Butternut Squash, Ricotta, and Sage Crostini

So glad I read the reviews before I made this. I made this for a dinner party and changed this recipe a lot. Instead of ricotta I used goat cheese and I toasted the baguette slices at 400 for 10 minutes. I roasted the squash and fried the sage leaves as the recipe stated but since my sage leaves were so large I ended up crumbling them on the top. Instead of incorporating the lemon peel into the goat cheese I grated the lemon over the crostini and let everything sit for about 30 minutes before setting out. I can't really rate the recipe since I made so many changes.

• mon22312

• Washington

• 10/2/2017

I've made these twice now- the first time I followed the recipe (without reading the reviews) but toasted the crostini with a little olive oil. My guests devoured them, but I found them a bit too bland. The second time, I used a combo of goat cheese and ricotta, zest of a whole lemon, a little lemon juice, and seasoned generously. For the squash, I chopped up some fresh sage and a small shallot and tossed that with the squash and other ingredients before roasting. I also added a little garlic to my olive oil before I toasted the crostini. All of these additions gave the crostinis SO much more flavor!! Again, a huge hit, and this time I was happy with the flavors! Will definitely make again! I do like other posters suggestions about prosciutto and/or pine nuts... will try that next time!

• thirstyflea

• Elgin, IL

• 11/26/2014

This is so pretty and seasonal, I had quite high expectations. I used lemon juice and sea salt liberally, but still was disappointed. The sage is overwhelming (my sage had large leaves, I probably should have chopped them) and I think goat cheese would have been better than ricotta. If I ever made this again I would add garlic/butter to toast per previous reviewer, and maybe use dried sage instead.

• rpickering

• Dallas

• 11/22/2014

I love these. You have to like butternut squash, but the taste combination to me was superb. Delicate blend of flavors were absolutely delicious and so beautiful. I had to stop myself from eating about 10 of them.

• cindicb1

• Pawling, NY

• 4/6/2014

To Cook from Eugene OR (10/09/11) ... try making your own ricotta, it is incredibly different and better than the plastic stuff sold in stores, plus it is easy. Recipes on this site and others.

• kwp1245

• Miami

• 12/27/2013

I thought this turned out very nicely- followed others' suggestions to season liberally. The key is definitely lemon juice and a touch more sea salt at the end to finish. I also fried my sage leaves in a little bit of butter- gives a bit more flavor than olive oil alone and you can drizzle the brown butter over the crostini to finish them before you put the crispy sage on top. Yum!

• heatherangeli

• New York, NY

• 11/24/2013

I found this recipe via Pinterest, and made it yesterday for my boyfriends grandmothers 89th Birthday. Some guests really liked it, while others just somewhat liked it. I was in the group that only 'somewhat' liked this dish. It tasted somewhat bland, and like it was missing something. After much discussion my boyfriend and I have concluded that this dish needs the addition of some crisp (lightly fried) prosciutto. We will definitely make this again, with the prosciutto! The ricotta with the bit of lemon zest was absolutely beautiful, and it paired nicely with the butternut squash, however both have a slightly sweet taste, which is why we think a little balance with the meat might make this dish perfection!!

• playette_way

• Vancouver, BC

• 9/2/2013

My sage leaves keep coming out with a burnt taste. Sad face! What is the key to success here?

• Anonymous

• Denver, CO

• 12/24/2012

Big disappointment. Very bland, even with additional seasoning. The flavors just didn't go together well. Wouldn't make again.

• Anonymous

• 11/18/2012

All the previous suggestions were very helpful, especially the note to heavily season the ricotta. Adding pecorino romano cheese added to the flavor. I fried the sage in the olive oil, let it cool and then crumbled on top - better than slicing.

• Anonymous

• bluffton, SC

• 10/22/2012

The appetizer was great! I followed the instructions of one of the prior reviewers and brushed my crostini on both sides with a butter and olive oil spread and then put it in the oven for ~10 minutes at 400F to get them nice and crispy. After everything was put together, I also sprinkled some truffle olive oil on the crostinis and that actually pulled it all together! The smells, the tastes.....yum! Great colors, smells, tastes, and textures.

• aummani

• 1/8/2012

I was so impressed with the visual presentation of the dish that I didn't read the reviews beforehand. So, I made the butternut squash, ricotta and sage crostini for sunday brunch with friends and it was a disappointment. I will definitely read all reviews before preparing anything else.

• belle35

• Virginia

• 11/21/2011

Reading the reviews helped me make sure to season well every step of the way. Finished product was delicious. I think properly making the crostini also helped. I melted butter and added some olive oil. I brushed both sides of thinly sliced baguette with mix. Used a microplane to just shave a pinch of pecorino romano and a fresh crack of pepper and a pinch of kosher salt. Don't go overboard with the salt as the pecorino is salty. Toasted at 400* turning once until golden. Garlic would be a great addition to the oil/butter mix. The sage leaves I had were very large. After frying them I snipped strips onto the crostini. The flavor and color of the sage really added a lot to the finished dish. Thanks to a previous review I sprinkled a few toasted pine nuts on each. Delicious.

• Anonymous

• Atlanta, Ga

• 11/13/2011

Tried this for my nieghbourhood's 3rd annual Halloween Party. I would say that that everyone is right about seasoning the ricotta and squash properly. I will never really know as I made a rookie mistake and chopped part of my thumb off while trying to chop sage as I didn't have quite enough for whole leaves for each. Needless to say I left the sage at home, wrapped up my thumb and went to the party. The crostini as I left it was a disappointment (bland), but that was probably my own fault and not that of the recipe entirely.

• Frenchlaundry

• Edmonton, AB

• 11/5/2011

These were delicious and my guests devoured them. I think the key to this recipe is seasoning. Without proper seasoning, the ricotta and squash could easily be bland. Follow the instructions, but keep that in mind when seasoning and adding the lemon juice.

• Anonymous

• Seattle, WA

• 10/30/2011