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By Becky Krystal

Pan Con Tomate With White Beans and Crispy Prosciutto. (Scott Suchman/For The Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky)

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Good Saturday morning, all. If you found yourself in the back-to-school routine this week, I hope it went well. If you’re almost there, I hope you get to relish the last few days of summer break and all that it entails. For my family, that meant afternoons and evenings at the pool (we’ll be there a lot this weekend, I’m sure), and glorious mornings of not setting an alarm.

I’m of two minds about this annual transition. On one hand, the return to routine is helpful for its predictability. Busy as it is, the school, sports practice and game schedules mean we know exactly what we’re doing when. On the other hand, well, we know exactly what we’re doing when! There’s not a ton of room for spontaneity — or laziness.

There’s also not much time for drawn-out weeknight cooking, which is one of the many reasons I’m a fan of this week’s featured recipe from Nourish columnist Ellie Krieger, Pan Con Tomate With White Beans and Crispy Prosciutto. You only need 20 minutes to put together the dish, which takes inspiration from the classic Spanish tapa and is one of my go-to picks when ordering a table full of these little plates. Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to reproduce at home. And because the toasts are not quite enough for a meal on their own, Ellie crowns them with beans, first gently mashing them with herbs and spices for a topping that adds nutritious protein and fiber. Strips of salty, pan-crisped prosciutto cap off this enticing complete dinner.

Of course, one of the other reasons to make this dish right now is to appreciate all the fresh, local tomatoes while we have them. It might seem silly to take a beautiful tomato to then just grate it, but I promise that it will help you appreciate the pure distillation of this summer staple. And there are plenty of tomatoes and dishes to go around so you can appreciate them in all their delightful forms and possibilities. You’ll find some more of those ideas below.

What else are you interested in cooking with? I’m happy to help in my live weekly chat Thursday at 11 a.m. Eastern. Submit your questions now, then set a reminder to come back when the conversation kicks off.

Until next week, happy cooking.

Summer Tomato Panzanella

(Tom McCorkle/For The Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky)

This Tuscan dish should be prepared only in summer, when field tomatoes are at their peak.

By Tim Carman

Pan Con Tomate With White Beans and Crispy Prosciutto

Classic Southern Tomato Sandwiches

Roasted Tomato Pie With Cheddar-Parmesan Crust

Watermelon and Tomato Salad

Recipe of the week

(Scott Suchman/For The Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky)

Pan Con Tomate With White Beans and Crispy Prosciutto

Find substitution suggestions and other tips below the recipe.

Save or print the recipe

Storage: Refrigerate the bean mixture for up to 4 days.

Servings: 4

Total time: 20 mins

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 to 4 slices prosciutto (1 1/2 ounces total), sliced into 1/2-inch-wide strips
3 medium ripe tomatoes (about 13 ounces total)
One (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from the same lemon)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 large slices crusty bread (1 1/2 ounces each), preferably whole-grain
1 garlic clove, peeled and halved across

Steps

1. Heat a 10-to-12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Set a medium plate near your workspace and line it with paper towels.

2. When the pan is hot, add 2 teaspoons of the oil, followed by the prosciutto, and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the prepared plate.

3. Grate each tomato on the large holes of a box grater set over a medium bowl until you are left with just the tomato skin; discard the skins. Use a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl to strain the juices out of the grated tomatoes, gently pressing on the solids. (The tomato juices can be saved for another use, such as a soup or smoothie — or you can just drink it.) You should have about 3/4 cup of grated tomatoes.

4. In another medium bowl, toss together the beans, 1 tablespoon of the oil, the lemon zest and juice, parsley, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, mashing the beans a bit with the back of a large spoon. You should have a heaping 1 cup.

5. Brush the bread on both sides with the remaining 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of oil. Heat the same skillet over medium-high heat and add two pieces of the bread to the pan. Cook until the bread is golden-brown and toasted, 1 to 2 minutes per side, adjusting the heat as needed if the pan starts to smoke excessively. Transfer the crisped bread to a plate or cutting board, and repeat with the remaining bread.

6. Rub the top of each piece of toasted bread with the cut side of the garlic halves, using the crisp bread as a gentle grater. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the grated tomato onto each piece, spreading it out from end to end, then top each with one-quarter of the bean mixture. Sprinkle the crispy prosciutto on top of each, cut each piece in half and serve.

From cookbook author and registered dietitian nutritionist Ellie Krieger. Tested by Olga Massov.

Nutrition information per serving (2 pieces): Calories: 318; Total Fat: 13 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Cholesterol: 9 mg; Sodium: 583 mg; Carbohydrates: 37 g; Dietary Fiber: 9 g; Sugar: 5 g; Protein: 15 g.

Substitution suggestions + other tips and ideas: