Guys, I really have no idea where this crostini recipe came from. Somewhere in my heart of hearts, I guess. But BOY OH BOY, it’s the perfect bite. Salty, sweet, creamy, crunchy and toasty. Plus: THE COLORS.
I told Nick I wanted these at my wedding. I also decided in that moment that I’d probably have to cater my own reception, because, well, it will probably be more of a backyard tiny family gathering thing. And that is just fine by me.
Tall Grass Bakery
Really, it all starts with the bread here. This bread is the foundation of a wonderful pairing. And it should be a really, really good bread.
SIDENOTE: Did anyone else watch Cooked on Netflix? All I want to say about that show is: “Thank you, Michael Pollan, for reinvigorating my love life with bread.”
We’ve got so many great local bakeries in Seattle, and Tall Grass Bakery is one of the best. They even have a stand at my neighborhood farmers market. SO CONVENIENT. They make their bread the old-fashioned way and, while making bread this way is on my list of things to learn how to do, in the meantime, I will have to settle.
But that’s the thing, it’s not settling at all!
If you live in the area, you need to go to here.
Roasted Purple Sweet Potatoes
And now, on to these beautiful purple babies.
When I snagged some purple sweet potatoes at the store, I knew I had to do something special with them to show off their beautiful vibrant hue. In taste, they are very similar to a regular sweet potato (maybe a tiny bit starchier), so if you can’t find the purple variety you can definitely still do this with the regular kind.
Straight out of the oven, these guys were perfect. Warm, tender but slightly crunchy on the outside.
Spiced Ricotta
And then there’s the ricotta.
No, it’s not your typical ricotta from a tub that’s kinda really hard and I try and only use when I’m making lasagna. It’s a really special type of ricotta, it came in a little basket. So, that means it must be stellar, right? Right.
It’s SUPER CREAMY and I only needed to sweeten it up with a touch of honey and a dash of cardamom to give it the perfect flavor pop I was looking for.
(That’s another thing on my list of things I want to learn how to make myself. Homemade Ricotta.)
Are we sensing a theme here? For now, as I lead a busy life like most of us do, I will have to settle here with this store-bought type. (Again, not settling, not even one bit.)
Nick said it reminded him of cotton candy. I don’t know, but I think that was a compliment!
Look at this beautiful cloud of creaminess. I literally could not stop tasting it (ahem, by the spoonful) as I was preparing this dish. It’s THAT good.
Honey Balsamic Glaze
And, well, I knew I wanted to make the sauce of all sauces to really tie this whole thing together. Enter Honey Balsamic Glaze.
It’s really so easy. You just cook it down until it coats the back of your spoon. That’s it. It really stinks up the kitchen, but I am telling you, it’s worth every minute of cook-time. Just, I dunno, open a window or something. Because Spring is happening now, and you CAN!!!
If you’re really not feelin’ that though, I am pretty sure you can buy this stuff at the store now. I haven’t tried to find it yet… but maybe next time I’ll take a look-see.
Um, seriously, this was so decadent. It’s really a treat of a dish.
…that I will be making over and over and over again this season.
Purple Sweet Potato Crostini with Spiced Ricotta and Honey Balsamic Glaze
I mean COME ON PEOPLE. Just make these, please. I want you to share in all the delicious glory.
All those in favor of eating dessert instead of dinner tonight? *Raises hand*
These were really tough to photograph too. Because, I was hungry, and I had tried everything altogether and it was just so so good. Even though, really, it can be assembled and eaten at room temp. I just, I couldn’t wait any longer once all the elements were prepared.
I hope you enjoy these as much as we did!
Happy cooking and happy eating!
Vibrant roasted purple sweet potatoes atop the creamiest dreamiest spiced ricotta and drizzled with honey balsamic glaze. The perfect bite to welcome springtime!
Ingredients
- 1 lb purple sweet potatoes (about 3 small), small dice
- 1/8 tsp cardamom
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- 12 oz fresh ricotta
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/8 tsp cardamom
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- Large baguette
- Flaky sea salt
- Sliced fresh mint
Instructions
- TOAST: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Slice baguette at a 45 degree angle into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil and bake for 6 minutes, until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Reserve baking sheet.
- ROAST: Turn oven down to 400 degrees. Toss sweet potato with olive oil, salt, pepper and 1/8 tsp cardamom. Roast for 10 mins, toss, and roast for 5 mins more or until tender.
- MIX: In a small bowl, mix ricotta with honey and cardamom until well combined. Set aside.
- REDUCE: Stir balsamic vinegar and honey together in a small saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the vinegar mixture has reduced by 1/3, about 10 minutes. Set the balsamic reduction aside to cool.
- ASSEMBLE: Place crostini on a serving dish or platter. Spoon a heaping tbsp of the ricotta mixture onto each piece. Add roasted sweet potatoes. Drizzle with balsamic glaze. Finish with freshly chopped mint, sea salt, and fresh cracked pepper.
Notes
Ricotta, sweet potatoes and balsamic glaze can be made in advance and assembled just before serving.
A large baguette will yield roughly 16-20 pieces, but this could vary.