Tomato Crostini with Pesto and Ricotta

A pesto crostini with a prosciutto rose on a wooden board.

5 from 4 votes

This recipe includes fresh, homemade pesto and pretty prosciutto roses! It’s a gorgeous and delicious appetizer for Mother’s Day or a perfect addition to any spring or summer brunch buffet!

Prep Time35

Cook Time10

Total Time45

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Low Salt

Servings: servings

Calories: 144kcal

Author: Genevieve Morrison

Equipment

1 food processor
1 mixing bowl
1 pair of kitchen scisors
1 pastry brush

Ingredients

rustic French bread - enough for 10 slices
2 oz. fresh basil
5 tbsp. pepitas
3 tbsp. olive oil - and a little more for brushing the crostini
2 tsp. white balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. grated parmesan
½ cup ricotta cheese
½ cup pitted Castelvetrano olives
½ cup cherry tomatoes
5 slices prosciutto
garlic powder - a nice sprinkle

Instructions

First, remove any tiny pesto leaves from basil, and store them for garnishing. In a food processor, add 2 oz. fresh basil, 5 tbsp. pepitas, 3 tbsp. olive oil, 2 tsp. white vinegar and 2 tbsp. grated parmesan. Process on a purée setting for at least 30 seconds, or until creamy. You should have ½ cup pesto.
In a mixing bowl, stir together pesto and ½ cup ricotta cheese. Set aside.
Slice ½ cup pitted Castelvetrano Olives into rings and ½ cup cherry tomatoes into quarters.
Make prosciutto roses. Remove 1 slice from a package of 5 prosciutto slices, and use kitchen scissors to cut the slice in half. Fold each slice over and carefully roll each folded slice into a rose. Make 10 roses.
Slice French bread into 10 slices and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder and toast for 7-10 minutes at 450 F. or until nicely toasted. Cool for 5 minutes.
Give each slice a nice smear of pesto ricotta, carefully spoon tomatoes and olives on top, add a pretty prosciutto rose and garnish with 2 small basil leaves.

Notes

Choose a French bread that will give you 3½-inch slices. I find this is a perfect size. Not too big to take 1 bite, and not so small that it’s hard to balance all the toppings nicely on the toast.

You can make the pesto ricotta a whole 2 days before serving, and slice the tomatoes and olives too. The prosciutto roses can be prepared 3 days ahead as well. As long as everything is refrigerated and stored in sealed containers, they’ll taste perfectly delicious when ready to serve.

I HIGHLY suggest making your own pesto for this recipe, but if you’re really in a pinch, you can use store-bought pesto too. It might just be a bit more oily, and not taste as garden-fresh. You’ll use ½ cup just like the recipe states for homemade pesto.

I find it’s best to assemble these crostini up to 1 hour before serving, then refrigerate them all together. The toasts will stay crunchy for up to an hour or so, even when refrigerated.

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