This bruschetta, or “crostino,” from Tuscany is simple and easy to make, but has an incredible flavor that has to be tasted to be believed. The mild and slightly sweet cauliflower balances perfectly with the umami-rich anchovies, and it’s all brought together with a strong dose of black pepper at the end.
This is a great way to use up some leftover cauliflower you aren’t sure what to do with. If you try it, you’ll soon be stocking up again just so you can make more crostini!
Scaling Up the Recipe
This is a very easy recipe to adjust according to how many crostini you want to make, whether you’re serving a party or making a midnight snack for yourself. As long as you have 3-4 cauliflower florets, about 1 tbsp of olive oil, and 1 anchovy per crostino, you’re all set! In terms of the garlic, you can stick with one clove unless you really make an enormous amount of crostini.
Watch the Pasta Grammar video where we make Crostini di Pitigliano here:
CROSTINI DI PITIGLIANO RECIPE
Makes: 2 crostini, scale up as necessary
Cook Time: 20 minutes
For this recipe, you will need:
Salt
6-8 cauliflower florets
2 small, thin slices of bread
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 anchovies (preserved under oil)
Fresh black pepper
Pot
Pan or cast iron griddle
Skillet
Bring a pot of water to boil and salt it generously. Add the cauliflower florets and boil until they are tender enough that you can easily insert a paring knife into their stems—about 10 minutes. Drain and set the cauliflower aside.
While the cauliflower boils, you can toast the bread. Do so in whatever manner you prefer, but we like to use either a hot pan or a cast iron griddle. The bread should be a little crispy and lightly browned on both sides.
Rub both sides of each piece of bread with the garlic clove. Then, place the garlic and olive oil into a skillet and bring up to medium heat. Once the garlic starts to sizzle in the oil, remove and discard it.
Lower the heat and add the anchovies into the skillet. Be careful, if the oil is too hot the anchovies will splatter! Stir them in the oil until they dissolve, then turn off the heat.
Spread a little bit of the anchovy oil onto each piece of bread, then top each slice with 3-4 cauliflower florets. Drizzle the remaining oil on top and finish with a generous sprinkle of fresh black pepper.
Buon appetito!
Want to try another Tuscan crostino recipe? Check out this classic bruschetta! Looking for more uses for cauliflower? Try this quick and easy cauliflower side dish!