Bruschetta and crostini are classic Italian appetizers made with toasted bread and flavorful toppings. Bruschetta tends to be bigger and cut thicker, while crostini are usually smaller and thinner, but they are both tasty finger foods that are great for gatherings.
There are many different toppings for bruschette (plural of bruschetta) and crostini, and I’m sharing two delicious options today.
Tomato bruschetta is probably the most popular version, and the chicken liver crostini is a classic from Tuscany, where I enjoyed them both.
Of course, you can also try lots of other delicious toppings like grilled zucchini, grilled eggplant with garlic and parsley, burrata and pesto, sun-dried tomatoes and grilled bell pepper, and many more.
Ingredient Notes
- Crusty/Rustic Bread: I like to use sourdough bread for the flavor and consistency, but any rustic bread will do. Baguette also works. The key is to avoid soft bread like sandwich bread.
- Tomatoes – Use fresh ripe tomatoes; the kind doesn’t really matter. I’d avoid cherry tomatoes because they tend to have less juice.
- Fresh basil – Fresh basil is the way to go. If you can’t find fresh basil, you can use another fresh herb, but it will change the flavor.
- Garlic clove – Spreading garlic over freshly toasted bread is a delicious trick to make the bruschetta more flavorful, but if garlic is too pungent for your taste, you can omit it.
- Extra virgin olive oil – Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil. If you don’t have extra virgin olive oil, at least try to use a good quality refined olive oil. Avoid any other oil.
- Salt – Add to taste for flavor.
- Chicken liver – Use fresh chicken liver from the butcher.
- Onion – Preferably a white onion since it adds sweetness, but you can also use a yellow onion. Don’t substitute with onion powder.
- Anchovies – They add extra flavor and salt to the chicken liver pate. Don’t worry, the anchovies don’t add a fishy flavor but intensify the flavors of the mixture.
- White wine – Any dry white wine will do. I’d recommend using a wine that you’d drink, since it will impact the final flavor. If you want to avoid wine, you can use good-quality broth instead.
Recipe Tips
- Classic bruschetta is usually made with white bread, but feel free to try other kinds of bread, like spelt or multigrain bread (keep in mind that it will affect the final flavor and texture).
- Bruschetta tends to be bigger and cut thicker than crostini. The tomato bruschetta benefits from thicker slices since the juicy topping can make the bread soggy, and thin bread would break too easily. The chicken liver can have a thinner bread base, so keep that in mind when changing toppings. However, as you can see in the photos, I cut both types to the same thickness to make things easier.
- The bread can be toasted in different ways. You can use a grill pan on the stove, toast the bread in the oven, use a toaster, or even an air fryer. The goal is to have evenly toasted bread that is crispy and golden brown, but not burned.
- If you don’t want to rub the bread with garlic, you can add a little finely diced red onion to the tomato mixture instead. Or you can omit both.
- To maximize the aromas of the basil, tear it with your hands instead of cutting it with a knife.
- In some countries, eating organ meats can be perceived as a bit weird, but chicken liver has a delicious flavor when cooked right.
- Traditional chicken liver crostini are made with anchovies and capers for extra umami, but it can be hard to find capers in salt outside of Italy. Capers in brine give an entirely different flavor, so if that’s all you can find, better skip them. The anchovies add enough salt and flavor, in my opinion.
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, slice the bread. You can slice it slightly thicker for the bruschetta and slightly thinner for the crostini. Or slice it the same thickness for ease.
Next, toast the bread in a grill pan until golden and crisp on both sides (or use another method, see the recipe tips section above).
Cut the unpeeled garlic clove in half and rub it over the toasted bread for the tomato bruschetta. Then drizzle with olive oil.
Next, rinse the tomatoes and basil. Cut the tomatoes into small pieces and place them in a bowl. Tear the basil into pieces with your hands and add it as well.
Then add the oil and salt and mix well.
For the chicken liver pate, finely dice the onion.
