Roasted tomato & garlic bruschetta with ricotta is made with balsamic, cherry tomatoes & cannellini beans for an easy party appetizer!
Okay so I’m warning you ahead of time, these little babies are reallllyy good and may cause you to break your clean eating streak even if you promise yourself you’re not going to cave.
I don’t know if it’s just me but anytime something is “bite-sized” or “appetizer sized” in my mind that just means I can eat two…or three…but really who’s judging?
Easy roasted tomato bruschetta is made on buttery, golden slices of bread that’s smeared with a ricotta-cannellini bean mixture then topped with jammy pan-roasted balsamic tomatoes and roasted garlic.
Yeahp. Pretty much mouthwatering from start to finish. If you don’t give in to your inner carb-demon after smelling that buttery bread, then we need to be friends and you need to teach me some self-control ;).
Aside from being absolutely delicious, these little bruschettas are very easy, making them my go-to appetizers for a crowd.
You can even make the roasted tomatoes, garlic and ricotta-bean spread ahead, making it even easier to assemble when needed!
In the movie Julie & Julia, there’s a scene where Julie makes Julia’s bruschetta recipe.
She pan fries the bread with olive oil and garlic, creating a beautiful crispy crust that normal bruschetta sometimes lacks.
That’s where my inspiration for that perfect golden bread came from. By brushing it with butter it gives the bread a nice crust that won’t get soggy after topping it with tomatoes.
I tried pan-frying it like Julia, but if you need to make a party-sized batch, it’s a little time consuming so baking it in the oven works like a charm :).
How to make easy roasted tomato bruschetta?
- Start by toasting your bread and roasting the garlic. Brush both sides of bread slices with melted butter and bake until golden and crispy. You can also start roasting your garlic at this time.
- While the garlic is roasting, heat olive oil in large saute pan and add your cherry tomatoes, cook for about 25-30 minutes until the tomatoes have softened and cooked down to almost a “jam” consistency. Add balsamic vinegar and roasted garlic and cook 2-3 minutes more.
- Place cannellini beans, ricotta, dried basil, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
- Spread the bean mixture on top of the bread, then top with the roasted tomato and garlic mixture.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips for making roasted tomato & garlic bruschetta with ricotta:
- I like using a french baguette as my bread. It’s a smaller loaf which I like, especially for serving at a party. You can also use a sourdough, Tuscan or other crusty bread.
- You’ll know when the garlic is done roasting when it’s soft and you can squeeze it right out of the skin.
- I like cannellini beans for their creamy texture, however, you could use northern beans or other white bean. If you’d prefer you could also substitute mascarpone cheese for ricotta.
- If you want to make this appetizer ahead, you can make the tomatoes and roasted garlic as well as the bean-ricotta mixture up to 3 days ahead of time. The bread should be toasted the day of serving and it should be assembled as close as serving time as possible.
For more easy appetizers try my:
Naan Flatbread Pizza with Prosciutto & Fig Jam
Savory Apple & Cheddar Puff Pastries
Savory Pumpkin Butter Crostini
Roasted Tomato & Garlic Bruschetta with Ricotta
Ingredients
- 2 French Baguette loaves cut into 1" diagonal slices
- 1/2 stick, 4 tbsp butter melted
- 1 head garlic whole
- 3 tbsp olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 1 lb cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- pinch salt
- pinch pepper
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 15.5 oz can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously brush both sides of bread slices with melted butter and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 4-5 minutes per side (flipping over after golden) until both sides are golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Cut about 1/4" off the top of your garlic head and place on a small piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil. Wrap loosely and place in oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until garlic is tender and lightly browned. Remove and set aside to cool.
- While garlic is roasting, heat 3 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until tomatoes are softened and juices are thickened to a jam consistency, about 25 minutes. Stir in balsamic and cook another 2 minutes longer.
- Once garlic is roasted and cool enough to handle, remove cloves from outer skin by simply squeezing them gently out or using a small knife to release them from their skin. Add the cloves to the tomatoes and stir to combine.
- Place ricotta, beans, basil, garlic powder and a pinch of salt and pepper in food processor (or blender). Puree until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- Evenly spread about 2 tbsp of the ricotta/bean mixture onto each slice of bread, then top with a heaping tbsp of the roasted tomatoes.
- Serve warm or room temperature.
Such a delicious and wonderful combination of flavours, Alyssa – love the bright colour too!
Thank you Alexandra!