For an easy appetizer recipe highlighting fresh, seasonal flavors, look no further than this fig crostini with ricotta and prosciutto. It’s the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and savory.
Never underestimate the power of an easy recipe, darlings. There’s something so beautiful about enjoying the fresh flavors we are blessed with in their season.
That, my dears, is the inspiration behind this recipe. I was looking for an easy lunch for the Godfather and me after a morning of chores, and this was it. In a few minutes, we went from checking items off a list to relaxing on the porch with a beautifully plated, simple dish, and it was perfect. Well, after I told him I was going to take photos because the platter looked entirely too pretty. Simplicity is lovely.
What are crostini?
Don’t worry, I totally googled this too when I first heard the word. Crostini is a fancy way of referring to any number of toppings on sliced and toasted baguette bread. It’s also probably one of the easiest appetizers or light tapas-style dishes you can make!
Crostini are a favorite here because they’re a great way to use little bits of ingredients you have around. They’re also great for parties to feature ingredients that might not be available in large quantities. You only need a fraction of the ingredients for your number of servings. You can also make a variety of flavors, which is great if you’re indecisive like me! 😉
What are the ingredients in this fresh fig crostini recipe?
The ingredients for this recipe are very simple – you probably have most of them on hand already! Let’s go over them…
- Baguette – You’ll want a long and thin baguette so the crostini stay in the 2-bite range. Too big and they can become a little unwieldy. You can find the baguettes in the bakery section of any grocery store, and sometimes with frozen bread. If you are using a par-baked or frozen loaf, you’ll need to bake and cool completely before starting the recipe.
- Olive oil – The olive oil is brushed on your baguette slices before toasting. If you really don’t want to toast your baguette, you can skip it. But toasting is part of what makes a crostini a crostini, so it’s not a step to skip. The olive oil adds just a little flavor. You can use a mister to apply, or brush on with a pastry brush. If you have neither, drizzle in thin streams. It won’t be quite as smooth an application, but you don’t want to soak your bread either.
- Ricotta cheese – It’s light, creamy, and the flavor is mild enough to just compliment the figs and not overpower them. If you don’t have ricotta cheese, a bit of goat cheese would be delicious. I have another recipe that features goat cheese and figs here.
- Prosciutto – I’ll be honest, this is totally optional. I use it because the Godfather likes to have it on hand, but if you’re vegetarian, you can skip it. The nice thing about adding the prosciutto is the little salty kick it provides. Salt, in moderation, enhances sweet flavors, and that’s what the prosciutto does here.
- Fresh Figs – Yay!!! I mean, they’re kind of the star for this fig crostini. Wash, pat dry, remove the stems and cut however you’d wish. If you’re reading this recipe and there are no figs to be found, a dollop of fig jam will also give you a tasty crostini!
- Honey and black pepper – These were a total last-minute addition. I hadn’t previously added them, but when I was shooting, I thought the tray needed “something”. So I added the honey and pepper and BAM! This went from casual tapas to small plates special at a higher-end restaurant. So it’s a new optional addition.
Whether you’re looking for an easy appetizer, or just a quick way to assemble a light meal, I hope you love this fig crostini recipe, darlings. And I hope the few minutes it saves in preparation allows you extra minutes to enjoy and linger somewhere special with the people you love.
Cheers!
Fresh Fig Crostini with Prosciutto and Ricotta
For an easy appetizer recipe highlighting fresh, seasonal flavors, look no further than this fig crostini with ricotta and prosciutto. This easy recipe makes a great appetizer or light meal and is the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and savory.
Ingredients
- 1 12-inch baguette, cut into 24 slices at about 1/2-inch each
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup ricotta cheese (see notes)
- 6 slices of prosciutto
- 6 fresh figs
- honey
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange the sliced bread on the baking sheet in a single layer. Brush olive oil (or spray using a mister) over the tops of the bread. Bake for about 10 minutes until lightly toasted. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- While the bread is cooling, wash and pat dry your fresh figs. Cut into wedges or slices. Cut the prosciutto slices into 4 pieces each.
- Spread a bit of the ricotta on each slice of cooled bread, then top with a piece of prosciutto and a piece of fig.
- If you'd like, drizzle with a little honey and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
