Kick your weeknight dinner up a notch with this simple version of coca, a type of Spanish flatbread. Coca is open-faced like pizza (without cheese) and can be savory, sweet or plain. In Catalan, its place of origin, a coca is a gathering of leftovers or whatever vegetables might be in season (coca derives from the Dutch word kok, for cake). For that reason, this dish isn’t so much a recipe as it is a broad template.
For ease, use store-bought refrigerated pizza dough, put it into a rimmed baking sheet and top it with roasted peppers, marinated artichokes and capers before sliding it into the oven. As the crowning touch, slices of prosciutto are draped on after the flatbread comes out of the oven. If you’re able to find Spanish dry-cured ham, such as serrano or Ibérico, feel free to use it instead. Voila, a fun dinner in no time!
A few notes about the ingredients. Our crust was a European-style pizza dough that was already rectangular in shape making it a cinch to spread onto the rimmed baking sheet. Each package was 14.1 ounces, so I used two, one on top of the other, which ended up being over 4 ounces more than called for.
FYI—Don’t use cold dough, as it will be more resistant to stretching and shaping than room-temperature dough; it also bakes up denser. Remove it from the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes in advance, depending on the ambient temperature of your kitchen. Also, to prevent sticking, make sure to coat the baking sheet with cooking spray before placing the dough on top.
If you have the chance, get the Trader Joe’s brand of marinated artichoke hearts, they’re the best! For the roasted red peppers, we used a jar of Spanish-style grilled Piquillo peppers. And the amount of prosciutto was increased to four ounces. (I would have chosen Serrano ham if the store had been carrying it at the time.) The sweetness of roasted peppers is balanced by the brininess of jarred artichokes and capers. A sprinkling of fresh thyme offers herbal notes, while sliced prosciutto adds depth and savoriness.
Spanish-Style Flatbread with Roasted Peppers, Artichokes and Prosciutto
Ingredients
- 1 12-oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained, patted dry and roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup drained marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
- 2 medium garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1/4 cup drained capers, roughly chopped
- 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more to serve
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 lbs. store-bought refrigerated pizza dough, room temperature
- 5 thin slices prosciutto (about 2½ oz.)
- 1/3 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Directions
- Heat the oven to 500°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. Mist a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, toss together the red peppers, artichokes, garlic, capers, thyme, 1 tablespoon of oil, ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper; set aside.
- Set the dough in the center of the prepared baking sheet, then press and stretch it until it covers the pan and is of an even thickness. Press from the center outward and lift and stretch the edges as needed; it’s fine if the dough doesn’t completely fill the corners. If the dough is resistant or shrinks after stretching, wait 5 to 10 minutes before trying again; if it is very elastic, you may need to give it 2 or 3 rests.
- When the dough fills the baking sheet, brush it with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Evenly distribute the red pepper mixture over the top, leaving a narrow border around the edge, then gently press the toppings into the dough. Bake until the edges of the dough are well-browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and slide the flatbread out of the baking sheet and onto a wire rack. Tear the prosciutto into narrow ribbons and drape over the top. Cool for 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a cutting board. Sprinkle with the parsley, then cut into pieces. Serve drizzled with additional oil.
Adapted from a recipe by Calvin Cox for Milk Street
Accounting for Taste 
oh my god this looks beautiful & delicious
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, it was as good as it looks!
LikeLike