Italian Crostini

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You’ll love these crispy, golden, and fragrant Italian crostini. They require only a few pantry staples, a skillet, and less than 15 minutes to make.

They are perfect for your favorite soups, salads, cheese, you name it!

Top view of herbed Italian crostini in a light blue plate.

I’ve been thinking of sharing this simple toasted crostini recipe for quite a while now, as I’ve been making it regularly for ages.

In my household, we love them so much that we would be more than happy to eat them every day with literally everything, from lettuce salad to chickpea soup to bean soup. I meant everything.

My mum used to make crostini this way, too: no oven, only a skillet, extra virgin olive oil, ciabatta bread, dried Italian herbs, and a pinch of salt.

They’re a breeze to make, deliciously crispy, and packed with so much flavor.

Despite plenty of crostini recipes online, I thought this ridiculously easy recipe was worth a try. Once you try it, I’m pretty sure you’ll be making it again and again.

Now grab your Italian herbs, ciabatta bread, and good extra virgin olive oil, and let’s make Italian crostini to jazz up your everyday meals!

List of the ingredients

  • Ciabatta or baguette
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Italian herb seasoning
  • Salt & chili flakes (optional)
The ingredients to make Italian crostini are arranged over a wooden chopping board.

How to make Italian crostini

(Note: this is a quick description; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)

  • Slice the ciabatta bread. Spray or brush one side of the slices with the olive oil. Sprinkle with Italian herb seasoning and salt.
  • Toast them in a greased skillet or pan for 5 minutes.
Top view of Italian crostini on a white board and on a black skillet.
  • Turn them upside down and keep cooking for about 3 minutes. Done!
Top view of a black skillet full of toasted and golden Italian crostini.

Recipe Notes

ingredients & substitutions.

Bread: We use fresh or stale ciabatta bread, but baguette or any good sourdough bread works for the recipe.

Extra virgin olive oil: It’s an essential ingredient for a delicious, nutty flavor. I don’t recommend using any other vegetable oil here. No canola, no avocado oil, nothing else, only olive oil or extra virgin olive oil.

Herbs, salt & chili flakes: Italian herb seasoning adds delicious, aromatic notes, but you can create your own herb blend by mixing dried basil, thyme, and oregano. Add chili flakes to taste if you wish, and season with salt.

Close-up of an Italian crostini.

How to enjoy Italian crostini

First things first, they go with any soups that come out of your kitchen. But they are also delicious with any Italian appetizer, such as sun-dried tomato spread, baked ricotta, or a simple white bean dip. We also LOVE them with salads like this cannellini bean soupbean salad, or cabbage salad.

Storage Tips

Crostini can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days, but when it’s time to serve, pop them into a preheated oven (300F/150C) for a few minutes until warm and crispy again.

Top view of a light blue plate full of herbed Italian crostini.

More crusty bread you’ll love!

Here are a few brilliant recipes to make irresistible, crispy bread perfect to pair with your meals!

If you make Italian crostini or have any questions, let me know! Leave a comment, send me a message, or rate it. I would love to hear from you!

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Italian Crostini

You'll love these crispy, golden, and fragrant Italian crostini. They require only a few pantry staples, a skillet, and less than 15 minutes to make.
The recipe yields 10 small servings but can be easily doubled.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Bread, Crostini
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Italian crostini
Servings: 10
Calories: 39kcal
Author: Katia

Ingredients

  • 10 ciabatta slices (or baguette)
  • 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ tablespoon Italian herb seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste

Instructions

  • Slice the ciabatta bread and cut 1 cm / ½-inch thick, ideally on the diagonal.
  • Brush or spray only one side of the bread slices with about 3 teaspoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with the herbs.
  • Grease a pan or skillet with the remaining olive oil, heat over medium heat, and add the bread slices, herbed side down. Cook for 5 minutes or until the herbed sides turn lightly crisp and the edges golden.
  • Turn the bread upside down and cook for a further 3 minutes. The other sides don't need to be brushed with oil.
  • Remove the crostini from the pan and serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy.

Notes

Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days, but when it’s time to serve them, I recommend warming them up in the oven or on the stove. 
Nutrition facts: The nutrition values are for one serving and are based on an online nutrition calculator. They are estimates only and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Please see my disclosure policies.

Nutrition

Calories: 39kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 14mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 44IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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