Warm Pesto Baked Mushrooms with Crispy Proscuitto

I was faced by a lunch dilemma yesterday, well not really but just slightly. I hadn’t left the house and nor did I intend on leaving. I was very content simply hanging with Hank (the dog!) and pottering in the garden. I didn’t think about lunch, although I knew I had some giant Portobello mushrooms and Basil pesto in the fridge ready and willing to be rustled into a lunch. What exactly that turned out to be was anyone’s guess.

I was deliciously surprised by how scrumptious and tasty this simple dish was. It was honestly so simple, it doesn’t really need words. It goes to show you really can’t go wrong with mushrooms, blue cheese, pesto and prosciutto. That good old saying, if you start off with quality ingredients they speak for themselves. Well, I was gob-smacked! Don't you love those moments when you don't expect anything from a meal and then it ttoally blows your socks off. This was one of those moments.

This makes a great lunch or light dinner or even a starter if you served smaller portions.

Warm Pesto Baked Mushrooms with Crispy Prosciutto

Serves 1 as a lunch or light meal (simply adjust the quantities depending upon how many people you are cooking for)

Ingredients

2 portbello mushrooms, stalk removed and peeled
2 tsp Basil Pesto with Flaxseeds
2 Tbspn blue cheese, broken into small chunks
2 Tbspn Olive Oil
Coarse iodised sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 slices proscuitto
2 handfuls baby spinach
Handful of walnuts

Preheat the oven to 180°C
In an ovenproof dish, place the mushrooms under-side up. I add the stalk pieces to the dish also. Place a teaspoon of pesto on each mushroom and spread it evenly.
Crumble the blue cheese evenly over the pesto-covered mushrooms
Place the proscuitto in the dish alongside the mushrooms.
Drizzle over the olive oil, salt and pepper
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked and the cheese is melted and golden
Add the walnuts a few minutes before the mushrooms are ready so they can toast up and get lovely and crunchy.
Serve the warm mushrooms, prosciutto and walnuts on a plate of baby spinach. Be sure to pour over the juices resting at the bottom of the dish. This becomes your dressing and it is PACKED with flavour!