Crostini Three Ways – Stracchino with spinach, garlic with cannellini beans, and prosciutto with Pecorino and truffle honey. These three simple crostini make perfect party bites.
Crostini are an Italian appetizer of grilled or toasted bread—often ciabatta—topped with meats, cheeses, or vegetables. They’re an easy, elegant way to start an evening alongside a glass of Prosecco or an Aperol Spritz.
I love making crostini because they’re quick, versatile and always crowd-pleasing. While exploring the narrow streets of Siena with my boyfriend Nathan, we often pause for an apertivo—an Italian aperitif—where crostini topped with pâté, cheeses and cured meats are served with a refreshing drink.
The first crostini is stracchino and spinach. Stracchino (pronounced stra-kee-no) is a soft, creamy cow’s milk cheese from northern Italy with a mild tang. To assemble these, spread toasted ciabatta slices with stracchino. Sauté spinach with garlic in a little olive oil until just wilted, season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon, cool slightly, then spoon on top of the cheese. It’s simple but irresistible.
Another favourite way to use stracchino is to mix it with cooked sausage meat, spread it on bread and grill until golden and cooked through—comforting and delicious.
The second topping combines cannellini beans, garlic and lemon. This mash is comforting, moreish and ready in minutes. Gently fry a clove of chopped garlic in olive oil, add drained cannellini beans and roughly mash with a fork. Stir in lemon zest, salt, pepper and a little more oil, then spread the warm mash on toasted bread and finish with torn basil leaves. It also works well as a speedy side with pork or chicken in place of mashed potatoes.
OK, one more—and it’s my favourite.
Prosciutto with Pecorino di Tartuffo and a drizzle of honey. No cooking is needed—this crostini relies on the quality of its ingredients. Use good prosciutto, ideally freshly sliced from a deli rather than pre-packaged. The cheese I like is Pecorino with black truffle throughout; if you can’t find it, use plain Pecorino and add a tiny drop of truffle oil for the aroma. Top toasted bread with prosciutto, thin slices of Pecorino, a light drizzle of runny honey and a crack of black pepper.
Now to the recipe details. If you try these crostini, leave a comment and save the recipe for later.
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Crostini Three Ways
By Emily
Ingredients
- 1-2 loaves ciabatta, to make all crostini below
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the Spinach and Stracchino:
- 6 slices ciabatta bread
- 100 g stracchino cheese
- 1 clove garlic
- squeeze of lemon juice
- 90 g spinach, washed and dried
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the Cannellini, Garlic and Lemon
- 6 slices ciabatta bread
- 380 g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- zest of half a lemon
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- small handful of basil
For the Prosciutto, Pecorino and Honey
- 6 slices ciabatta bread
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 120 g Prosciutto Crudo
- 60 g Pecorino di Tartuffo, thinly sliced, Pecorino with truffles
- pepper, to season
Instructions
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Heat a griddle or frying pan over high heat. Cut the ciabatta into 18 slices and drizzle both sides lightly with the 1 tbsp olive oil. Grill the slices in batches until toasted and slightly charred; transfer to a board or plate.
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For the stracchino and spinach: heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Finely chop the garlic and fry for about 30 seconds. Roughly chop the spinach, add to the pan and wilt; add 1 tbsp water if it sticks. Season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Set aside to cool slightly.
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Spread 6 toasted slices generously with stracchino, then top with the wilted spinach.
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For the cannellini crostini: warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan over low heat. Finely chop the garlic and fry for about 1 minute. Add the drained cannellini beans and roughly mash with a fork. Add lemon zest, salt and pepper, remove from the heat, then stir in another tbsp olive oil and mash to a chunky spread. Spoon onto 6 slices of toasted bread and top with basil.
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For the prosciutto crostini: top 6 toasted slices with prosciutto and thin slices of Pecorino. Drizzle with honey and finish with a crack of black pepper.
Notes
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I recommend extra virgin olive oil in these recipes unless stated otherwise.
- When using canned tomatoes I prefer well-known quality brands for consistent flavour.
- Vegetables are assumed to be medium unless noted.
- All recipes are tested using a fan (convection) oven when applicable.
- Nutrition is calculated automatically and is an estimate.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.