A simple, fresh Italian appetizer recipe. Herbed lemon ricotta cheese is layered with zucchini slices for a vegetarian finger food. Great for summer entertaining and parties.
Cook your crostini rounds as per recipe instructions through the link below if not done already. This can be done up to two days in advance and the crostini kept in an airtight bag or container. Make sure the crostini are completely cooled before storing otherwise the trapped heat moisture will re-soften them.
Make the cheese mixture by combining the ricotta, Parmesan, dried basil, salt, pepper, and juice of one lemon in a small bowl. Mix to combine and set aside. (If you want to garnish the finished crostini with lemon zest, first zest the lemon before juicing and place the zest off to the side). (You could also choose to put the lemon zest in the cheese mixture itself for a stronger lemon flavor).
Using a peeler, slice or peel the zucchini lengthwise to make long, thin strips. Repeat all the way through both zucchini. Set the strips aside.
Scoop 1-2 Tablespoons of the cheese mixture on each crostini piece. The exact amount you need will vary with how large the bread is and how much cheese you want!
Next, take one of the zucchini slices and fold it like an accordion (a zig-zag pattern back and forth, approximately one inch wide between folds) (see pictures for reference). Push it down into the cheese mixture. If it will not stay folded, you can gently press or flatten the zucchini when in a zig-zag accordion shape where the zucchini bends to help it stay in place.
Garnish with some additional lemon zest, Parmesan, salt sprinkle, or fresh basil if desired.
Notes
Learn how to make the base crostini here!The exact amount of crostini you get will vary with multiple factors: how big your bread slices are, how much topping you put on each bread, and how wide the bread is.