Easy Gorgonzola Crostini With Roasted Red Pepper

This tasty appetizer is present at almost all of our get-togethers and parties. Sometimes, I end up eating a whole bunch of these tasty little open-faced sandwiches before I pop them in the oven. You spoon the gorgonzola on the crostini, top it with some roasted red pepper, and bake for a few minutes until the cheese begins to melt. Melting the cheese softens the flavor a bit and the addition of the roasted red pepper creates a nice counterbalance to the gorgonzola.

I will say that the melted gorgonzola does have a bluish-gray tint, so don’t think you did anything wrong. It is just blue cheese!

I have been making Gorgonzola and Roasted Red Pepper crostini appetizers for years. Everyone loves this, even when they don’t think that they like Gorgonzola.

Gorgonzola is a variety of Blue Cheese from Italy. It is made solely of cow’s milk and is produced in the Piedmont and Lombardy regions of Italy. Gorgonzola has a milder flavor than most of its blue cheese counterparts. When it’s young, it’s creamy and almost buttery, then it ages into a rich flavor, that delivers a finish with a zesty pungent bite. It adds a robust flavor to pasta, meat, or risotto. Check out Castello cheese for more information about how this delicious cheese is made.

The list of ingredients you need is pretty short:

Baguette Slices: A French baguette is great for slicing into perfect-size crostini.

​Olive oil: Either regular or extra virgin works well.

Gorgonzola: You can use either crumbled or a brick that you can slice. It is best if the cheese is at room temperature.

Roasted Red Pepper: Chopped or diced. I like to buy the roasted red pepper slices in a jar for convenience. It is easy to chop them into small pieces.

1. Make the crostini: Brush olive oil on one side of the sliced baguette and place them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated 400-degree F oven for 5-7 minutes, just until the bread starts to turn golden brown on the edges.

2. Remove the crostini from the oven, spoon gorgonzola on the crostini, and top it with roasted red pepper. Bake for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the cheese begins to melt. Remove from the oven and serve warm or at room temperature.

This gorgonzola crostini with roasted red pepper appetizer is best enjoyed shortly after it comes out of the oven. You can prepare the crostini earlier in the day, place them in a single layer on your baking sheet, cover them tightly with plastic wrap, and place them in the refrigerator. Remove them from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you are going to bake them.

Gorgonzola crostini is an easy appetizer with so much flavor that you will love it as is. But if you want to change this up a bit give these variations a try:

Add an herbal flavor like fresh rosemary or fresh thyme before serving/

Drizzle a little balsamic glaze on them when they come out of the oven.

You can even spread a little fig jam on the crostini before adding the gorgonzola and leave the roasted red pepper off.

The other night I made Gorgonzola and Roasted Red Pepper Bruschetta because I knew I wanted to do a post on it. I served it along with a nice Italian red wine that I have been enjoying lately. The 2016 La Cattura from the Toscana region. What a great combination! The cheese is strong, so it needs to be partnered with a wine that can stand up to it. La Cattura is a blend of 90% Teroldego and 10 % Syrah grapes. I am not a wine connoisseur by any means. I just know what I like and this is a nice fruity, medium-bodied wine that I find goes well with a lot of meat, pasta, and cheese dishes. The best part is that it’s about $15 per bottle. If you like reds I would highly recommend trying this.

Here are some of our favorite appetizers that I think you will love too!

For easy but delicious try my Baked Ricotta and serve it with these tangy Roasted Cherry Tomatoes. This is an amazing flavor combination!

Caponata is an Italian eggplant appetizer that works well as part of a charcuterie board, an antipasto or just served with your favorite crackers.

You can’t go wrong with Gouda Stuffed Mushrooms or Baked Brie en Croute. And if have some shrimp lovers in your life, you will want to try Crab Stuffed Shrimp or Shrimp Oreganata.