Ricotta roasted cherry tomato crostini are a wonderful appetizer that’s as tasty as it is beautiful! Whipped ricotta and toasted baguette make the perfect foundation for roasted cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, flaky sea salt, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. This is a classic example of simple = better!

Ricotta roasted cherry tomato crostini with basil and flaky sea salt on wooden board.

If you’ve been following Sip and Feast for a while, you know how much we love cherry tomatoes and find any way to sneak them into dishes.

We top our potato frittata with them, roast them and toss with pasta in our roasted cherry tomato sauce, and include them in our cherry pepper spread.

So it made sense to use them here for these whipped ricotta roasted cherry tomato crostini.

Crostini, in Italian, means “little toasts”, and are usually made with smaller, finely textured bread, like a baguette.

Crostini are similar to bruschetta, which uses a wider slice of toasted bread, usually from a rustic Italian loaf.

These ricotta roasted cherry tomato crostini make a wonderful appetizer for cocktail parties, holidays, barbecues, or even a quiet night at home.

And the best part is they’re incredibly easy!

An alternative and equally delicious method to preparing the cherry tomatoes to top the ricotta and crostini would be to make tomato and garlic confit.

Ingredients shown: ricotta, baguette, extra virgin olive oil, flaky sea salt, cherry tomatoes, garlic, and basil.

How to make it

Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

Preheat the oven to 450f and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium-sized bowl toss around 20 ounces, or exactly 48 cherry tomatoes, with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and a 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt (Photo #1).

Ricotta roasted cherry tomato crostini recipe process shot collage group number one.

Spread the tomatoes onto the baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes or until wilted and charred (Photo #2).
While the tomatoes roast, add 1 1/2 cups of drained ricotta cheese to a bowl and whip with a whisk until smooth (Photo #3). Note: For a smoother texture use an electric hand mixer.

Recipe process shot collage group number two.

Diagonally slice a loaf of baguette or Italian bread into 16 1/4-inch thick slices and lay them on a baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, spread a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil onto each piece and toast in the oven for 4-5 minutes or until warmed through and golden (Photo #4).
Remove the tomatoes from the oven and allow them to cool for a few moments while the bread toasts (Photo #5).

Recipe process shot collage group number three.

Remove the bread and rub a garlic clove lightly onto each piece (Photo #6).
Let the bread cool for 3-4 minutes, then spread a thin layer of the whipped ricotta on each slice. Top each slice with 2-3 roasted cherry tomatoes (Photo #7).

Recipe process shot collage group number four.

To each slice add some hand-torn pieces of fresh basil, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and flaky sea salt (Photo #8). Serve immediately and enjoy!

A bunch of ricotta roasted cherry tomato crostinis on a baking sheet.

Top tips

Bread. As mentioned above, crostini are usually made with smaller, finely textured bread, like baguettes. While that’s the preferred bread to use here, you can certainly use other bread like Italian bread or thicker loaves cut into smaller pieces.
Tomatoes. We used about 2 dry pints of cherry tomatoes for these whipped ricotta crostini which comes out to roughly 48 tomatoes, or 2-3 tomatoes per slice. You may have leftover tomatoes if you use more than 48 which you can either enjoy on their own, or save and add to salads, or other dishes.
Ricotta. We recommend draining the ricotta overnight, especially if using a higher moisture brand, like Polly-O. While Jim used a hand whisk here, feel free to use a hand mixer to whip the ricotta for an even creamier texture.
Toppings. All these crostini really need are a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a few pieces of flaky sea salt, but you can certainly add more toppings if you’d like. A drizzle of balsamic glaze or a touch of pesto would be great.

Overhead shot of ricotta roasted cherry tomato crostini on wooden serving board.

More Italian snacks and apps

Here are a few more of our favorite appetizers. These are all great for gatherings and would be great while sipping a bubbly Italian cocktail, like a limoncello spritz or an Aperol spritz.

Arancini – Italian rice balls stuffed with saffron rice, ragu, and cheese.
Pizza fritta – little fried pizza dough topped with savory and sweet toppings.
Mozzarella en carozza – mozzarella sandwiches battered and fried until golden.

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