Asparagus and Ricotta Bruschetta

This bruschetta is simple, but take a bite, close your eyes and let the creamy, lemon-scented ricotta and the season’s first tender asparagus take your breath away. It’s finally spring. Carpe Diem!

With so few ingredients, as always with simple dishes, the devil is in the details with this recipe. Not to say you should overcomplicate it, but a few small tweaks will take it from good to delicious.

Bruschetta (pronounced broo-skeh-tah) is nothing more than toast – the Italian way! The word comes from the Italian “bruscare‘, meaning to roast over coals.

Large oval or round slices of chewy, crusty bread are usually grilled, brushed with olive oil, and scraped with a clove of garlic. If the slices are large and you want manageable pieces, you can halve or quarter them after grilling and topping. If it’s not grilling season, you can toast the bread under the grill instead.

To get that elusive chewy center, a broiler or grill works the same way: high heat to toast the outside without completely drying out the slice. Timing may vary depending on the heat of your broiler or grill. Just keep an eye on it and flip it as soon as it turns brown.

Bruschetta is often topped with chopped tomatoes when in season, but there are many variations! After making this version with asparagus, try:

White cannellini beans, flat leaf parsley, parmesan and olive oil
Goat cheese with sliced fresh figs and mint

Think like an Italian when buying bread! The bread should be crispy on the outside and slightly dense and chewy on the inside (as opposed to fluffy).

I prefer sourdough for its added flavor, but it’s not a deal breaker. In fact, bread in Tuscany doesn’t contain salt, so Italians seem to get along well with unseasoned bread if it’s topped with good olive oil, salt, and tasty chunks.

Purchase the whole unsliced bread and hand-cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. They should be at least 1/2 inch thick to support the pads. When toasted, the thick slices become crispy and brown on the outside and remain slightly chewy on the inside—a hallmark of good bruschetta. Yummy!

You’ll find many bruschetta recipes that use a sliced baguette as the base. They work well for smaller bite-sized crostini, but with this recipe you’re aiming for larger pieces of bread with a firm texture that make delicious toast. A baguette will work, but it’s not my first choice.

Also, stay away from ordinary sandwich bread, rye bread, and brioche.

The best ricotta to buy

I’ve been spoiled because a local market here in New England carries a brand of ricotta that’s hand-dipped, ultra-creamy, and firm. I know this is a mean little joke, but you don’t need that brand to make this dish delicious!

Just search for the best whole milk ricotta your market carries – or make your own! Because ricotta plays an important role in this flavor combination, I prefer to use whole-milk ricotta over semi-skimmed; It has a rich, velvety flavor and texture that complements the asparagus.

How to buy the best asparagus

Asparagus is at its best and freshest when grown locally and in season, which typically means spring months in most parts of the United States. Definitely worth the wait.

The tips should be closed and compact, and the bars should be sturdy, smooth (not wrinkled), and hydrated. Most of the asparagus you’ll find on the market is green, but you might come across purple or white varieties that would also be good to use.

For this recipe, buy asparagus thick enough to peel—thicker than a pencil. If you don’t plan on peeling them, don’t worry about the size. Any tender asparagus will do. I prefer to peel asparagus for reasons I’ll outline in the next section.

How to cook asparagus

I’ll ask you to work on it a little. I want you to shell the bottom half of the spears. It’s ten minutes extra, great, I promise!

Why? Peeling the stalk results in tender and sweet sticks when cooked.

If you follow the common practice of snapping stems at their breaking point when bending to remove the tough and woody bottoms, you will lose about a third of the stems. Peeling removes some of the toughness, and you only need to snip about an inch from the bottom of the stalk, leaving most of the stalk to keep (and eat!).

Follow these steps to peel your asparagus:

Lay a spear flat on a cutting board.
Starting about 1 inch below the tip, use a vegetable peeler to peel each skewer from top to bottom.

That’s it! Very thick stalks can be peeled and halved lengthwise if that’s all you can find.

What is the best olive oil?

You don’t need fancy olive oil for bruschetta, but if you have it, now’s the time to break it out! A fruity extra virgin olive oil goes well with the asparagus in the bruschetta.

Extra virgin oil comes from the first pressing of the olives, usually within a day or two of harvest. It’s mechanically extracted from the olives (using low heat and no chemicals), has low acidity, and simply tastes better than olive oil without the extra virgin label. (These other types may be referred to as pure, light, or simply olive oil.)

Can I do this in advance?

Ricotta, lemon, herbs and spices can be mixed together, covered and refrigerated at least a day ahead.

It is best to cook the asparagus and toast the bread on the day of serving. But since life can get hectic, you can prepare the asparagus ahead of time by following these few tips:

Cooked asparagus can be kept covered in the refrigerator for three to five days.
Bring the asparagus to room temperature before serving.
You can keep the asparagus at room temperature for up to four hours.

Put everything together

Now that you know how to toast the bread, what kind of ricotta to buy, and how to cook the spears, you’re in business!

Brush these toasts with olive oil, ricotta and your perfectly cooked asparagus. Sprinkle with plenty of salt and pepper and a little more olive oil and serve with lemon wedges, if you like.

More Favorite Spring Asparagus Recipes!

Sauteed asparagus with morels
Creamy asparagus soup
Sliced asparagus and potato pizza
Asparagus wrapped in ham
Asparagus quiche with Fontina cheese

preparation time
20 minutes

cooking time
3 minutes

total time
23 minutes

portions
8 toasts

1 pound thick asparagus
1 cup whole milk ricotta
zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
8 (1/2 inch thick) slices of good crust bread, cut from a sourdough or farmhouse loaf
2 tablespoons olive oil
For garnish:
olive oil
Flaky Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
lemon slices

Peel asparagus:

Cut about 1 inch off the bottom of each asparagus spear. Place the spears on a flat surface and hold the tip. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the skin off the bottom half of each asparagus spear to reveal the light green part of the stalks underneath the skin.
Cooking asparagus:

In a deep pan, bring 1 inch of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the spears are tender when you pierce them with the tip of a knife. Transfer to a flat tray with a slotted spoon and pat dry with a paper towel.

Cut the spears into 1 1/4 inch long pieces.
Mix ricotta and lemon:

In a small bowl, stir together the ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Make the toast:

Place an oven rack near the grill and turn on the grill. Place the bread slices in one layer on a baking sheet. Toast each side, about 1 minute, or until browned and crispy on top but still slightly chewy in the middle.

Stay near the oven and be careful not to burn the bread. The exact time depends on the distance to the broiler and the heat of your particular broiler.

Remove the toasts from the oven and brush each slice with olive oil.
Assemble bruschetta:

Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of ricotta on each slice of bread. Top with the asparagus. Drizzle with more olive oil, flaky sea salt, and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges.