Our Ricotta and Sun Dried Tomato Crostini combines creamy homemade ricotta with sweet and tangy sun dried tomatoes (specifically, cherry tomatoes cured in extra virgin olive oil with salt, garlic, and herbs). Crostini are perfect pre-dinner snacks and are wonderful accompanied by a delicate aperitif and/or glass of prosecco. You’ll find various crostini offered at Italian cafes and bars and are often consumed after a long day at work, followed by a proper meal at home.
You can make your own sun dried tomatoes cured in olive oil as well as prepare a batch of homemade ricotta, but if you’re in a pinch you can purchase store made ricotta from a reputable Italian market in your area and already prepared sun dried tomatoes from Italy (both DeCarlo and Villa Cappelli make exquisite jarred tomatoes in extra virgin olive oil but they can be pricey).
Finally, if you’re wondering about the difference between bruschettas and crostini the key differentiator is the bread used. As DeLallo web site explains:
Bruschetta, from the Italian word “bruscare” meaning “to roast over coals” is made by toasting whole, wide slices of a rustic Italian or sourdough type bread. Crostini are sliced and toasted from a smaller, round, finer-textured bread, more like a white bread baguette. In Italy you might find yourself offered an antipasto of four or five different crostini, no more than a couple of mouthfuls each, accompanied by some olives, but only one or two of the larger bruschetta would be plenty.
The small crostini are spread with judicious amounts of intensely flavored toppings, such as a rich fig spread topped with goat cheese, or a tangy black olive paste made from sun-dried olives; a sprightly caper and anchovy mix or, in fall, finely chopped wild mushrooms seasoned with black pepper.
Bruschetta at its simplest can be toasted over the embers of a fire, then rubbed with a clove of garlic and drizzled with your best extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with salt. This is a great way of letting the true flavors of a fresh, golden-hued olive oil shine through.
- 1 loaf of Italian bread sliced into ½ pieces
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and dried oregano
- Sun dried tomatoes cured in olive oil
- 1-2 cups of ricotta
- Place the sliced bread on a large back sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F. with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and dried oregano and a drizzle of olive oil.
- To assemble the crostini, use a knife to spread a liberal amount of ricotta on the seasoned side of the toast followed by placing a single tomato on top of the ricotta.
