Bella Mia Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly oil it.

Core and seed the red and yellow bell peppers, then cut into 1–1.5 cm wide strips. Slice the zucchini and eggplant into 1 cm thick rounds or half-moons. Peel and quarter the red onion. Toss vegetables and minced garlic in a bowl with 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 3/4 tsp fine sea salt and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper until evenly coated.

Spread the vegetables in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet (use two sheets if crowded). Roast for 18–25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until edges are caramelized and vegetables are tender. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

In a small bowl, combine 100 g mascarpone and 30 g creme fraiche. Whisk until smooth and slightly airy.

Fold in 10 g black truffle paste (or 5–6 drops truffle oil), 5 ml lemon juice, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust — add a few more drops of truffle oil for aroma if desired. Chill briefly if not using immediately so it firms slightly.

Arrange the pistachio mortadella slices on a large serving platter or individual plates, slightly overlapping to create a fan or layered pattern. Leave central space for cheese and truffle cream.

Place the stracciatella cheese in the center of the platter, gently tearing any large clumps so it sits light and pillowy. If using extra burrata, nest it in the center and spoon stracciatella around it.

Dollop the truffle cream (about 2–3 tsp per serving, or use as a central smear) on top of and around the stracciatella so guests can pair creamy truffle with cheese and charcuterie.

Tuck the warm (or room temperature) roasted vegetables around the mortadella and cheese, distributing colors evenly (red/yellow peppers, zucchini, eggplant, red onion). This creates visual contrast and texture variety.

Scatter roughly chopped toasted pistachios over the vegetables and mortadella for crunch and to echo the pistachio in the mortadella.

Drizzle 15 ml good-quality extra virgin olive oil over the entire platter. Sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt and a grind of black pepper over the stracciatella and truffle cream to enhance flavors.

Garnish with fresh basil leaves and a handful of microgreens or arugula for brightness and color.

Serve the Bella Mia platter immediately at room temperature with grilled or toasted rustic bread and/or crackers on the side. Encourage guests to create bites combining mortadella, stracciatella, a smear of truffle cream, a roasted vegetable, and a sprinkle of toasted pistachio.

Leftovers: store components separately (cheese and truffle cream in airtight containers; vegetables in refrigerator up to 3 days) and reassemble before serving to preserve textures.