Honey-Roasted Fig and Prosciutto Bruschetta

At Silene Piccolo Ristorante in the central Italian town of Foligno, we tried a savory-sweet take on bruschetta. Chef Nicoletta Franceschini roasts plump green figs with local honey, fragrant herbs and garlic, then spoons the fruit and its juices over prosciutto-topped toasts. As for the bread, Franceschini fries slices of country-style boule in garlic-enriched olive oil. To simplify and streamline, we toast our bread all at once under the broiler, then repurpose the baking sheet for the figs. We also rub the warm toasts with a garlic clove to recreate the allium notes of Franceschini’s seasoned oil. If you can’t find fresh figs, a ripe but firm Bosc pear, unpeeled and sliced lengthwise about ¼ inch thick, will work well in their place. The final touch is a few leaves of peppery, lemon-dressed arugula, which brings bright freshness and a pop of color.