This ricotta and fig crostini appetizer is such a crowd pleaser! It’s perfect for the holidays but also a favorite year round. Quite simple to throw together but fancy and festive to wow your guests! The whipped ricotta with rosemary is so creamy and fresh. It pairs beautifully with the sweet fig spread for a wonderful balance. My advice, don’t use dried rosemary, you definitely want fresh here, it’s just the right addition and such a great holiday flavor!
Thinly sliced apples give a nice crunch in each bite. I prefer granny smith for a tart flavor, there is enough sweetness in the fig spread so this helps balance it out. For ricotta I like part-skim to keep it a bit lighter, you can totally sub in whole milk ricotta if you prefer. Topping this crostini appetizer off with crispy, salty bacon is the perfect finale! I like to serve these on a wood board with some extra rosemary sprigs for a beautiful display!
How To:
You want to start off with a nice french baguette for your crostini. Make sure it’s not too hard, about 1 day old at the most. Slice baguette into ½” pieces. Spray or drizzle some good extra virgin olive oil on each piece, season with salt and pepper to taste and repeat on the other side. Bake the bread slices at 350°F for about 10 minutes and flip halfway through. You want them to be a little golden and crunchy but not too crispy. In a nonstick skillet cook bacon until crispy, about 5-7 minutes, flip halfway through. When cooled, chop bacon into bits and set aside.vIn a small bowl with a handheld mixer, whip the ricotta for about 30 seconds until creamy. Add salt, black pepper to taste and fresh rosemary, whip another 30 seconds.
Ready to Assemble: Spread a small amount of fig on each crostini, just enough to secure the apples. Place 2-3 thin apple slices on each crostini. Top apples with more fig spread, add a layer of ricotta. Top ricotta layer with bacon bits and serve. There ya have it, it’s so simple to make!
Tip: If you have dairy free guests no problem. Serve some crostini without the ricotta; it’s still a delicious flavor combo!
Tip: If you have dairy free guests no problem. Serve some crostini without the ricotta; it’s still a delicious flavor combo!
This Crostini appetizer is great for the holidays! Creamy rosemary ricotta atop sweet fig and tart apple, finished off with crispy bacon! It's simple, delicious and festive!
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/4 cups part skim ricotta cheese
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1 fresh french baguette, cut into 22-24 slices
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Salt & pepper to taste
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons fig spread
- 1 medium granny smith apple, thinly sliced
- 6 slices raw bacon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread slices of bread evenly on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste, flip and repeat on the other side. Bake bread slices in the oven for about 10 minutes until slightly golden, flip halfway through.
- In a nonstick skillet cook bacon until crispy, about 5-7 minutes, flip halfway through. When cooled, chop bacon into bits and set aside.
- In a small bowl with a handheld mixer, whip the ricotta for about 30 seconds until creamy. Add ⅛ teaspoon salt, black pepper to taste and fresh rosemary, whip another 30 seconds.
- Spread a small amount of fig on each crostini, just enough to secure the apples. Place 2-3 apple slices on each crostini. Top apples with more fig spread, add a layer of ricotta. Top ricotta layer with bacon bits. Serve immediately.
Nutrition: Yield: 22-24 servings, Serving Size: 1 crostini
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 76 Total Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Sodium: 119mg, Total Carbohydrate: 7g, Fiber: 0g, Sugars: 1g, Protein: 3g
