I love antipasto. You have to give it to the Italians. Coming up with a way to combine sweet and savory finger-foods together is genius. While travelling through Italy I was able to try different kinds of antipasto. I was introduced to cheeses like burrata and stracchino and rediscovered others like fresh ricotta. I also learned about delicious cold cuts like bresaola and pancetta and how you only need a few simple ingredients to make an amazing meal. The sky is the limit to your imagination when putting together an antipasto platter.

For me, coming up with a crostini that could bring me my favorite flavors of italy in one bite was a challenge I wanted to take. This is how this apple & bresaola crostino was born. The richness of the ricotta, together with the sweetness of the apples and the smoky flavours of the meat work really well together. This is my antipasto crostino to go when my taste buds ask me for the flavours of Italy.

Wine Tip: Primitivo or Negroamaro

Apple & Bresaola Crostini

Ingredients

• 100 gr. Ricotta cheese
• 1 tablespoon horseradish
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives and some extra for decoration
• 50 gr. Bresaola, or other cold cut of your preference
• 1 small apple peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 baguette or other crusty bread

Preparation

Add burrata and horseradish to a bowl and mix well. Add chopped chives, salt and pepper. Mix and set aside.

Add butter to a pan in medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the sliced apples. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Once all covered in butter, add brown sugar. Lower heat and cook for about 10 minutes stirring regularly until the apple slices become caramelized and soft. Remove from heat and let to cool.

Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a grill pan. Add the sliced bread to the pan and grill on both sides. Once golden all over, remove from the heat.

Assembly

Add one teaspoon of the cheese mixture to the bread. Add caramelized apples to the cheese. Top apples with a slice of bresaola or the cold cut of your preference. I like to fold the bresaola like a napkin for presentation purposes. Drizzle with olive oil and add a little salt and pepper. Decorate with fresh chives. Serve room temperature.