This is more of an inspirational / techniques post than a recipe since there are a million variations you can try, but I’m definitely a fan of this flavor profile. If you wanted something less conventional, I’ve also considered buffalo chicken crostini… but that’s another recipe for another day. For now, I just have this margherita crostini.
I didn’t bother coming up with specific amounts for the ingredients since it felt like a lot of work for something that just doesn’t feel necessary. Given the wiggle room you have in terms of servings, you can really make as few or as many as you like, given you have enough of each ingredient; there’s no volatile balancing act where you need this much of that, or that much of this. The “ideal” amount for each ingredient is really up to the person, so most probably wouldn’t follow the amounts anyway (nor would I expect them to).
If you like this recipe for margherita crostini, consider checking out my recipe for Cheeseburger Salad.
Ingredients
1 baguette, or as needed
tomatoes*, sliced, as needed
fresh mozzarella, as needed
vegetable oil, as needed
extra virgin olive oil, as needed
kosher salt or any large grain salt**, as needed
fresh basil, sliced, as needed
Preparation
Preheat your oven to 400 f (204 c). Slice your bread so that it’s about a 1/3 of an inch thick (0.83 centimeters). Fill a sheet pan with a single layer of bread, then brush both sides with vegetable oil***. Bake for 4-7 minutes or until the bread is crunchy without being burnt.
Top each piece of bread with mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, then finish with a drizzle of EVOO and a pinch of salt.
Notes
* If finding good tomatoes isn’t realistic (which was the case for me) my next preference is cherry tomatoes. I find they have a better flavor than out-of-season “normal” tomatoes. You can also use good canned tomatoes, but then you’ll have a whole can’s worth to use up, which could be an issue.
** Since the only application of salt is used at the end for finishing, something with a pleasing look and interesting texture is preferred. Kosher salt is a fine option, but a large-grain sea salt or a “flake” salt would also work.
*** I don’t recommend using EVOO for the oven step since the oven temperature is a bit high compared to EVOO’s smoke point. I haven’t tried it, but I imagine at least some of the oil would overheat, causing an unpleasant smell and flavor.
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