If you experienced dining in a formal Italian meal, you probably came across Italian antipasto, the Italian traditional first-course meal. This course usually consists of anchovies, olives, pepperoni, mushroom, cured meats, different types of cheese, vegetable oil, and pickled meats served on board. The bruschetta and crostini are some of the courses suited for an Italian antipasto that works as an appetizer. Both crostini and bruschetta are bread topped with tasty spices, vegetables, and meat, but what is the difference between crostini and bruschetta?
In Italy, bruschetta means to roast over coals. It is a traditional garlic bread prepared by grilling sourdough bread (as the name suggests), rubbing it with garlic cloves, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil, salted, and peppered topped with olives, pepperoni, mushroom, cured meats, spices, vegetables, and or other toppings of choice. Crostini means little toast in Italian. It is made of small slices of toasted bread, usually a baguette, and then brushed with olive oil. Like the bruschetta, it is traditionally topped with a mixture of your choice like cheese, shrimp, meat, anchovies, and other spices and vegetables.
Crostini Vs Bruschetta
So, what is the difference between crostini and bruschetta? If we compare the two, crostini and bruschetta differences are the bread used, bread size, and bread preparation. Bruschetta usually uses a sourdough type of bread, while crostini uses a white baguette or finer-textured bread. Bruschetta is bigger than crostini, and its bread is grilled before topping with vegetables and or meat of your choice. In comparison, the bread used in making crostini is smaller, rounder than bruschetta, and toasted from a regular oven before putting toppings.
How To Make A Bruschetta?
Bruschetta is a delicious appetizer that you can easily make for personal consumption and for parties good for sharing with family and friends. Although there are various recipes that you can find online, if you want to make an authentic bruschetta, prepare all the necessary ingredients, and follow the simple instructions below.
Ingredients:
- 2 ripe vine tomatoes, diced
- 5 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- A pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 Italian style baguette, sliced
- 1 whole clove of garlic
- 1 whole sourdough bread
Instructions:
- Slice the tomatoes into cubes.
- Stacked the fresh basil leaves together, cut them into bits to make a chiffonade, and mixed them with the diced tomatoes in a bowl.
- Add the extra virgin olive oil, ½ tsp of dried oregano, a pinch of salt, and balsamic vinegar. Mixed together before you chill it in the fridge as you prepare for the bread or for the baguette.
- Slice the sourdough bread diagonally, about a quarter-inch thick.
- Cut the edge of the garlic clove to expose the other side, rub it on both sides of the sliced sourdough bread to give a garlicky flavor to the bread.
- Drizzle a little bit of olive oil into both sides of the sourdough bread.
- Grill the sliced sourdough bread to an outdoor grill, or you can just toast it in a skillet. Grill both sides for about two to three minutes.
- After toasting the sourdough bread, get the chilled toppings and put it on top of your bread, and you can now enjoy your bruschetta.
Now that you have an idea how to make bruschetta, it is now clear to you what is the difference between crostini and bruschetta.
How To Make Crostini?
If you like to serve crostini to your family or friends as an appetizer or you’re simply craving a delicious crostini, you can follow these simple steps to make a serving of crostini by yourself. Below are the ingredients and instructions you should follow for a Mediterranean crostini.
Ingredients:
- 1 narrow loaf of French bread, about 1 foot long and 2” in diameter
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp finely minced garlic
- 1 tbsp pesto or 4-6 basil leaves, finely slivered
- 1-2 tsp capers
- 3-4 tbsp chopped Kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup artichoke hearts, finely chopped
- 1 cup finely chopped Roma tomatoes
- 2 tbsp thinly sliced green onions
- 1/3 cup shredded Mozzarella
- 2-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Slice the baguette about one-fourth inch thick. You can use a cookie cutter to make a more precise size of a circle.
- Prepare a clean baking pan and use a baking sheet. Work the garlic into the olive oil.
- Dip each side of the bread to the olive oil and garlic mixture. This will add garlicky flavor to the bread and will make it tastier.
- Arrange the bread in a large baking pan. Bake the bread for about ten minutes or until golden brown. After toasting the bread, set it aside and cool it down.
- In a bowl, you can mix the tomatoes, pesto, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, capers, green onions, and mozzarella cheese. Mix it together, add olive oil and vinegar to your liking, and season it with salt and pepper.
- Take the toasted bread and top it with the mixture.
- Leave it at room temperature for about an hour before serving them.
Conclusion
The crostini and bruschetta have many similarities in the characteristics, toppings that can be used, and looks or presentation. Although they are two different dishes, some people interchange their names from time to time because of these similarities. But they also have their differences like the bread used, bread size, and preparation that distinguish them from each other.
If you want to take note of what is the difference between crostini and bruschetta, just remember that bruschetta uses sourdough bread and is roast or grilled while the crostini is toasted through the oven, smaller in size and rounder than the bruschetta. There are various recipes that can be found on the internet when making a crostini and bruschetta. You can explore and try different versions as you like. They are both served as an antipasto in a formal Italian meal, but of course, you can have them anytime if you want an appetizer for yourself or for your small party at home with family and friends. Discover more about crostini and bruschetta here!