Photo: Lido Vannucchi

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Bruschetta with a Big Bang for Its Buck
The 10-minute prep time for this colorful bruschetta, from Damiano Carrara's new book, A Taste of Italy, is just one reason to love it. Among the other perks: You can make the appetizer with day-old bread (since you're going to be toasting it anyway), and there's a surprising ingredient that's so simple yet brings an unexpected delicious element to the app: sliced Bartlett pear. To make the topping, you cook sliced onion and bell pepper (red, yellow and green) then stir in the pear and diced tomatoes. The savory-sweet peperonata mixture has complex flavor (thanks to the fruit, as well as a splash of white wine) and is fantastic served on top of the crunchy crostini.

Get the recipe: Bruschetta con Peperonata