5 crostini recipes

Broiled polenta crostini topped with a woodsy porcini and fresh mushroom ragout with tomatoes and parsley. Vegetarian Italian comfort food with deep, earthy flavor.

Hot shrimp salad on garlic-rubbed crostini with seared shrimp, Roma tomatoes, capers, lemon juice, and peppery watercress. A quick single-serving meal ready in 20 minutes.

Chilled pappa al pomodoro with crab meat crostini, a Tuscan bread-and-tomato soup served cold with a lemony crab-topped baguette float. An elegant no-cook summer appetizer that turns stale bread into something special.

Caramelized onion topping with rosemary and toasted pine nuts, slow-cooked in butter and olive oil. A savory make-ahead spread for crostini, pizza, roast meats, or tossed with pasta.

Black olive paste (pure di olive nere) blends pitted Italian or French olives with olive oil, lemon, pepper, and bread crumbs. Italian-style spread for crostini, sandwiches, and pasta. Vegan, keeps for weeks.