Ricotta Crostini Party

Crostini are the ultimate party food and a ricotta crostini is the perfect blank canvas to show off both savory and sweet creations.  The wonderful thing about ricotta crostini is that fresh ricotta can be made a day ahead.  This is a smorgasbord of some of my favorite flavor combinations, but the possibilities are endless!

Making ricotta crostini for a large party is simple.  Buy a fresh loaf of bread and slice into 1/3 inch thick slices.  Toast the slices and once they have cooled a bit slather them with ricotta.

Then top with whatever ingredients you like.  For me, the key is using high quality ingredients, such as good extra-virgin olive oil and sea salt– I love using Maldon sea salt or fleur de sel.  This will really make your other ingredients sing!

Top Row: hard boiled egg and chives; cucumbers, mint and dill; smoked salmon and dill

Second Row: leeks caramelized in butter; strawberries and aged balsamic vinegar; extra-virgin olive oil, lemon zest and sea salt

Third Row: radishes and sea salt; smoked salmon and dill; blueberries and honey

Bottom Row: cucumbers, mint and dill; hazelnuts and apricot jam; tomatoes and basil pesto

Ricotta Crostini Party

A simple ricotta crostini can be topped with a variety of ingredients from sweet to savory.

Servings: 4 crostini of each type

INGREDIENTS

Egg crostini

• 2 hard boiled eggs (sliced)
• few sprigs chives

Cucumber and herb crostini

• 1 Persian cucumber (sliced)
• few leaves mint (chopped)
• 1 sprigs dill (chopped)

Smoked salmon crostini

• 4 slices smoked salmon
• 1 sprig dill (chopped)

Leek crostini

• 1 leek
• 1 tablespoon butter

Strawberry and balsamic crostini

• 4 strawberries (quartered)
• 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar

Radish crostini

• 4 radishes (thinly sliced)

Lemon zest crostini

• zest lemon
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Blueberry honey crostini

• 1 cup blueberries
• 3 tablespoons honey

Hazelnut and apricot crostini

• handful hazelnuts (toasted)
• 3 tablespoons apricot jam

Tomato and pesto crostini

• 8 cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons basil pesto

General ingredients

• ricotta
• flake sea salt
• baguette

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To make the caramelized leeks, split one leek down the middle and run under water to remove any dirt. Slice the white and light green parts into half circles. Heat a tablespoon of butter and sautee the leek until caramelized. Add a pinch of salt.
2. Slice the baguette and toast the bread.
3. Slather on ricotta and divide the ingredients under each type of ricotta above evenly onto 4 pieces of crostini. Top the savory ones with a little extra flake sea salt.

(images by HonestlyYum)