Name: Roasted Tomato and Ricotta Crostini Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes; ¼ cup balsamic vinegar; 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 teaspoon brown sugar; ¼ teaspoon kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper; 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese; 1 demi-baguette or half of a baguette, sliced thinly on the diagonal ((see note))

Everyone loves this roasted tomato and ricotta crostini recipe! It’s not only a crowd-pleasing appetizer but it also makes an amazing vegetarian lunch.

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: Tangy roasted tomatoes, smooth ricotta cheese, and sweet balsamic glaze perfectly balance each other. Top the appetizers with fresh basil if it’s available.

How long it takes: 30 minutes to roast the tomatoes (but you can do it ahead of time)
Equipment you’ll need: small baking sheet
Servings: 12

Several crostini on a bamboo cutting board.

These roasted tomato crostini are 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 confirmed my suspicions). I wanted to re-create these appetizers so I started from scratch, and I’m pretty happy with how they turned out.

Closeup of crostini on bamboo cutting board.

Why You’ll Love These Ricotta Crostini

Easy to make.These crostini are perfect appetizers because they don’t take long at all to put together. The tomatoes have to roast for 30 minutes but that’s hands off time. While they’re in the oven, toast the bread and spread the ricotta on each slice. Top with the roasted tomatoes and a drizzle of balsamic. Easy peasy!
Easy to serve. This is an appetizer recipe that is great served hot but it’s also tasty as it cools down to room temperature. In my mind, that’s a necessary trait of appetizers unless you’re planning to serve it straight from the stove (like stovetop spinach dip with sun-dried tomatoes) or from a slow cooker, like this spinach artichoke dip. Who wants to be worrying if your appetizers are hot enough?
Embellishments. I like to drizzle these ricotta crostini with balsamic glaze for an extra punch of flavor. That stuff is liquid gold. Bonus points if you make homemade balsamic glaze. A garnish of fresh basil is really good, too. However, as you can tell from my photos, the middle of winter is not a good time to score fresh basil, so my appetizers are basil-less.

Overhead of several crostini arranged on cutting board, with container of fresh cherry tomatoes and sliced bread.

What You’ll Need

Cherry or Grape Tomatoes: Choose whatever looks the best. A package of tomatoes in assorted colors is fun, too. It’s best if the tomatoes are on the smaller side. I like grape tomatoes because they tend to be sweeter.
Balsamic Vinegar: Roasting the tomatoes in balsamic vinegar heightens the flavor and concentrates the sweetness of the balsamic.
Olive Oil: Any good olive oil is fine. You don’t need to use your fanciest olive oil but you want a fairly decent one.
Salt, Pepper, Brown Sugar: These seasonings enhance the flavor of the roasted tomatoes.
Ricotta Cheese: I usually buy part-skim ricotta but choose your favorite.
Baguette: Thinly slice the baguette to make the crostini. The word crostini basically means “little toasts”. You can toast them plain or brush a bit of olive oil on them before toasting. Learn how to make crostini in your oven, skillet, or a grill pan. It’s easy!

Make It Your Own

Buy crostini. If you don’t want to bother with making the toasts, you can buy Italian bread toasts, bagel thins, baked pita chips, etc. They work perfectly with this appetizer idea. Making your own crostini is definitely more economical though.
Make it a lunch. If you wanted to translate this irresistible appetizer into a lunch you’ll be looking forward to all day, use a slightly bigger slice of bread (you could stick with the smaller pieces but I’m just trying to make your life easier). Pair them with a nice salad or hot soup.
Rather have a dip? Serve the tomatoes, cheese, and crostini separately and have guests assemble their own. A similar idea is this hot Caprese dip which is another of my favorites. It’s made with roasted tomatoes, cream cheese, shredded mozzarella, and fresh mozzarella cheese. It’s pretty amazing too.

More Crostini and Bruschetta

Overhead closeup of single crostini drizzled with balsamic glaze.

Make Ahead Ideas

Toast the bread. Go ahead and toast the bread slices a few days in advance. Make sure the crostini are completely cool before storing in an airtight container or resealable bag.

Roast the tomatoes. If you like, the tomatoes can be roasted a day or two ahead of time. Refrigerate the roasted tomatoes with any pan juices. To serve, allow the tomatoes to come to room temperature or gently warm them in a skillet on the stove or in the oven (or toaster oven) if you prefer them hot. They are great either way.

Storage Tips

Once the appetizers are assembled, they are best eaten right away. If you have leftovers, they should be refrigerated. The toast tends to get a bit soft after awhile.

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