Finocchiona & Whipped Ricotta Crostini with Hot Honey
Crispy toasts, cool whipped ricotta, fennel-forward salami, and a warm drizzle of hot honey — this is the appetizer that disappears before anything else on the table.
Finocchiona is usually the first salami people come back for, and it's easy to understand why. The fennel makes it bright and aromatic, so it doesn't need much dressing up. Pair it with cool, creamy ricotta and a little heat from honey, and you've got something that tastes far more involved than it actually is.
The whole thing comes together in about the time it takes to toast bread. Whip the ricotta until it's light and spoonable, get the toasts golden and crisp, layer on the finocchiona, and finish with warm hot honey and a crack of pepper.
It's the kind of appetizer that looks like you fussed, even though you really didn't.
Ingredients
For the Crostini
1 baguette, sliced on the bias into ½-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 oz Finocchiona salami, thinly sliced
For the Whipped Ricotta
1 cup whole milk ricotta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
pinch of salt
For Finishing
2 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
flaky salt and cracked black pepper
fresh thyme or basil (optional)
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Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet, brush both sides with olive oil, and toast for 8 to 10 minutes until golden and crisp.
While the bread toasts, add the ricotta, olive oil, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt to a bowl. Whisk briskly, or blend, for about a minute until smooth and fluffy.
Warm the honey and red pepper flakes in a small pan over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, just until loose and fragrant. Remove from the heat.
Spread a spoonful of whipped ricotta over each toast, then drape a slice of finocchiona on top.
Drizzle with the warm hot honey and finish with flaky salt, black pepper, and fresh herbs if using.
Chef Notes
Whipping the ricotta is the step people skip, but don't. A fork works in a pinch, though a small blender or food processor gets it truly silky.
Toast the bread until it's properly golden so it stays crisp under the ricotta instead of going soft. And warm the honey just until it's pourable — you want it loose, not boiled down and candied.
Substitutions & Tips
Goat cheese or mascarpone both work in place of ricotta if that's what you have on hand.
Our Orange Fennel salami is a natural swap here if you want a little more citrus. And if you don't have chile flakes for the hot honey, plain warmed honey with a pinch of black pepper still does the trick.
Serving & Storage
Assemble these right before serving so the toasts stay crisp.
The whipped ricotta can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container in the fridge, but the toasts are best made fresh. If you're prepping ahead, keep everything separate and build at the last minute.
Published
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