Mixed Herbed Crostini

Mixed herbed crostini are a simple and delicious appetizer that can be adapted to suit different tastes. Here’s the basic recipe to prepare them:

Ingredients

• Sandwich bread or baguette: as many slices as you desire
• Assorted fresh herbs (basil, thyme, parsley, chives): about one bunch
• Garlic: 1 clove
• Extra virgin olive oil: as needed
• Salt: to taste
• Pepper: to taste
• Creamy cheese such as Philadelphia or ricotta (optional): 100 g
• Pitted black or green olives (optional): to taste
• Salted capers (optional): to taste
• Oil-packed anchovies (optional): to taste

Preparation

1. Start by washing and drying the herbs carefully, then chop them finely with a sharp knife or a mezzaluna.
2. In a bowl, blend the chopped herbs with some creamy cheese to add creaminess to the mixture, if you wish.
3. Peel the garlic clove and rub it onto the bread slices to flavor them, then drizzle with a stream of extra virgin olive oil.
4. Toast the bread slices in a preheated oven at 180 °C until they are golden and crispy.
5. Spread the herb and creamy cheese mixture onto the warm bread slices.
6. To create variations, you can add slices of olives, well-rinsed and squeezed capers, or well-drained oil-packed anchovies to some of the slices.
7. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve the crostini while they are still warm.

For an all-Italian variant, you could spread Genoese pesto on the bread or add chopped dried tomatoes to enrich the flavor.

Curiosity

Herbed crostini are a variant of classic Italian appetizers. Each region, and often each family, has its traditional recipe for preparing them, sometimes enriching them with typical local products. They are perfect for starting off a dinner in a cheerful atmosphere, leaving room for creativity and combinations of flavors.