Grape and Ricotta Crostini, roasted

At a glance

What stands out: This roasted grape crostini appetizer features sweet roasted grapes nestled into creamy ricotta cheese on crispy crostini, and drizzled with honey. Simple, but so rich!

How long it takes: 25 minutes to roast the grapes, 10 minutes to prep the crostini
Equipment you’ll need: small rimmed baking pan, foil or parchment paper
Servings: makes 12 crostini

We had a little party with some friends recently and we made these roasted grape and ricotta crostini. We wasn’t actually going to share this recipe until we tasted it and had that “holy cow, we need to share this recipe” moment. This appetizer is memorable!

roasted grapes

So flavorful! Roasted grapes might be one of our favorite things. The flavor of the grapes is intensified by roasting, and the grapes are bursting with juice. We first tried roasted grapes in this pork tenderloin with roasted grapes and ever since, we've been hooked. They are sweet, soft, and so flavorful.

straightforward to mix. Simply wash and stem grapes, put them on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, toss with a little olive oil, salt, and a few sprigs of thyme, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. They should look slightly wrinkled (just slightly, we’re not looking for raisins here!) and the skins splitting just a bit.

Prep ahead. You can make the grapes ahead for this recipe. Let them come to room temperature or gently warm them before adding the ricotta to the crostini and topping with grapes and honey.

How it comes together

Make the crostini (toasted bread slices). If you’re unsure how to make your own crostini, try our straightforward recipe for how to make crostini. You can toast the bread three different ways, and top the crostini in a variety of ways. If you want, you can also purchase the crostini already toasted and ready to use.

Spread ricotta on each one. We use a butter knife to spread a couple tablespoons of ricotta on each one. We find that it’s more spreadable if we take some out of the container, put it in a small bowl, and stir it until it’s smooth. Another option is whipped ricotta which is straightforward and can be made ahead. Whipped or spreadable cream cheese is good, too. Choose a flavor like honey pecan or brown sugar cinnamon if you like but you’ll want to skip the honey drizzle because the flavored cream cheese is sweetened.

Add the roasted grapes. Arrange a few roasted grapes on each crostini. The grapes can be warm, room temperature, or even cold.

Garnish. Drizzle a little honey over each crostini, and add a couple of fresh thyme leaves.

You’ll love how straightforward and rich this appetizer is (and so will your friends)! Enjoy with a glass of chilled chardonnay. Fermented grapes with roasted grapes, a reliable match!

• Yield: 12
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Total: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 French baguette, cut into ¼ to ½-inch slices (see note)
• 1 cup (heaping) red seedless grapes
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme (plus extra for garnish)
• 1 cup ricotta cheese (at room temperature)
• honey, optional

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread grapes on foil or parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and thyme sprigs. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until grapes begin to burst. They should look slightly wrinkled with the skins splitting just a bit. Cool slightly before serving.
2. Toast the bread (see note) using the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. You can toast the crostini in the oven while the grapes cool, if you like or you can make the crostini ahead of time.
3. Put the ricotta cheese in a small bowl and stir it until it's smooth and more spreadable.
4. To serve, spread approximately 2 tablespoons of ricotta on each crostini, using a table knife or something similar. Top with roasted grapes, thyme leaves, and drizzle with honey. Enjoy immediately(ish).

Notes

Baguette: You’ll need 12 to 14 slices so you may not use the whole baguette, depending on how large it is and how thick your slices are.

How to make crostini: To prepare the bread toasts (crostini), refer to how to make crostini. It’s straightforward to do and the recipe will show you three different ways to toast the bread.

Variations: Use green grapes or another type of seedless grape. Pitted sweet cherries are wonderful when roasted, too. Grape or cherry tomatoes can be substituted for grapes. If you’re not a fan of ricotta, try cream cheese spread, either plain or flavored, or any cheese spread you like.

Make ahead: The grapes can be roasted a day ahead and refrigerated. Allow them to come to room temperature or re-warm them in the oven, if desired. The bread can be toasted up to a few days in advance. Cool completely before storing in an air-tight container or bag.