Private pool party? Drive in movie? Doing any other socially responsible activity with your bubble or pod? This fresh and vibrant pesto antipasto crusty bread is a must for your events!
This dish is so fun and an easy crowd pleaser. You can really make it into your own by using your favorite ingredients and skipping those you’re not crazy about. Build it up as much as you like, think party cheese board meets antipasto.
Easy-make-it-your-own antipasto ingredients.
Let’s start from bottom up.
Crusty bread – I used one of those pre-sliced 1/2 loafs of sourdough loaves from the grocery store bakery. A baguette would also work. Use anything that you like. Drizzle it with a little of olive oil, sprinkle a little of salt and toast it up in the oven at 400F until it’s to your liking, about 5-10 minutes.
Pesto – Who doesn’t love freshly made pesto? You can also buy it store bought, no judgement here. When I make my own, I love to sneak in some spinach greens just to make it extra, you will hardly notice the difference.
Bruschetta – For this I made a very simple bruschetta by cutting up some cherry tomatoes, adding in some minced garlic (scooped from the jar you can buy at the grocery store), a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
Crispy Prosciutto – Prosciutto is always a must in my book. But you can also use any other cured meat as well, or skip the meat all together. For this, I decided to crisp up the prosciutto in the oven before adding it to the antipasto, it adds a different texture and brings out the flavor. You regular prosciutto, either way it will be enjoyed.
Other great additions: mozzarella cheese, marinated olives, marinated artichokes, pimentos, pepperoncinis peppers.
Pesto Antipasto Crusty Bread – Appetizer
Ingredients
Cherry Tomato Bruschetta
- 12 oz Cherry Tomatoes
- 1½ tsp Minced Garlic (3 cloves or right out of the jar)
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
Crusty Bread
- ½ loaf Bread (or a baguette)
- drizzle of Olive Oil
- pinch of Salt
Toppings
- 2-3 cups Pesto (link in blog for my recipe)
- 8 oz Fresh Mozzarella
- 4-5 slices Prosciutto
- Marinated Olives – a variety & pitted
- drizzle Olive Oil
- Anything else you would like. See blog notes
Instructions
Cherry Tomato Bruschetta
- Make the bruschetta first and set aside in the refrigerator. You can even make this the day before. The longer it has time to sit, the more flavorful it will become.
- Chop up your cherry tomatoes. I did a combination of quartering and halving. Combine your tomatoes with your garlic, salt and olive oil. Toss together. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator.
Crusty Bread
- Preheat your over to 400F. Lay your bread slices out on a cooking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle a pinch of salt. Bake at 400F for 5-10 minutes, or until it reaches your preferred crusty texture.
Crispy Prosciutto
- Preheat your oven to 400F (or do this at the same time as you bake your crusty bread)Place your slices on a baking sheet. Bake at 400F for about 7-10 minutes, until it reaches your preferred crispiness.
Layering
- Spread a thick layer of pesto on the crusty bread.
- Stir the bruschetta to mix up the flavors and scoop on top the pesto.
- Add on your toppings, arranging them in any fashion you want to. It can be plain and simple or as elaborate as you want to make it.
Other Pesto Recipes:
Summer Basil Pesto
Stove-Top Brown Butter Spinach Pesto Pasta
Garlicky Pesto and Shrimp Pasta
