The ingredients on the top of this crostini are flexible, since they are layered. Add another favorite ingredient as desired, or fresh herbs. This recipe is best prepared just before serving, so the crostini doesn’t get soggy. Makes about 2 dozen.
Ingredients
1 baguette, sliced, or premade crostini
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 cups roasted cubed pumpkin
12 -ounce log of goat cheese, at room temperature
1 cup (2 small jars, or 2 fresh) roasted red peppers or roasted piquillo peppers, chopped
1 cup pepitas (shelled unroasted pumpkin seeds) available at health-food stores
1 tablespoons chile oil
Directions
FOR THE CROSTINI
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the baguette slices in an even layer on a baking sheet and brush with the olive oil. Sprinkle sparsely with salt and place in the oven for about 5 minutes, just until the bread is lightly toasted. Remove from the oven.
To roast the pumpkin, halve a small pie pumpkin, seed and peel it and chop into medium dice. Add olive oil, coarse salt and pepper and stir to coat. Place in a 350-degree oven and roast for about 45 minutes, until the pieces are easily pierced with a knife. Remove and let cool slightly.
Spread each crostini with some goat cheese. Top with a small amount of peppers, then the cubed pumpkin. Spread the pepitas on a baking sheet, place them in the oven to roast them at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Remove them to a bowl, add the chile oil, and mix to coat the seeds. Top each crostini with a few pumpkin seeds.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
