Take your burgers to the next level
The Italians don't “do” burgers, but as an American equally in love with burgers and Italian cuisine (I'm just back from a visit to that “bel paese”), I thought it might be fun to engineer a kind of marriage.
What makes this burger Italian? The crispy prosciutto (we would have used bacon), followed by the mushrooms sauteed with rosemary and garlic, topped with Taleggio (one of my favorite Italian cheeses), all of it piled onto large slices of bruschetta instead of buns. This is a certifiably rich combination, but the ingredient that takes it over the top is the truffle oil. Italians might agree that the touch is “un po troppo”; you can use it or lose it.
These burgers are pretty easy to prepare, especially when you buy the mushrooms already sliced. You can saute them a day or two ahead of time and then just bring them to room temperature before mounding them on the burgers. Likewise, you can grate the cheese and crisp the prosciutto a few days ahead, then stash them in the refrigerator, wrapped separately, until it is time to start cooking.
If you can't find Taleggio, fontina will do the trick. If you would rather roll with classic burger buns or English muffins instead of bruschetta, go ahead … although it means you'll be kissing off the bruschetta's garlicky crunch.