Have I mentioned that I love cute food? I probably have. I tend to repeat myself. Sorry.
Bruschetta ranks right up there in my book of foods that are as enjoyable to look at as they are to eat. I mean, who can resist adorable little toasts piled high with colorful and delicious ingredients.
Nobody. That’s who.
While I love the simplicity of bruschetta, this week I made a slightly jazzed up version of my usual recipe. I started by smothering baguette toasts with ricotta cheese and my Mixed Herb and Nut Pesto. Then I topped them with a mixture of sautéed shallots and cherry tomatoes before giving each piece a good drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Oh boy! It’s like a little party in my mouth! So incredibly delicious and fresh tasting.
Yes, please! I’ll have more of that!
Summer is here and Bruschetta with Ricotta and Pesto is the perfect appetizer to put out at your next party or barbecue. I hope you give it a try!
Cheers,
Liz
Ingredients
- 1 rustic French baguette
- 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 small shallot, diced
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- About 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- About 1/3 cup pesto
- Salt and pepper
- Balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut the baguette into 1/2 inch slices. Brush each piece with olive oil on one side. Place the baguette slices on a large rimmed baking sheet, oiled side down. Transfer to your pre-heated oven and bake for 4-5 minutes. Don’t bake them much longer then this or the bread will become to crunchy. Remove the baking sheet from your oven. Using a pair of tongs, flip each baguette slice over so the oiled side is facing up. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced shallot and sauté until it’s just starting to get soft, approximately 2 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté until the tomatoes start to get soft and juicy, but still retain their shape (you don't want them to fully collapse), about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- Assemble the bruschetta. Spread approximately 1-2 teaspoons of the ricotta onto each toasted baguette slice. Then spread approximately 1 teaspoon of pesto sauce on top of the ricotta. Top with the sautéed tomatoes and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately.
Beautiful colors! Love the idea to put those flavors together!!!
Thank you so much! I hope you try it out!
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Yay for cute food! It’s the best 🙂 these bruschetta look so amazing and remind me of a make-your-own pizza I got the other day that was otherworldly. Ricotta + pesto + tomatoes + carbs can’t be anything but AMAZING! Happy New Year Liz!
Thanks, Rachel! XOXO!
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To confirm, you’re toasting ONLY one side of the bread and assembling the ingredients on the TOASTED side.
Thank you.
Yes, that is correct.
Why not mix the ricotta and pesto together?
You can certainly do that. I prefer them separate for a nicer presentation.
I made both the pesto and the ricotta cheese from scratch. Combined with the tomato/shallot mixture and a high quality balsamic, it was amazing. Many thanks for the inspiration.
Awesome! And props for making the ricotta cheese from scratch! 🙂