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Entertaining guests at home can feel daunting, but you don’t need to work at a Michelin-starred kitchen to put together a fanciful appetizer that company will love. Just take it from Giada De Laurentiis, author of Everyday Italian. She knows how to coax big flavors out of simple ingredients, and crostini, toasted bread with an array of toppings, is the perfect vehicle for her favorite style of cooking.
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Crostini starts with toasted bread, and the rest is up to your imagination. De Laurentiis favors ingredients like ricotta, cured meats, fruits, and charred veg, but you can also riff on her recipes, customizing them with your favorite ingredients. But what we love best about these crostini recipes is that they’re easy to make, so having guests over doesn’t have to be as stressful as it sometimes seems.
Pop open a bottle of prosecco, put out a tray or two of crostini, and you’ve got a party.
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Honey Ricotta Crostini
Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto. Entertaining doesn’t get much easier than making these honey ricotta crostini for guests. But don’t be fooled by the short ingredients list; the combination of ricotta, lemon zest, honey, and pink peppercorns is more than the sum of its parts.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Ricotta Bruschetta with Sweet and Spicy Tomatoes
Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto. Bruschetta on top of toasted bread is a total classic, but De Laurentiis’ revamped version, with roasted cherry tomatoes and homemade hot honey made with Calabrian chile, might be even better than the original.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
Crushed Calabrian Chili Paste$10.50
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Crab Crostini with Lemon and Herbs
Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto. De Laurentiis’ crab crostini with lemon and herbs is like a fresh Italian spin on crab cakes, no messy frying needed. The crab and herb topping can be made ahead and rests in the fridge until ice cold, and is scooped onto the toasted pieces of bread right before eating, making it a great choice for heat waves.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Fig, Goat Cheese & Pancetta Crostini
Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto. Salty, sweet, tangy, and crisp, De Laurentiis’ fig, goat cheese, and pancetta crostini is just begging to be served alongside a chilled glass of prosecco.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Charred Broccoli And Ricotta Crostini
Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto. If you’ve been trying to add more veggies to your meals, there’s no tastier way to satisfy that goal than with this charred broccoli and ricotta crostini.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Baked Caprese Crostini
Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto. Baking caprese crostini melts the cheese and concentrates the flavors, especially if you’re using grocery store tomatoes that need a little something to get them to sing.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Chocolate Ricotta Toast
Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto. Crostini doesn’t have to stay in the savory lane, as De Laurentiis demonstrates with her dreamy chocolate ricotta toast. If you’re not really into baking, then this dessert crostini is the perfect choice. Or, add bananas, and it becomes a tasty brunch dish.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Poached Pear And Prosciutto Crostini
Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto. The sweet and salty combination of poached pears and proscuitto make this crostini so craveable, you might have a hard time not devouring them all before guests arrive.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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Truffle Honey Crostini
Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto. Investing in one gourmet ingredient can turn even simple toasted bread with cheese into a fancy appetizer, and the truffle honey De Laurentiis uses to make this crostini isn’t even that exorbitantly expensive.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
White Truffle Acacia Honey$14.30
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Charred Brussels Sprouts Crostini
Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto. De Laurentiis saves this hearty crostini recipe for fall, and it’s easy to see why: the combination of ricotta, charred brussels sprouts, cranberries, and pine nuts is ideal for Thanksgiving.
Get the recipe at Giadzy.
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