Crostini Recipe with Roasted Vegetables and Smoked Mozzarella

Have you been searching for a delicious crostini recipe? Try this easy roasted vegetables and smoked mozzarella crostini. They make perfect hors d’oeuvres or a light lunch, are easy to make, and are always delicious. For easy preparation, you can pick up the roasted vegetables at a deli so that all you need to do is assemble and pop them into the oven. Otherwise, you can check out the instructions for roasting the vegetables yourself in the directions below. Either way, you’re sure to satisfy both your guests and even the most discerning palette. 

Crostini Recipe with Roasted Vegetables and Smoked Mozzarella

Ingredients

• 1 baguette
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 6 ounces Smoked Mozzarella, sliced as thinly as possible
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 thyme sprigs for garnish

Roasted Vegetables

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 small zucchini
• ½ medium purple onion

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Directions

1. For the roasted vegetable recipe, mix the olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl and set aside. Stand the bell pepper up vertically and slice from the stem end downwards on each of the four sides of the pepper, giving you four flat pieces of pepper. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise, and then slice the halves again vertically so that you have 4 long pieces of zucchini. Slice the onion into four pieces horizontally (comparable to slicing the onion for onion rings).
2. Place the vegetables in one layer in a small roasting pan and drizzle them with the olive oil mixture. Toss the vegetables so that they are well coated with the oil, and then transfer them to the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
3. Remove the pan from the oven, turn the vegetables over, and continue roasting for 10 to 15 minutes longer until the vegetables are golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and set it aside. When the vegetables are cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to cut the bell pepper and zucchini into strips ¼-inch wide and separate the onion into rings. Set them aside.
4. Position the oven rack so that it sits about 3 inches from the broiling element—Preheat the broiler to high.
5. Cut the baguette at a diagonal angle into 1/3-inch thick slices. Using a pastry brush, sparingly coat both sides of the bread with olive oil and place the bread on a baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and toast, turning once, until the bread is a light golden brown on both sides. Alternatively, place the slices of bread in a panini grill and toast until the bread is light golden brown and crisp. Remove the toasts from the broiler and rub each toast lightly on one side with the whole garlic clove. Turn the oven to 350°F.
6. Return the toasts to the baking sheet. Top each piece of toast with slices of mozzarella to cover the surface of the bread. Arrange the vegetables over the cheese, with the zucchini at one end of the slice of bread, the red bell pepper in the center, and the onion at the other end. Transfer the crostini to the oven and bake for 3 to 4 minutes until the mozzarella just begins to soften and melt. Remove the crostini from the oven and sprinkle with thyme and pepper.

And there you have it – a delicious crostini recipe with roasted vegetables and smoked mozzarella. To serve, simply place on a serving platter and garnish with fresh thyme sprigs. Serve immediately while still warm, and pair with a beautiful white wine like Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay.

Serves 8 to 12

Note: The vegetables may be roasted ahead of time and stored for several days in the refrigerator so that the crostini recipe will be quick to assemble at the last moment.

Note: If you substitute dried thyme for fresh, reduce the amount to ¼ teaspoon.

From Cheese, Glorious Cheese by Paula Lambert, copyright 2007

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