Roasted Tomato and Ricotta Cheese Crostini Recipe

Go ahead and put this Roasted Tomato and Ricotta Cheese Crostini recipe into your regular rotation. It’s not only a crowd-pleasing appetizer, but it also makes a killer vegetarian lunch.

This post is part of my partnership with Milk Means More.

I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas. I’d love to hear about how you celebrated! Leave it in the comments or send me an email! I’m actually writing this a couple weeks before Christmas. I know, weird. Trying to get ahead a bit so I can fully enjoy the time with my friends and family. I’m bringing you this recipe which is perfect for New Years Eve celebrations.

It’s also perfect for Mondays. And Tuesdays. And…well, you probably are catching the drift.

This is total Rachel food. A roasted vegetable (basically my favorite thing ever after popcorn), creamy cheese (also a winner in my book), and crunchy bread. WHO DOESN’T LOVE CRUNCHY BREAD?

I had my first taste of this combination at my in-law’s house a couple years ago. I think my mother-in-law used a Martha Stewart recipe (and Google confirms my suspicions). I started from scratch remembering the tastes of the one she made – and I’m pretty dang happy with how they turned out. I’m also know to occasionally drizzle these with balsamic glaze for an extra punch of flavor. That stuff is liquid gold. I have a bottle of the DeLallo that I linked to in my fridge right now and I might just find any excuse to use it my lunch today.

The recipe is a perfect appetizer because it doesn’t take long at all to put together and it’s one of those recipes that is great hot (just be careful because the tomatoes get SUPER hot), but it’s also tasty as it begins to settle in to room temperature. In my mind, that’s a necessary trait of appetizers unless you’re planning to serve straight from the stove (like the stovetop spinach dip with sun-dried tomatoes) or from a slow cooker.

Also – if you wanted to translate this from irresistible appetizer into a lunch you’ll be looking forward to all day, I’d just use a slightly bigger slice of bread. Or you could stick with the smaller pieces, but I’m just trying to make your life easier. One of those with a nice green salad – how delicious does that sound?

Yum. I want it right now. Don’t you?

Roasted Tomato and Ricotta Cheese Crostini Recipe

Yield: 12-14 servings

Total Time: 40 minutes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Go ahead and put this Roasted Tomato and Ricotta Cheese Crostini recipe into your regular rotation. It’s not only a crowd-pleasing appetizer, but it also makes a killer vegetarian lunch.

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 demi-baguette or half of a baguette, sliced thinly on the diagonal

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
3. In a small bowl, toss together tomatoes with vinegar, olive oil, sugar, salt and pepper.
4. Place tomato mixture on the foil sheet
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until tomatoes start to burst, stirring or shaking sheet tray about halfway through cooking. Let cool slightly on sheet tray.
6. Toast baguette slices in a toaster over or under the broiler of your oven. Top with ricotta and then tomatoes. Drizzle balsamic and olive oil from the sheet pan. Serve immediately.

serving size: 1 crostini

Inspired by Martha Stewart

All images and text ©Rachel Cooks.

Verdict: Duh. I adore these.
Husband’s take: Literally everyone who has tasted this roasted tomato and ricotta cheese crostini recipe has loved it.
Changes I would make: None are necessary but if you’re reading this and you’re lucky enough to have access to fresh basil, tear some of that up and sprinkle it over these.
Difficulty: Easy!

Actual nutrition may vary depending on how recipe is prepared.

Looking for more appetizers worthy of your New Years Eve shindigs? Try:

• Hot Caprese Dip
• Broccoli and Bacon Beer Cheese Dip
• Bite Size Zucchini Pizzas
• Olive Oil and Rosemary Roasted Almonds
• Bacon Guacamole Appetizer (low carb)
• Hummus Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Spiced Pecans Recipe
• Parmesan Crisps with Sun-dried Tomato and Basil from Milk Means More
• Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs from Milk Means More
• Cheese Buds from Milk Means More

**Disclosure: I am thrilled to be a dairy ambassador for Milk Means More.  I have been compensated by Milk Means More for my time to develop this recipe and write this post. All opinions are as always, my own. Find out more about why Milk Means More on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest.