Whipped Ricotta Crostini with Tapenade
My tapenade whipped ricotta crostini is an appetizer that oozes elegance! It features tart and earthy homemade tapenade on a bed of creamy whipped ricotta over a slice of grilled baguette. Save these for a special occasion and serve with other fancy bites and champagne!
Assemble Your Ingredients
To make my whipped ricotta crostini with tapenade, you’ll need the following:
For the Tapenade:
- Black Olives – 1 cup pitted olives, pressed (use high-quality black olives, not the canned type)
- Capers – 2 tbsp capers
- Garlic – a garlic clove
- Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Lemon Zest – zest from half a lemon (use the zest from the other half in the whipped ricotta below)
- Thyme or Oregano – 2 sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme or 1/2 tsp dried oregano)
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Anchovies – 2 anchovies (optional)
- Salt – pinch of kosher salt
- Pepper – pinch of black pepper
Whipped Ricotta:
- Ricotta – 8 oz (225 grams) ricotta
- Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Lemon Zest – zest from half a lemon (use the zest from the other half in the tapenade above)
- Thyme – a sprig of fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- Salt – a pinch of salt
Crostini:
- Baguettes – 2 baguettes (about 20-24 half-inch slices)
- Olive Oil – 3 tbsp olive oil
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 – Make the tapenade. To a small food processor, add all the tapenade ingredients (except the olive oil) and process until very finely chopped. Then, with the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil to combine until a paste is formed.
Alternatively, you can follow the same process using an immersion blender and combining the ingredients in a bowl. Or, you can finely chop everything using a chef’s knife and then add the olive oil. Finally, you can even use a pestle and mortar to crush the olives and make the tapenade old-school.
Step 2 – Whip the ricotta with a pinch of salt, a tablespoon of lemon juice, zest from half a lemon, and the thyme. Whisk it for a couple of minutes until smooth and airy.
Step 3 – Make the crostini. Slice the baguettes into 1/2-inch slices and brush each side with olive oil. Grill the bread slices for a couple of minutes on each side on an electric grill, grill pan, or grill. Alternatively, bake the bread slices in the oven at 360°F (180°C) for about 10-12 minutes until crispy on the outside and slightly golden.
Step 4 – Assemble the crostini. Once the crostini have cooled down, spoon the whipped ricotta on the crostini and then the tapenade, dividing both of them equally among the crostini.
Bring them to the table on a platter or lovely serving tray, and let your guests dig in!
I love how the two toppings complement each other well. You’ve got the tart, briny, coarse tapenade with the creamy whipped ricotta, with the crunch bringing the whole thing together!
Other Crostini Dishes You Might Like
This is such a good dish to make as an appetizer for a dinner party or get-together. They look so elegant, and they pack so much flavor.
If you and your guests loved these crostini, I have plenty more to try. Check out my crostini roundup below, and let me know in the comments which you made and what your favorites were!
Recipe Card
Whipped Ricotta Crostini with Tapenade
Ingredients
For the Tapenade:
- 1 cup pitted black olives, pressed (use high-quality black olives, not the canned type)
- 2 tbsp capers
- a garlic clove
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- zest from half a lemon (use the zest from the other half in the whipped ricotta below)
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme or 1/2 tsp dried oregano)
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 anchovies (optional)
- a pinch of kosher salt (to taste)
- a pinch of black pepper
For the Whipped Ricotta:
- 8 oz (225 grams) ricotta
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- zest from half a lemon (use the zest from the other half in the tapenade above)
- a sprig of fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- a pinch of salt
For the Crostini:
- 2 baguettes (about 20-24 half-inch slices)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Make the tapenade. To a small food processor, add all the tapenade ingredients (except the olive oil) and process until very finely chopped. Then, with the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil to combine until a paste is formed.
Alternatively, you can follow the same process using an immersion blender and combining the ingredients in a bowl or you can finely chop everything using a chef’s knife. Finally, you can even use a pestle and mortar to crush the olives and make the tapenade old-school. - Whip the ricotta with a pinch of salt, a tablespoon of lemon juice, zest from half a lemon, and the thyme. Whisk it for a couple minutes until smooth and airy.
- Make the crostini/toast. Slice the baguettes into 1/2-inch slices and brush each side with olive oil. Grill the bread slices for a couple of minutes on each side, on an electric grill, grill pan, or grill. Alternatively, bake the bread slices in the oven at 360°F (180°C) for about 10-12 minutes until crispy on the outside and slightly golden.
- Assemble the crostini. Once the crostini have cooled down, spoon the whipped ricotta on the crostini and then the tapenade, dividing both of them equally among the crostini. Bring them to the table on a platter or lovely serving tray, and let your guests dig in!
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Don’t forget to save this recipe to one of your dinner party planning boards. When it’s time to go shopping, you’ll be able to look up the ingredients and instructions with ease.
