The crostini with ricotta and caramelized figs are delicious and irresistible. In Romagna, they are served as an appetizer but are also perfect for enriching a buffet or for a different kind of aperitif.
The caramelized figs are fantastic, a recipe from bygone days passed down from generation to generation; they require a little patience to prepare, as they need to be checked often to prevent the caramel from sticking to the bottom of the pot. If you’ve never tasted them, I recommend them, and I’m sure you’ll love them.
If you have caramelized figs in your pantry, you’ll only need 5 minutes to prepare my version of crostini with figs and ricotta. If not, you can make a quicker variant by caramelizing fresh figs with sugar and honey for a few minutes.
Do you love figs? Here are some recipes for you…
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: No Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 168.15 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 17.76 (g) of which sugars 5.34 (g)
- Proteins 6.76 (g)
- Fat 7.79 (g) of which saturated 3.02 (g)of which unsaturated 4.42 (g)
- Fibers 2.02 (g)
- Sodium 409.91 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 8 slices rustic bread (or any bread you like)
- 16 figs (caramelized)
- 1 1/4 cups cow's milk ricotta
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 1/3 cup chopped almonds
- to taste lemon zest (grated)
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Toaster
- 1 Small Bowl
Procedure
When I prepare dishes where the ricotta needs to be served fresh, I buy it on the day from the supermarket counter. It’s much better than pre-packaged ricotta, but you choose your preference.
In a small bowl, place the ricotta, add a generous pinch of salt, a grind of black pepper, and mix well. Keep it in the fridge.
Thoroughly wash an organic lemon and use a citrus zester to obtain strips of zest.
Cut each caramelized fig into 4 quarters; if they are very small, cut them in half.
Slice the rustic bread thinly (about 1/4 inch thick) and toast in the toaster until golden.
If you prefer, you can also toast them in a pan or in the oven under the grill.
Spread a tablespoon of ricotta on each slice of bread, place the caramelized figs on top, and add a tablespoon of the syrup from the figs.
Finish with the chopped almonds and lemon zest.
The crostini with ricotta and caramelized figs are ready. Serve them immediately so that the bread remains crunchy.
If you don’t have caramelized figs, you can prepare a variant with fresh figs.
Gently wash the fresh figs, pat them dry with two sheets of kitchen paper, and cut them in half. Make sure the figs are firm and sweet; if you use soft figs, you may end up with jam.
In a pan, add 1 tbsp of butter, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and three tablespoons of honey. Let them melt. Place the figs cut side down in the pan and cook for a couple of minutes or until they start to caramelize.
Turn off the heat and let them cool. They won’t have the same taste as caramelized figs but will be equally good.
Advice
Storage:
Crostini with ricotta and caramelized figs can be stored in the fridge for 1 day. Let them come to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
****************
For tips on making the recipes, contact me on FACEBOOK and follow me on INSTAGRAM to not miss the tips!
Send me your photos, I will gladly publish them on my social media
