Toasted Romano Crostini Recipes

CROSTINI ALLA ROMANA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the slices of ciabatta on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until crisp and golden around the edges, about 8 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven. Place the prosciutto slices and mozzarella on the crostini toast and return to the oven to melt the cheese, about 8 more minutes.
• Meanwhile combine the butter and the sage leaves in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the butter is melted and starting to brown in spots and the sage leaves are crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Transfer the crostini to a serving plate. Drizzle the crostini with the sage butter and serve immediately.

TOASTED ROMANO CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Mix cheese, mayo, onions and red peppers.
• Spread mixture on bread slices. Place on baking sheet.
• Broil 5 to 7 inches from heat 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown.

CARAMELIZED ONION CROSTINI

Steps:

• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 3 sliced onions, 3 chopped anchovies and 2 teaspoons chopped thyme; season with salt and pepper and cook until the onions are golden brown, 20 minutes. Slice 1 baguette in half lengthwise. Butter the bread; top with the onions, pitted nicoise olives and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake in a 400 degrees F oven until the bread is crisp, 15 minutes. Cut into pieces; top with shaved parmesan.

SLOW-ROASTED TOMATO CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Arrange tomatoes, cut sides up, in a shallow baking dish just large enough to hold them in 1 layer. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Scatter garlic around tomatoes, then roast in middle of oven until tomatoes are tender and skins are wrinkled, about 1 hour. Cool, then transfer tomatoes to a plate, reserving garlic and oil in baking dish.
• While tomatoes are cooling, put bread slices on a baking sheet and brush lightly on both sides with additional oil. Bake in middle of oven until golden, 15 to 18 minutes.
• Peel roasted garlic cloves and mash to a paste with oil and juices from baking dish. Spread paste on toasts, then top each toast with a tomato half, cut side up.
• Serve crostini topped with mint and olives.

SIMPLE CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange baguette slices on two large rimmed baking sheets; brush both sides with oil, and season with salt and pepper.
• Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden, 15 to 20 minutes (if undersides are not browning, turn crostini over once during baking). Let cool on baking sheets. Top crostini with desired toppings, and serve.

ROASTED GRAPE CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Toss first five ingredients; spread in a greased 15x10x1-in. pan. Roast until grapes are lightly browned and softened, 30-35 minutes. Stir in orange zest., Preheat broiler. Arrange bread slices on an ungreased baking sheet. Broil 3-4 in. from heat until lightly browned, 1-2 minutes per side. Top with warm grape mixture; sprinkle with cheese and basil.

ROASTED GARLIC CROSTINI WITH ASSORTED TOPPINGS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Put the garlic in a roasting pan and drizzle on the olive oil. Toss to coat thoroughly. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the garlic bulbs are very tender but not overly brown. Test by carefully giving a bulb a gentle squeeze while protecting your hand with a folded kitchen towel or an oven glove. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
• 2. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut each head of garlic crosswise in half, midway between its leaf and root ends, to expose all the cloves inside. Their pulp will be golden brown and as soft as butter. You can squeeze it out of each half by hand or scoop it out with a small spoon or knife. Transfer the roasted garlic to a small bowl, pour in any olive oil from the baking dish, and stir and mash with a fork to form a smooth purée. You'll have 1/3 to 1/2 cup of purée, depending on the size of the garlic heads.
• 3. To make the Roasted Garlic Crostini, preheat the oven to 375° F. Brush the bread slices with the olive oil and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake them until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool to room temperature. Spread the puréed roasted garlic evenly on the tops of the crostini. Top the crostini with any of the options listed above, or make an assortment. Spread some with 1 tablespoon each of goat cheese; then decorate the cheese with strips of roasted bell pepper or a mixture of sun-dried tomato strips and capers, or a smear of tapenade. In place of the goat cheese, top others with diced tomato tossed with some fresh basil, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar; with prosciutto and Parmesan cheese; with anchovy fillets and freshly ground black pepper; or with slices of Roma tomato and fresh mozzarella, topped with fresh basil leaves.