Roasted Grape and Honey Whipped Ricotta Crostini
Roasted Grape and Honey Whipped Ricotta Crostini- Crispy baguette is topped with sweet and creamy ricotta, juicy roasted grapes, and crunchy pistachios for a delicious sweet and savory appetizer.
April 5, 2021 by Nicole Collins
Guys, I have a new obsession.
What's new, right?
You all probably think I have zero self control. I feel like I'm always talking to you about my “latest obsession” or all the things I can't get enough of. All my favorite things must start to add up after a while.
Well guess what, I don't! If there's anything I've learned about myself over the past year, it's that I don't have nearly the self control that I thought I did.
But, that's not what I want to talk about today. Today, is about my Nerdy Nuts peanut butter obsession.
If you guys haven't heard of Nerdy Nuts before, I'm not sure if I should tell you to look them up or not. Because whatever you don't buy means more for me! In a nutshell, it's basically artisanal peanut butter. The owner creates these out of this world flavors with all kinds of indulgent mix ins. It's the kind of peanut butter that is intentionally made to eat straight from the jar with a spoon.
And, I've spent basically all of my money on this peanut butter every single Sunday (when new flavors launch) for the past 2 months.
Today's recipe has a bonus recipe in the recipe notes, and it's perfect for pairing with Nerdy Nuts (cinnamon roll peanut butter, to be specific). But first, let's get to the main event.
Today, we're making Roasted Grape and Honey Whipped Ricotta Crostini!
These sweet and savory bites feel really elegant and special; but in reality, they couldn't be easier! We're going to toast some baguette slices, top them with sweet and creamy ricotta, throw on some juicy roasted grapes, and give the whole thing a salty sprinkle of chopped pistachios and flaky sea salt.
So, let's get to it!
First up, let's talk grapes. We're not doing anything fancy here, but we're going to add the perfect mix of ingredients to really help the grapes shine. So, we'll start with some seedless red grapes, a little olive oil, some aged balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper. We'll toss everything together, spread the grapes on a parchment lined sheet pan, and send them to the oven to roast for about 20 minutes until they're juicy and wrinkly.
Now, aged balsamic vinegar and regular balsamic vinegar are not the same. Aged balsamic is thicker, almost syrup like, and a little sweeter than regular balsamic. So, the aged is what we want to use here. That's what helps the grapes become rich and tangy when they roast. Regular balsamic will work in a pinch, but I highly recommend getting yourself a bottle of aged balsamic. Even beyond these grapes, your caprese salads will never be the same once you experience an older, matured vinegar.
In the name of efficiency, we're going to toast our baguette slices at the same time we roast our grapes. For our crostini base, we'll slice some baguette into ½ inch slices, drizzle both sides with olive oil, pop them on a sheet pan, and toss them in the oven about halfway through the cook time on the grapes. They'll finish cooking with the grapes until they're lightly crisp, and 2 of our 3 main components are done!
While the grapes and bread do their thing in the oven, we can work on our whipped ricotta. It's as simple as adding some whole milk ricotta to a bowl, adding in a touch of honey, seasoning it with a pinch of salt and pepper, and beating the ricotta with a hand mixer until it's light and fluffy. That's it! So, simple!
To assemble, we'll lay our crostini on our serving tray, give it a good schmear of ricotta, top it with a couple roasted grapes, and finish the bite with a sprinkle of chopped pistachios and a dash of flaky sea salt. And in 25 minutes or so, we have a show stopping bite!
These crostini hit all of the sensory notes. They're sweet and savory. They're tangy and salty. They're creamy and crunchy. They're juicy and delicious. They're absolutely everything! And, they're unique and special enough for a fancy party but simple enough for an everyday family appetizer.
And as a bonus recipe, these roasted grapes are delicious on a grown up PB&J, of sorts. Spread some peanut butter on an english muffin, top it with roasted grapes, a drizzle of honey, and a pinch of flaky salt; and you get two recipes for the price of one.
So, make extra grapes is what I'm saying!
Okie dokes! That's all I've got for today! Make sure you tag me your on social media when you make this recipe!
I hope you enjoy, and let's eat!
Roasted Grape and Honey Whipped Ricotta Crostini
Serves: 12 crostini Print
Ingredients:
2 cups red seedless grapes
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
¼ tsp salt, plus more to taste
1/8 tsp pepper, plus more to taste
12 slices of baguette, sliced ½ inch thick
½ cup whole milk ricotta
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp shelled pistachios, chopped
flaky salt, to taste
Directions:
Roast the grapes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add grapes, 2 tbsp olive, balsamic, ¼ tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper to a mixing bowl. Toss well to completely coat the grapes. Spread grapes in a single layer onto prepared baking sheet. Roast for 20 mins until the skin on the grapes becomes wrinkly.
Prepare the baguette: Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet, and lightly drizzle both sides of the bread with a total of 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Alternately, you can lightly brush both sides of the baguette with olive oil. When there is about 10 mins left of the grapes' cooking time, add baguette to the oven, as well. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the bread is lightly golden.
Meanwhile, make the Honey Whipped Ricotta: Add ricotta, honey, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to whip the ricotta on medium speed for 2 mins straight until the ricotta is smooth and fluffy. Set aside.
Assemble the Crostini: Take the toasted baguette slices and top each with a schmear of ricotta, roasted grapes, a sprinkle of chopped pistachios, and a pinch of flaky salt. Serve immediately.
Recipe notes:
*These roasted grapes are absolutely delicious on a grown up PB&J as well! Take a toasted english muffin or piece of toast, schmear it with peanut butter, top it with roasted grapes, and finish it with a drizzle of honey and a pinch of flaky salt. That's two recipes for the price of one!
*You don't have to toast the baguette at the same time the grapes are roasting, but why not? Save energy and time!
*Aged balsamic vinegar is different than your standard balsamic vinegar. It's thicker, almost syrup like, and it's a little sweeter than your every day vinegar. You can use regular balsamic if you absolutely must, but the aged balsamic really brings out the richness in these grapes.
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