Name: Roasted Wild Mushroom Crostini
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 44 min
Yield: 12 Crostini
Ingredients: For the Roasted Mushrooms; 1 pound mixed mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch pieces; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt; A pinch of ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves; 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped; 1 cup whole milk ricotta, drained for 15 minutes in a mesh sieve; 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped; 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped; 12 slices of French baguette or Italian bread, cut in ½-inch slices on a slight diagonal; enough extra-virgin olive oil to brush bread slices; 1½ cups loosely packed arugula; Grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

Appetizers

Roasted Wild Mushroom Crostini

Author: Mary DiSomma

Whenever I have a dinner party, I love to serve nice hors d'oeuvres. Having a little bit of finger food to snack on is a perfect way for your company to settle in before you serve the main course. Of course, there are tons of options for little snacks. You can always make a charcuterie board—but today I’m going to show you how to make my Roasted Wild Mushroom Crostini with a surprisingly easy-to-make garlic basil ricotta spread.

Let’s start with the mushrooms.

Roasting mushrooms really brings out their earthy flavor. I personally like to use a variety of different mushrooms for this recipe, so multiple layers of that earthy flavor have an opportunity to appear. In my opinion, the best mushrooms for crostini are a mixture of crimini, shiitake, oyster, and good old reliable button mushrooms.

These roasted mushrooms are terrific on crostini, but keep the recipe handy for future use: They’re equally as delicious to top off a perfectly grilled steak or even some sliced roasted chicken.

These wild mushroom crostini are easy to whip up and are great paired with your favorite wine. These easy-to-make appetizers have a rich flavor profile so you can pair them with fuller-bodied wines like pinot noir, syrah, zinfandel, or a nice barrel-aged chardonnay. When I’m in the mood for something on the lighter side, I really like them with a malbec or riesling. Why not make them a few times and try them with everything?

These wild mushroom crostini are easy to whip up and they’re a great vegetarian option too. The earthy flavor of roasted mushrooms paired with creamy ricotta cheese makes for a savory dish with rich and dreamy layers of flavor. Invite your family and friends over—they will really be impressed with this one.

Bonus: Have you ever wondered, “What’s the difference between crostini and bruschetta?” Get the answer (and so much more!) over at Blame it on Biscotti: What’s the difference between bruschetta and crostini?