Strawberry Ricotta Bruschetta (Printable version)

Toasted baguette with ricotta, sliced strawberries, basil and balsamic for a bright, easy appetizer.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bread

01 - 8 slices baguette or rustic Italian bread
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Topping

03 - 1 cup (8.8 ounces) ricotta cheese
04 - 2 cups (10.6 ounces) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
05 - 2 tablespoons honey
06 - 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

→ Garnish

07 - 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
08 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet and brush both sides lightly with olive oil using a pastry brush.
02 - Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the bread is golden and crisp. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
03 - In a small mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with 1 tablespoon of honey and stir until smooth and creamy.
04 - Spread approximately 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture onto each toasted bread slice.
05 - Arrange sliced strawberries evenly over the ricotta layer on each bruschetta.
06 - Drizzle with the remaining honey and balsamic glaze, then sprinkle with fresh basil and a light crack of black pepper. Serve immediately.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • It looks like something from a fancy restaurant but comes together in under twenty five minutes with zero cooking skill required.
  • The contrast of warm crisp bread with cool creamy ricotta and juicy strawberries is genuinely unforgettable.
  • You can prep every component ahead of time and assemble right before guests arrive, which means you actually get to enjoy your own party.
02 -
  • If you assemble these more than fifteen minutes before serving the bread will go soft and the whole point of bruschetta is lost, so toast the bread ahead but wait to top until the last second.
  • Adding a pinch of lemon zest to the ricotta mixture was a happy accident one evening when I grabbed the wrong Microplane, and now I never make it without that brightness.
03 -
  • If your balsamic glaze is too runny, simmer regular balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan for three to four minutes until it coats the back of a spoon and thickens as it cools.
  • Drain the ricotta in a fine mesh sieve while you prep everything else and the texture transforms from watery to luxuriously spreadable.

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