Roasted Grapes Crostini with Rosemary and Pecans makes the perfect holiday appetizer. It looks impressive but is quite simple to make. The crostini topping can be made in advance and the toasting and assembly take just minutes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Can be served warm or cold – Roasted grapes crostini is delicious either way!
- Perfect for holidays – Exactly what you need to tease taste buds before a meal.
- Can be made ahead – The cheese can be sliced in advance and the grapes can be roasted a day ahead, refrigerated, and reheated while the crostini are toasting.
Ingredients
- Baguette slices – Look in the bakery department for a long, thin loaf labeled “baguette”. It has the perfect texture for toasting and gets nice and crisp.
- Grapes – Use a red table grape. I really like the Muscat grapes that I get from Melissa’s Produce. They have just the right amount of sweetness.
- Orange zest – Fresh orange zest is always the best, but I often rely on dried orange zest because I always have it in my pantry. It works beautifully in this recipe.
- Fresh rosemary – I got mine from Melissa’s Produce but it can be found in most grocery stores in the refrigerated produce section. You’ll want several sprigs.
- Manchego cheese – This semi-hard Spanish cheese has a zesty, slightly salty flavor and is wonderful with crostini. Can also use Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino-Romano.
- Pecans – When I can’t get fresh shelled pecans from relatives, I buy my pecans from Millican Pecans and I recommend them highly. The quality and flavor are top-notch.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step 1: In a large bowl, toss grapes, rice vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and orange zest together so grapes are coated with seasoning. Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Scatter fresh rosemary sprigs around the pan.
Step 2: Roast 20-25 minutes. Add pecans. Roast another 10 minutes. The grapes will soften, wilt and become jammy.
Step 3: Remove rosemary from baking sheet and pull rosemary needles from stems. Sprinkle in about half of them with grapes and nuts; spoon everything into a container; set aside.
Step 4: Lay crostini slices on a baking sheet and broil 1-2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned.
Step 5: Top each crostini with the grape mixture, making sure each piece has at least one pecan. Add a slice or two of cheese to each one and some extra rosemary needles, if desired.
Helpful Tips
- Use a potato peeler to shave off thin strips of Manchego cheese from the cheese block.
- Use raw pecans as they’ll get all the toastiness they need in the recipe.
- Make sure each roasted grapes crostini has a few rosemary needles and at least one pecan along with the grapes.
Recipe FAQ
Crostini means “little toasts” in Italian.
Bruschetta is made from sourdough or a rustic Italian bread. Crostini are made from a smaller, rounder fine-textured bread that crisps well in the oven. It will be labeled “baguette” in the bakery.
Either way, it’s delicious, so it’s your choice! You can start warm and as it cools off, you don’t even have to worry about it.
Roasted Grapes Crostini with Rosemary and Pecans
Ingredients
- 3 cups seedless red grapes rinsed, halved lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
- 24 slices French baguette cut diagonally into ½-inch thick slices
- ½ cup shaved Manchego cheese
- 5-6 rosemary sprigs
- ⅓ cup pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°. In a a large bowl, toss grapes with rice vinegar, olive oil, salt , pepper and orange peel. Spread evenly in a rimmed baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Scatter rosemary sprigs around the sheet. Roast 20-25 minutes.
- Scatter pecans on top. Roast another 10 minutes. The grapes will soften, wilt and become jammy. Spoon everything into a container; set aside.
- Remove rosemary from baking sheet and pull rosemary needles from stems. Sprinkle in about half of the needles with the grapes and nuts then spoon into a container; set aside. (Save the extra rosemary needles.)
- Preheat broiler. Lay crostini slices on an ungreased baking sheet and broil 1-2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned.
- Top each crostini with warm grape mixture and some cheese, making sure each crostini has some rosemary and at least one pecan on it. Add extra rosemary needles if desired.
Notes
- Use a potato peeler to shave off thin strips of Manchego cheese from the cheese block.
- The crostini topping can be made a day ahead, refrigerated and heated upon serving. The cheese can be sliced a day ahead too and stored in an airtight plastic bag. Toast the crostini and assemble just before serving.
- Make sure each crostini has a few rosemary needles, some cheese and at least one pecan along with the grapes.
- For the crostini, look in the bakery department for a long, thin loaf labeled “baguette”. It has the perfect texture for toasting and gets nice and crisp.
- Use a red table grape. I really like the Muscat grapes that I get from Melissa’s Produce. They have just the right amount of sweetness.
- Fresh orange zest is always the best, but I often rely on dried orange zest because I always have it in my pantry. It works beautifully in this recipe.
- Fresh rosemary can be found in most grocery stores in the refrigerated produce section. You’ll want 5-6 sprigs.
- Manchego cheese – This semi-hard Spanish cheese has a zesty, slightly salty flavor and is wonderful with crostini. Can also use Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino-Romano.
- Use pecan halves (not chopped) for the most impressive appearance. I get mine from Millican Pecans and I recommend them highly. The quality and flavor are top-notch.
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