Authentic Italian Cooking

Italian crostini

Crostini or croutons are a typical Italian food. We Italians make them with bread slices, grilled for few minutes and topped with vegetable, fish or meat ingredients according to our own taste. I use polenta too as you can see in the following recipes.

  • Black truffles on toast or bruschettas with truffles
  • Tuscan crostini or chicken liver & veal spleen on toast
  • Crostini, Naples-style
  • Crostini topped with salami, salmon and mozzarella
  • Crostini with mushrooms in oil
  • Fish salad on toast
  • King prawns & peppers in oil on polenta toasts
  • Quail eggs and black truffle on polenta slices

    How to serve Italian crostini, croutons ...

    Here are a lot of recipes for all tastes!
    You can choose them for a cocktail party, as a starter in a dinner menu and as a course for a meal, buffet-style.
    Some people use to serve them at tea time in the afternoon accompanied by other savory finger food or canapes before the classical sweets.
    In Italy we have the habit of aperitivo served at cafe or at home. We call it happy hour. Crostini is one of the favorite finger foods for these moments.
    If you have any problem, !

    Our tested topping ideas with ...

    Black truffles

    Black truffles on toast

    I like black truffle very much but it is expensive so I buy it for Christmas parties and my special occasions. To taste it I use very simple recipes as this one. I learnt it during my stay in Umbria.
    Prepare them to accompany salami, cheeses and other tidbits in assorted antipasto platter, Umbria-style. Pair a red wine. You can also find the links to Umbria and its special starter in this page.

    Chicken livers & veal spleen

    Tuscan crostini

    These are Tuscan crostini. Creamy liver-and-veal-spleen mixture is spread on the top of grilled slices of bread. They are perfect to accompany salami. Match a red wine from Tuscany.

    Mozzarella, tomato, oregano, anchovies

    Neapolitan crostini

    Neapolitans have the habit to use these ingredients. Then they complete their recipe with good-quality olive oil too. What is better? Match white or red wine according to the other finger food you'll serve ;))

    Salami, salmon and mozzarella

    Italian crostini topped with salami, salmon and pancetta

    An assorted platter is ideal for a meal, buffet-style. But you can serve them as starter or finger food in a BBQ menu or other outdoor and indoor meals. Another idea? Italian aperitivo!

    Crostini with mushrooms in oil

    Crostini with mushrooms in oil

    If mushrooms are ceps in oil these finger food are very tasty. Prepare them to accompany assorted Italian salami or fresh/smoked fish such as tuna or salmon. For an unusual starter.
    Pair white or red wine according to the other finger food you'll choose to serve.

    Marinated zucchini

    croutons with marinated zucchini on top

    Toasted bread slices topped with marinated zucchini (courgettes) are a real tasty morsel. You can prepare marinated zucchini according to your own favorite recipe or buy them ready to eat.
    These crostini are perfect to accompany assorted antipasto platter based on fish or salami. Bubbles or white wine? It depends on the other finger food :))

    Sun dried tomatoes

    Italian croutons with sun-dried tomatoes

    Very easy to do. They are ideal as finger food to munch on watching TV or to serve at aperitivo time. I prepare them for my assorted antipasto platters too to accompany other Italian specialties. You have to match the wine according to the other finger foods.

    Fish salad

    crostini topped with seafood

    Seafood salad on grilled bread slices. Perfect to start a fish menu, isn't it?
    You can buy ready-to-serve seafood salad or make it following my or your favorite recipe. It can be an idea for serving seafood salad left.
    White wine to pair.

    King prawns & bell peppers in oil

    Polenta slices topped with prawns and bell peppers

    I slice cold polenta and grill it. The last step: I arrange prawns and bell peppers in oil on the top. Here are the main directions to prepare these croutons. Read more to know how to season seafood. They are so tasty and nice to see I prepare them in formal menus too. I prefer the bubbles of Italian prosecco for them.

    Quail eggs and black truffle

    finger food with black truffle

    Another topping idea with grilled polenta slices. They are so refined to be served directly on the plate to start a full menu for special events. Real
    specialties, the only problem is you can't prepare them in advance. And so you need someone to help you in the kitchen :))
    The bubbles of Italian prosecco to match to these dainties!