We are wrapping up the holiday season and preparing to welcome the new year. Try it with an easy and absolutely delicious appetizer you’ll want to make over and over again.
shared these Ricotta cheese and pear crostini Last year I completely fell in love. Topped with savory prosciutto and a mixture of sweet and salty nut and seed crunches, it makes your taste buds dance.
My team and I fell in love with this recipe when we tested it last holiday season. The ricotta cheese alone is creamy and bright, so I highly recommend making a double batch to put on your toast in the morning.
We’ve included super-easy ways to customize these pear ricotta crostini, so you can go really wild! Serve them up for Christmas, New Year’s Eve, or a fun date night this season. .
What You’ll Need to Make These Ricotta Pear Crostini
These easy pear and ricotta crostini are an explosion of flavors and textures you’ll fall in love with. Here’s what you need:
- Bread: French baguette is recommended because it is easy to top up and bakes well.will need a little Olive oil to bake them.
- For ricotta mix: Mix whole milk ricotta cheese with lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper. So easy and so delicious.
- Pear: Feel free to slice red or green pears on top.
- Prosciutto: I love the savory and salty factor that prosciutto adds to each crostini.
- arugula: Also add arugula for freshness.
- For Nut Crunch: we are toasting pistachio When pumpkin seeds a little bit Maple syrup Sweet and salty crunchy sea salt.
- To the top: I also like the light rain honey and sprinkle on top sea salt. Hmmm.
Easy customization
This ricotta pear crostini is easy to customize to your liking.
- Swap fruit: Feel free to use sliced apples or grapes.
- Choose your cheese: This crostini is also excellent with melty cheeses such as brie, gruyere and fontina.
- Green or no green: We love the freshness that arugula adds to each bite, but you can omit it if you don’t have any.
Want to spice things up?
You can add a little heat to these pear and ricotta crostini by sprinkling a little cayenne pepper into the nut crunch mixture or a sprinkling of hot honey! and 1/2 teaspoon of hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Easy replacement of all kinds of meals
If you are feeding a friend or family member with dietary restrictions, there is a very easy way to accommodate them.
- To become vegetarian: Simply omit the prosciutto.
- To go gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free baguette or bread.
- To go nut-free: Omit the pistachios and use pumpkin seeds for the crunchy mixture.
Pear and Ricotta Crostini in 4 Easy Steps
- Toast the baguette. Place baguette slices on prepared baking sheetdrizzle with olive oil and bake until the edges are slightly browned.
- Make a nut crunch. Next, toast the pistachios and pumpkin seeds in a skillet until slightly golden and fragrant, then turn off the heat and stir in the maple syrup and sea salt. Place on a plate or parchment to cool.
- Mix in the ricotta cheese. Finally, mix the ricotta cheese with lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper.
- Assemble and serve. Spoon a small amount of the ricotta mixture onto each crostini and top with a dollop of the prosciutto, pear slices, and nut crunch mixture. Sprinkle some honey, add a few arugula leaves, sprinkle with salt and pepper and voila!
Please create in advance
I don’t recommend making the ricotta and pear crostini completely ahead of time, but it’s easy to assemble by slicing the baguette and mixing the ricotta mixture to make a nut crunch a day or two ahead. You can! Simply store the ricotta mixture in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble.
storage tips
These pear and ricotta crostini are best eaten the same day, so if you’re only feeding a few people, it’s a good idea to only assemble what’s edible. Leftover ricotta mix Refrigerate and make crostini the next day.
More fun appetizers to try
Get all our amazing appetizer recipes here!
We hope you like these Ricotta and Pear Crostini. Please leave comments and ratings when you make them. I can see how much you liked it. Have fun, xo!
Ricotta and pear crostini with salty pumpkin seeds, pistachio crunch






A sumptuous ricotta and pear crostini served with savory prosciutto, fresh arugula and a salty pumpkin seed pistachio crunch mix. This easy appetizer is sure to impress your guests with the perfect combination of sweet and savory, creamy and crunchy! For the ultimate flavor combo, sprinkle with honey and sea salt.
material
-
1
French baguette, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices - olive oil, for light rain
-
8
ounce
whole milk ricotta cheese -
½
lemon juice - Peel of 1 lemon
- Season with freshly ground salt and pepper
-
2
Ripe red or green pears, thinly sliced -
2
ounce
Prosciutto, cut into 18-20 pieces and rolled -
1
cup
arugula - For Nut Crunch Mix:
-
¼
cup
shelled pistachio -
¼
cup
raw pumpkin seeds -
½
tablespoon
pure maple syrup - sea salt
- honey, for light rain
- Sea salt for furikake
instructions
-
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place baguette slices on a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. If it doesn’t all fit, he needs to use two baking sheets. Bake crostini for 7-10 minutes, until edges are slightly charred.
-
Make a nut crunch mix. Add the pistachios and pumpkin seeds to the skillet and place over medium heat. Toast for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently until slightly golden brown and fragrant. Turn off the heat and immediately add the maple syrup and a pinch of sea salt. Stir for an additional 30 seconds to coat and transfer to a plate or parchment paper to cool for a few minutes. Just what you need for a ‘nut crunch’: let cool for 5 minutes.
-
Combine ricotta cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add a tablespoon or so of the ricotta cheese mixture on top and a dash of the prosciutto, pear slices and nut crunch mixture. Sprinkle some honey and top with a few arugula leaves. Sprinkle with freshly ground salt and pepper. Makes about 18-22 crostini.
recipe notebook
Check out the full post for tips, tricks, and ways to customize your crostini.
nutrition
Serving: 22 servings
Serving size: 1 Crostini
calorie: 77kcal
obesity: 3.1g
saturated fat: 1.2g
carbohydrates: 9.7g
fiber: 1g
sugar: 2g
protein: 3.1g
Recipe: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photographer: eat sweets
This post was originally published on December 13, 2021 and republished on December 22, 2022.