Pizza Crostini with Ricotta and Marinated Broccolini

It can be hard to find easy vegetarian appetizers that have as much texture, complexity and spice as their meat-forward counterparts, but our marinated broccolini and ricotta pizza crostini have all that and more.

Broccolini, broccoli’s slim-stemmed cousin, is excellent when softened just a bit on the stovetop. During cooking, it gets flavored with garlic, shallots, red pepper flakes and herbs. The secret ingredient, though, is the Calabrian chile paste, which, as the name would suggest, comes from Calabria in southern Italy (the toe of the boot, if you will). Whole chiles — seeds and all — along with salt and oil make for a bright red paste that’s both fruity and decidedly spicy. Combined with the slightly bitter broccolini, it sings. A base of ricotta balances out the heat, and a chewy, blistered pizza crust serves as an excellent base.

We blind bake our pizza dough, docking it with a fork so it doesn’t expand, and then cut it into party-size squares. Depending on how substantial you’d like your bites to be, cut a 12-inch pizza into 12 or 16 squares. A dollop of ricotta, a heaping helping of broccolini and a drizzle of leftover marinade (that stuff is liquid gold!)make for a chewy, crunchy, and creamy veggie bite.

Want more crostini inspiration? Check out our Pizza Crostini with Burrata and Trout Roe and our Pizza Crostini with Ricotta, Speck, and Marcona Almonds.

This recipe is featured in “This New Year's Eve, Forget the Knife and Fork.”

Difficulty

Servings

12-16 crostini

Prep Time

Cook Time

By Ooni HQ

Method

1: This recipe would suit a variety of pizza styles, but we think our classic pizza dough would be a great fit.

Make sure to prepare your dough ahead of time to ensure it rises at room temperature before firing up your oven.

2: To prepare the broccolini, heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat.

Add 40 grams of olive oil and the broccolini and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, shallots, red chile flakes, dried oregano, and salt, then cook for 5-8 more minutes, or until broccolini is softened.

3: Remove from heat and pour into a medium-sized bowl.

Add Calabrian chile paste, 60 grams olive oil, vinegar, and fresh oregano, then marinate for at least 30 minutes.

4: Fire up your oven.

Aim for 750 to 850°F (400 to 450°C) on the baking stone inside. (Use the infrared thermometer to quickly and accurately check the temperature.) Stretch your dough on a lightly floured surface. Push the air from the center out toward the crust, then use your knuckles to stretch out the base to 12 inches.

5: Dock with a fork, gently pressing into the dough all over, to prevent the dough from fully expanding in the oven.

Pizza Crostini with Ricotta and Marinated Broccolini

6: Drizzle with olive oil, then launch into your oven.

7: Cook the dough fully, turning to ensure an even bake, for about 1 to 2 minutes.

Pizza Crostini with Marinated Broccolini and Ricotta

8: Remove from the oven, and let the dough cool completely.

9: Slice each pizza into squares; you should get 12-16 pieces out of each pizza, depending on how big you want your crostini.

10: Dollop ricotta onto each piece.

11: Spoon the broccolini on top of the ricotta.

Drizzle some of the marinade onto each piece and serve.

Ooni HQ

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