Quick Festive Crostini
Designed to bring a celebratory touch to even the busiest of moments, this quick festive crostini recipe requires minimal active time, allowing you to present a delicious and varied starter without excessive effort. It’s the ideal solution when you wish to offer diverse flavour options, keeping preparation simple and swift. The modular approach of these crostini makes them easily adaptable to any preference, serving as an excellent base for your last-minute culinary ‘ideas’.
Quick Overview
- Preparation Time: 15 minutes
- Cooking Time: 10 minutes
- Difficulty: Easy
- Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 7 oz (200g) baguette or rustic bread
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove (optional)
- 5.3 oz (150g) fresh ricotta
- 3.5 oz (100g) cherry tomatoes
- A few fresh basil leaves
- 2.8 oz (80g) thinly sliced Parma ham
- 1 oz (30g) pitted Taggiasca olives
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
- Slice the bread into approximately 1 cm (0.4 inch) thick pieces. You can toast them in a frying pan, toaster, or in an oven preheated to 180°C (350°F) for about 5-7 minutes until golden and crisp. If desired, lightly rub a garlic clove over the warm slices.
- While the bread toasts, prepare the toppings. Wash the cherry tomatoes and halve or quarter them. Roughly chop the fresh basil. Drain the ricotta well to remove any excess liquid.
- For the first version, spread a portion of the ricotta onto toasted bread slices. Scatter the chopped cherry tomatoes over the top and garnish with fresh basil.
- For the second version, spread the remaining ricotta onto bread slices. Drape a slice of Parma ham over, creating small folds, and add a few Taggiasca olives.
- Arrange the crostini on a serving platter. Drizzle all crostini with a little extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of fine sea salt, and a grind of fresh black pepper before serving.
Serving & Leftovers
These crostini are best served immediately when the bread is still crisp and the flavours are fresh. They are not suitable for storing as leftovers, as the bread tends to soften and lose its texture.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portions.
One Last Thing
Preparing dishes like these quick festive crostini offers the flexibility to always have a tasty, well-presented option, even when time is limited. It’s an effective way to enrich your daily menus or special occasions with preparations that harmoniously integrate into your culinary routine for stress-free cooking.