Artichoke and Prosciutto Salad

Artichokes, prosciutto, olives, basil...and OK, even tomatoes...what's not to love?  I am not a huge fan of tomatoes that are not made into a salsa or pasta sauce, but even threw some cherry tomatoes into this salad for myself.  Quartered of course, not whole. The beauty of this salad is that you could also skewer most of the ingredients and make an appetizer out of it.  I made something similar in my guest post for Popsiculture on Hosting a Tapas Party with the skewer of basil, avocado, Kalamata olive, and artichoke heart.

This is a super easy dish - perfect for lunch or even as a first course at a dinner party.  i was inspired by a recipe I found in a cookbook that I have owned for years called "Classic Italian Recipes" - I think it was one of those Costco finds, all I know is that I have used it for years!   I added a few pieces of burrata to the salad as well, I couldn't resist.

Artichoke and Prosciutto Salad
Serves 4
Recipe adapted from "Classic Italian Recipes"

12 oz marinated bottle of quartered artichokes, drained
10-12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup halved Kalamata olives
8 thin slices of prosciutto, cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves, julienned
4 oz burrata, cut into bite sized pieces
fresh basil sprigs, to garnish

Dressing
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 small garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons course ground Dijon mustard
salt & pepper, to taste

Combine the artichokes, tomatoes, olives, and prosciutto in a mixing bowl.  Toss gently to combine.

To make the dressing, put all of the ingredients into a screw-top jar and shake vigorously until the ingredients are thoroughly blended.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss together.

Transfer the salad to individual plates, sprinkle the torn basil on top, add the pieces of burrata to each plate, and garnish each with basil sprigs.  Serve immediately.