Crostini with baked tomatoes and 3 types of cheese
Complexity: easily
Quantity: 16 canapés
A blue cheese spread and creamy ricotta pair perfectly with roasted tomatoes. This three-cheese spread on a slice of crispy bread offers a true blend of Italian flavors. And the aromatic basil is a must-have for any Italian dish. Everything comes together quite quickly, as the bread and tomatoes are grilled in the oven. It only takes a few minutes, but you need to keep an eye on the oven, as this setting can quickly cause anything you're grilling to go from golden brown to charred. Spread the cheese spread on the toasted bread, top with tomatoes, sprinkle with more cheese, and serve the crostini beautifully arranged on a platter.
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.
Ingredients for the recipe:
- 1.5 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons thinly sliced shallots
- 2.5 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 0.5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3/4 cup ricotta
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese, loosely packed into a measuring cup
- 1/4 cup prepared pesto
- 3/4 tsp. salt, divide
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp. grated lemon zest, without a slide
- 16 slices French or peasant baguette, cut diagonally into 0.5cm thick slices.
- 2-3 turns of a black pepper mill (hand mill)
- 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup finely grated fresh Pecorino Romano cheese, loosely packed into a measuring cup
We recommend
Cooking the dish according to the recipe:
- Position the oven rack 12-15 cm from the heating element and preheat the oven to the highest temperature using the grill setting. Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
- In a small bowl, gently toss the tomatoes, shallots, 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, and vinegar. Spread the mixture on the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheet on the rack under the oven's heating element. Broil until the tomatoes are lightly charred, about 4 minutes with the oven door closed. Stir the vegetable mixture with a spatula and broil for another 3 minutes with the oven door closed. Remove from the oven and transfer the mixture with a slotted spoon to a small bowl; set the bowl aside until ready to use. Leave the oven on broil.
- While the tomatoes are roasting, combine the ricotta, blue cheese, pesto, 1/2 teaspoon salt, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl.
- Place the baguette slices on a large baking sheet and brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place the baking sheet on the oven rack and broil until golden brown, about 1 minute per side, being careful not to burn the bread. Remove the baguettes from the oven.
- To assemble the crostini, season the vegetable mixture with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper, then add the basil.
- Spread some of the ricotta mixture on each slice of crostini. Top with the tomato-onion mixture, then sprinkle with grated cheese, dividing the ingredients evenly between the slices of bread. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.
Author of the recipe - Barbara Estabrook, the visionary behind a Florida farm, represents her state in culinary competitions and has won awards in the Appetizer/Salad categories; her plant writing has been featured by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
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