Part 6 of My Favorite Restaurants Series~ Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana!

You may or may not remember that we went to Italy last year. That trip was my first trip to Europe and it was fantastic! Almost everyone I know that has visited that romantic, beautiful country dreams of going back. Brad Otton, owner of Settebello restaurants is no exception. Brad lived in Italy for two years. He fell in love with the people, the culture and the food. Today he is sharing this beautiful Artichoke Heart Crostini  with us, aren’t we lucky?!

Artichoke Heart and Goat Cheese Crostini from Settebello Napolitana Restaurant

 

The Story Behind Settebello:

After a successful career as a quarterback at USC and football coach at UNLV Brad and his wife Deanna decided to go back to Italy and learn to make the authentic Napoletana Pizza. And from that experience Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana was born!

Artichoke Heart and Goat Cheese Crostini from Settebello Napolitana Restaurant

Pizza Napoletana is made with a soft dough and takes about one minute to cook in a wood-burning oven. Because of this, Pizza Napoletana has several distinctive characteristics. Pizza in Napoli is soft and foldable and can be considered “wet” by American standards, for this reason the people in Napoli generally eat their pizza with a knife and a fork. 

Dessert Pizza from Settobello Pizzeria Napoletana

Blackened char spots on the pizza crust are a tell-tale sign that the pizza has been cooked in a blistering hot, wood burning oven. Each pizza is an individual work of art. The owners and chefs at Settebello have a goal: to make the most authentic pizza Napoletana possible. First rate ingredients are essential in creating an authentic pizza Napoletana. Whenever possible the actual ingredients used in Settebello’s pizzerias are imported from Italy. When importing is not a possibility they search for the highest quality American products to complete their pizzas. 

Artichoke Heart and Goat Cheese Crostini from Settebello Napolitana Restaurant

Artichoke Heart and Goat Cheese Crostini from Settebello Napolitana Restaurant

After spending over a month perfecting his pizza making skills with Chef Enzo Coccia, Brad returned to the states and opened his first Settebello location in Henderson Nevada with his brother Tim Otton and friend Michael Brooks. That was in 2006 and since then seven more locations have been added. Lucky for me, four of those locations are in Southern California!

Artichoke Heart and Goat Cheese Crostini from Settebello Napolitana Restaurant

Settebello’s eight locations don’t just offer delicious authentic Napoli pizza, their menu also features mouth watering appetizers (recipe for this amazing crostini below)…

Artichoke Heart and Goat Cheese Crostini from Settebello Napolitana Restaurant

…a pasta dish or two…

Artichoke Heart and Goat Cheese Crostini from Settebello Napolitana Restaurant

…and decadent desserts!

Artichoke Heart and Goat Cheese Crostini from Settebello Napolitana Restaurant

So far I have visited four Settebello locations, Pasadena, Oxnard, Newport Beach and Salt Lake City. I have never left disappointed! The food and ambiance are are always on point. And my gluten free daughter is always very happy because Settebello restaurants have mastered a gluten free pizza dough.

Artichoke Heart and Goat Cheese Crostini from Settebello Napolitana Restaurant

Artichoke Heart and Goat Cheese Crostini from Settebello Napolitana Restaurant

 

The recipe: Artichoke Heart Crostini 

Tips and what you will need: “speck” is a very thinly sliced Italian cured ham, similar to prosciutto but with more texture. It can be found in most deli’s and high end grocery stores. You can find Roman style artichokes with stalks here. Balsamic glaze is a thick syrupy balsamic vinegar. (affiliate links)

Artichoke and Goat Cheese Crostini
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 
Speck is similar to Prosciutto but with more texture. If you can't find it use Prosciutto.
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: classic recipe, easy appetizer recipe
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Settebello Restaurant
Ingredients
  • Italian loaf or baguette slice 1/2" thick
  • 8 oz soft goat cheese
  • 16 slices of thinly sliced speck
  • 8 Marinated artichokes roman style quartered if they come whole
  • 3 Tablespoons chopped parsley
  • Olive Oil
  • Balsamic Glaze
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400, place rack in upper third of oven.
  2. Slice bread and brush the bread with olive oil, place on cookie sheet.
  3. Place in oven and toast till golden (five minutes)
  4. Spread each slice with goat cheese and top with 2 slices of speck and 3 pieces of the artichoke. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic glaze. Garnish with parsley. Serve

Artichoke Heart and Goat Cheese Crostini from Settebello Napolitana Restaurant

If you would like to see my past “Favorite Restaurant Posts” just click!

Kale Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette from 370 Common
The Secrets to Making the Best Burger Ever from The Rustic Burger
Pasta with Pea Sauce from The Foundry Grill
Citrus Stuffed Roasted Chicken from The Communal
Chopped Chinese Chicken Salad from Katsuya by Starck

MAY I PLEASE ASK A LITTLE FAVOR?

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