Heat oil in a frying pan over low heat and add the anchovies. Break them up with a wooden spoon.
Next, add the onions and cook until golden and fragrant.
Then add the chicken liver and cook until browned. Break up the pieces as they cook.
Finally, pour in the white wine and cook until the wine has mostly evaporated and the livers are fully cooked.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor or container with high sides and blend with an immersion blender until mostly smooth.
Add more olive oil and a splash of water if the mixture seems dry.
Finally, spoon the tomato mixture onto the toasted bread with the garlic (including a little of the juices) and spread the chicken liver pate on the slices without garlic. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Storage Tips
Bruschetta and crostini of any kind should be eaten right away. However, the chicken liver pate can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Related Recipes
Here are some more Italian recipes that you may want to make next:
Bruschetta and Crostini (w/ Two Toppings)
Ingredients
- Rustic/crusty bread, e.g. sourdough, baguette, or similar
For The Tomato Bruschetta
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- 2-3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
- salt, to taste
For The Chicken Liver Crostini
- ½ white or yellow onion
- olive oil, for frying (plus more for drizzling if needed)
- 2 anchovies
- 3.5 ounces chicken liver, fresh
- ½ cup white wine
Instructions
- Start by slicing the bread (slightly thicker for the bruschetta and thinner for the crostini if you want to be more authentic). Avoid cutting them too thin since they need to hold the toppings.Rustic/crusty bread
- Toast the bread in a grill pan over medium-low heat until golden and crisp on both sides. Set aside.
Tomato Bruschetta
- Cut the garlic clove in half (don't peel). Once the bread is toasted and while it is still hot, rub the cut side of the garlic clove over the toasted bread for the tomato bruschetta and drizzle with olive oil.1 garlic clove
- Rinse and dry the tomatoes and basil. Then dice the tomatoes into small pieces with the knife and place them in a bowl. Tear the basil leaves into smaller pieces with your hands and add them to the bowl.2 large tomatoes, 1 bunch fresh basil
- Add the extra virgin olive oil and salt, then mix well. Let the mixture rest while you prepare the other topping (at least 10 minutes).2-3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, salt
- When ready to serve, spoon the tomato mixture onto the toasted bread, including a little of the juices, and serve immediately.
Chicken Liver Pate Crostini
- Finely dice the onion.½ white or yellow onion
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan over low heat. Add the anchovies and cook, breaking them up with a wooden spoon or spatula until they dissolve into the oil.olive oil, 2 anchovies
- Add the diced onion and sauté until golden and fragrant.
- Add the chicken livers and cook until browned on all sides. You can break the chicken livers into smaller chunks as they cook. Add the white wine and continue cooking until the wine has mostly evaporated and the chicken livers are fully cooked through.3.5 ounces chicken liver, ½ cup white wine
- Transfer the mixture to a food processor or a container with high sides to blend with an immersion blender. Process until mostly smooth (I like to leave it a bit chunky, not perfectly smooth).
- If the mixture seems too thick or dry, add a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of water.
- Spread the chicken liver mixture onto the toasted bread and garnish with fresh chopped chives (optional). Serve immediately.
Notes
- I like to use sourdough bread for the flavor and consistency, but any rustic bread will do. Baguette also works. The key is to avoid soft bread like sandwich bread.
- Bruschetta is usually bigger and cut thicker than crostini. However, to make it easier, you can cut the bread into similar sizes (just don’t cut it too thin for the tomato topping, or it may get soggy).
- The bread can be toasted in different ways. You can use a grill pan on the stove, toast the bread in the oven, use a toaster, or even an air fryer. The goal is to have evenly toasted bread that is crispy and golden brown, but not burned.
- If you don’t want to rub the bread with garlic, you can add a little finely diced red onion to the tomato mixture instead. Or you can omit both.
- Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil. If you don’t have extra virgin olive oil, try to use a good quality refined olive oil. Avoid any other oil.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
