Serve Crostinis As Appetizer Or Side Dish
Crostini, which means “little toasts” in Italian, are small slices of toasted bread that you brush with olive oil and then top with everything from cheese to tuna salad.
The following recipe is made with tomatoes and tomato paste, topped with grated Parmesan cheese. Try to use freshly grated Parmesan cheese because these little munchies will taste even better.
My mother first made crostini for my aunt’s birthday party. All of my relatives complimented them, and they weren’t just being polite, because even though she made a lot, they were all gone by the end of dinner. They can be served before a meal as appetizers, with the meal as a side dish, or as an hors d’oeuvre.
Summer is is the perfect time to make crostini because tomatoes are sweet and ripe, but this recipe works just fine with plum tomatoes that you buy in the supermarket. You can cut up the bread ahead of time and arrange it on the baking sheet. Then all you have to do is add the toppings.
Tomato Crostini
1 long loaf of very thin French bread
Olive oil
1 small can tomato paste
5 or 6 plum tomatoes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Slice the bread into very thin slices. Arrange the slices on an ungreased baking sheet. Pour some olive oil into a shallow bowl. Use a pastry brush to put a little dab of olive oil on each slice. Use a table knife to spread each slice with tomato paste.
Slice the tomatoes very thin. Put 1 slice of tomato on top of each bread slice. Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top of each.
Preheat the broiler. Place the cookie sheet under the broiler (about 6 inches away) and broil for 1 to 2 minutes. Watch carefully because you don’t want the crostini to burn! They are done when the cheese is melted. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the crostini to a serving platter. Serve hot.
Yield: About 3 dozen.
Nutrition information per serving: About 172 calories, 5.8 grams fat (30 percent fat calories), 6 grams protein, 25 grams carbohydrate, 3 milligrams cholesterol, 307 milligrams sodium.