 You can make a lunch out of bruschetta. They’re a great casual snack, and so versatile—you can top grilled bread with just about anything, and never serve the same bruschetta twice.
April 2008
Last Updated March 2013
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Product Reviews / Main Nibbles / Hors D’Oeuvres & Cocktail Snacks
Bruschetta & Crostini Recipes
With Prosciutto Di Parma
Bruschetta and crostini are popular hors d’oeuvres that are easy to make. They also can be served as a first course. Here, prosciutto is paired with two different spreadable cheeses, goat and blue.
Bruschetta (pronounced broo-SKEH-tuh) are grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with any variety of items. The toppings can be as simple as extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, to diced tomatoes and basil, to almost any vegetable, cured meat or cheese. It originated in the Tuscany region of Italy, it is commonly served as a snack or appetizer. It may have been the original garlic bread (see a longer discussion here). The word comes from the verb bruscare in Roman dialect), which means “to roast over coals.” Some American manufacturers have co-opted the word to refer to the topping only, selling jars of “bruschetta.” Show your superior knowledge and don’t allow the term to be distorted: The word bruschetta refers to the grilled bread. If you have access to a grill, grill the bread for authenticity. If not, you can toast it.
Crostini are croutons, not in the American sense of small cubes to be tossed into soup or salad, but thin slices of toasted bread, generally cut from a thin, round loaf like a ficelle (a slender baguette). The slices are generally brushed with olive oil and toasted, then topped with spreadable cheese, pâté or other ingredients. Plain crostini are served with soups and salads, like melba toast, or set out with cheese. They are generally smaller than bruschetta, perhaps two inches in diameter; whereas bruschetta are larger pieces of bread, often three or four inches in length.
Bruschetta With Prosciutto & Goat Cheese
You can use the more neutral-tasting ricotta with this recipe, but fresh goat cheese adds a more tangy flavor. Makes 4 servings.
Ingredients
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1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) fresh goat cheese or ricotta
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8 slices (1/2-inch thick) French or Italian bread from a long loaf, grilled or toasted lightly
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8 arugula leaves
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8 thin slices (about 4 ounces) Prosciutto di Parma
Preparation
- To prepare each bruschetta, spread 1 tablespoon of the cheese on each toasted bread slice.
- Top with one arugula leaf and a slice of Prosciutto di Parma.
Crostini With Prosciutto & Blue Cheese
Use your favorite blue cheese. This recipe makes 6 servings.
Ingredients
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12 diagonal slices (1/2-inch thick) of French or Italian bread, toasted
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3 ounces blue cheese, softened (about 1/3 cup)
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12 slices of ripe peach, nectarine or pear (about 2 medium)
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6 thin slices Prosciutto di Parma (about 3 ounces), cut lengthwise in halves
Preparation
- Spread each slice of toast with blue cheese. Place a peach slice on top, pressing lightly into cheese. Top with a folded piece of Prosciutto di Parma.
Variation
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In a small microwaveable cup, combine 2 tablespoons of honey and 1 fresh rosemary sprig; microwave on high for 30 seconds.
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Let stand 15 minutes; discard the rosemary. Lightly spread the honey mixture on the crostini before spreading with blue cheese.
Recipe and photo © Consorzio di Prosciutto di Parma. All other material
Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. Images are the copyright of their respective owners.
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