the kidney beans with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes, then drain, discarding the water.

Combine the beans, prosciutto trimmings, onion, garlic and marjoram in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid and add the water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover and bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the beans are tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven, cool slightly then discard the cooking liquid, prosciutto trimmings, onion, garlic and marjoram.

Note: I would probably make these in the crockpot and brown the onions first.

Aliza's notes: The prosciutto trimmings are a valuable ingredient because they give not only a good deep flavor but also a smooth, unctuous texture. Be sure the prosciutto bone is whole and not cut, the fat inside is likely to be rancid from the aging process. The rind of the prosciutto is also wonderful for the velvety, creamy quality it imparts to slow-cooked beans.

Woodie: Thanks for Carrado's info.
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I hate these posts !!! Now I'm hungry, again, yet !!!
Lou

Yum forgot about Nick Stellino's pasta dish Im making that this weekend!

I had this recipe from Nick Stellino from several years ago...hope this is the one your looking for.

If you ever make fried rice cut it into a small dice and add. Shrimp also make a nice addition.

Put on top of a pizza. I get a pizza locally that uses that and it is very good. Here is what they put on the pizza, Prosciutto, Calamata olives, mushrooms, Imported San Marzano tomatoes, stick pepperoni, Gilroy garlic, provolone and pancetta.
Clare

I was reading all the replies thinking right along pizza, thne read Clare's post right at the end. By the way I had all the grandkids over for New Years and made a pizza with hot dogs.

Here is a link that might be useful: traveling and cooking with grandpa

Lpinkmountain posted almost exactly what I'd make with them, except I'd add some canned diced tomatoes and top with some fresh bread crumbs tossed with olive oil for the last half hour of baking.

Or there's classic pasta Carbonara...