This post has been sponsored by Galbani®. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Are you a huge ricotta cheese fan like I am? Growing up in an Italian-American family, we used ricotta a lot in special occasion dishes, including lasagna, manicotti, and this amazing ricotta pie my aunt makes once a year (it is so, so good!). So for me, ricotta is synonymous with love and family!
In my own kitchen, I love coming up with new ways to share my fondness for this delectably creamy cheese that can be enjoyed every day. This recipe for Ricotta Mushroom Crostini is a favorite of mine because there are only a few components, allowing the creaminess of the ricotta to really shine.
My go-to ricotta pick for this recipe is Galbani® Double Cream Ricotta. It’s made with twice the cream of regular whole milk ricotta, giving it an extra rich flavor that really takes these crostini to a whole new level of deliciousness!
Shop Now for Galbani® Double Cream Ricotta!
Recipe ingredients
Galbani® Double Cream Ricotta
As I mentioned above, I recommend using Galbani® Double Cream Ricotta for this crostini recipe. Not only is it incredibly creamy, it also has a soft, luscious texture, as opposed to being overly firm. The soft texture and creamy mouthfeel make this Galbani Ricotta a perfect choice for any recipe where ricotta is the star of the show!
As an added bonus, Galbani® Double Cream Ricotta is made with only four simple ingredients: milk, cream, vinegar, and salt. How refreshing it is to be able to understand and pronounce everything on an ingredient list!
Additional ingredient notes
- Mushrooms: besides the ricotta, the other main component of this recipe is sautéed mushrooms, seasoned with fresh thyme and balsamic vinegar. You can use any type of mushroom that you like. I used a combination of a few different types: oyster, shiitake, and brown beech mushrooms.
- Fresh thyme: this recipe calls for fresh thyme, but if you don't have fresh, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of dried thyme for the 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme.
- Baguette: I just used a baguette from the bakery section of my local grocery store; if you have a choice, look for a nice thin one. This will provide the perfect two-bite-sized crostini.
Step by step photos
1. Cut the baguette on the diagonal into ½ inch slices. Brush each side with olive oil and sprinkle each side with kosher salt and black pepper.
Bake until the bread slices are a deep golden brown; they should look something like this:
2. Then, prepare the mushroom topping. Cook the chopped mushrooms and fresh thyme until the mushrooms have released some juice and that liquid has mostly cooked off. Then, add the balsamic and continue to cook for another couple minutes. It should look like this when it’s finished (notice, there is not much excess liquid in the pan, this is what you want!).
3. Next, season the Galbani Ricotta. The recipe calls for 1 ½ cups, which is a little less than the full container. (The remainder can be a snack for the cook!) Scoop it into a bowl and season with kosher salt and black pepper. I used ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper, but you can adjust the seasoning to your own tastes.
4. Now all you have left to do is assemble the crostini. Dollop the Galbani Ricotta onto each piece of toasted bread, then top with a small amount of the cooked mushrooms. For garnish, add a few leaves of thyme and a couple grinds of black pepper.
Tips and tricks
- The heat of the oven is quite high to toast the bread (450 degrees). This helps the bread get a nice, deep golden color. But, it also means you can easily burn the pieces if you’re not careful. During the last few minutes of cooking time, keep an eye on the bread so it doesn’t get too dark.
- When adding the mushroom filling to the crostini, I like to be a little sparing, about 1 – 2 teaspoons for each piece. This way, the mushrooms don’t overpower the ricotta and the crostini is still easy to eat.
- Depending on how much mushroom filling you add and how much your mushrooms cooked down, you may have a little bit left over.
- If you like, you can cook the mushroom filling a day ahead and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge.
- To reheat the mushrooms, just gently warm them in a pan on the stove set to low heat. During reheating, my mushrooms looked a little bit dry compared to the previous day, so I added a few more drops of oil and balsamic vinegar and they looked gorgeous once again!
Ricotta Mushroom Crostini
- Prep Time: 16 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 22 - 24 crostini 1x
- Category: appetizer
- Method: bake, stove top
- Cuisine: American
Description
A simple yet flavorful crostini recipe featuring Galbani® Double Cream Ricotta and mushrooms seasoned with balsamic vinegar and fresh thyme.
Ingredients
- one 8 ounce baguette
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ cups Galbani® Double Cream Ricotta
- 8 ounces mushrooms (see note 1)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, plus extra for garnish
- kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Meanwhile, slice the baguette on a diagonal into ½ inch thick pieces. For a standard 8 ounce baguette, you should be able to get about 22 – 24 slices.
- Place the slices onto a baking sheet. Brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. (To coat both sides of all the slices you will need about 2 tablespoons of oil.)
- Bake the bread slices in the pre-heated oven for 4 – 6 minutes, or until the pieces are a deep golden brown. Toward the end of cooking, watch the bread closely to avoid burning the pieces.
- While the bread is baking, begin to prep the mushroom topping. If needed, rinse the mushrooms quickly under cold water to clean off excess dirt, then thoroughly pat them dry with a paper towel. Chop the mushrooms into bite-sized pieces.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms, fresh thyme, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper (or salt and pepper to taste).
- Sauté the mushrooms, stirring frequently, for 4 – 5 minutes, or until the liquid released from the mushrooms has mostly cooked off. Add the balsamic vinegar and continue to cook for another 2 – 3 minutes or until the vinegar has mostly been absorbed into the mushrooms. Taste the mushrooms and add more salt and/or pepper if needed. Turn the heat off the stove and set the mushrooms aside.
- Scoop the Galbani Ricotta into a small bowl and stir in ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper (or season to taste).
- To assemble the crostini, spread about 1 tablespoon of the ricotta mixture onto each piece of toasted bread. Then, top with about 1 – 2 teaspoons of the mushrooms. Sprinkle on additional thyme leaves and black pepper as garnish and serve immediately.
Notes
- You can use any type of mushroom you prefer. I used a combination of oyster, shiitake, and brown beech mushrooms.
- Make ahead directions: the mushroom mixture can be made 1 day ahead and stored in the fridge in an airtight container. Before serving, gently reheat the mushrooms in a pan over low heat. If the mushrooms look dry, stir in a couple drops of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
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