Vegetarian Recipes

Hummus Crostini Appetizers

https://www.loveandlemons.com/hummus-crostini-appetizers/

Now that the 4th of July has come and gone, summer is in full swing. Not only are we (finally) seeing sunny skies and warm weather, but we’ve also had a lot of visitors in the last few weeks. Jack’s sister was in town for the 4th, and his parents were in a week earlier. We’ve had friends visiting as well!

With company in the house, I always like to have a few good appetizer ideas up my sleeve. Different people like to eat at different times, and I never want guests to starve while they wait for dinner to be served. In the past, I’ve made my own hummus or served avocado toast, but with the amount of people we’ve had coming and going in the last few weeks, I decided to go a different route this year.

This summer, ALDI is launching creative new hummus flavors all season long. When I saw the range of options – Jalapeño Lime, Rosemary Sea Salt, Ranch, and more – I knew that these spreads would be my entertaining hack for summer appetizers.

Rather than spending time in the kitchen blending up my own hummus or worrying about avocado toast getting brown, I used these new, flavor-packed hummuses from ALDI as the base of these crostini appetizers. With the yummy hummuses already made, I could spend less time in the kitchen and more with our guests. And instead of thinking about making hummus, I could focus on showcasing the wonderful produce we have this time of year.

I paired each hummus with simple, fresh ingredients, and let me tell you, these crostini pack a huge punch of flavor. I found all the ingredients at ALDI, so they’re affordable entertaining options. But best of all, these crostini appetizer ideas are really easy to assemble. Our summer guests will vouch for how delicious they are, too!

My Easy Crostini Appetizer Recipes

I tried six of the new ALDI hummus flavors for these appetizer recipes, and I developed a fresh topping combination for each. Here are my new go-to summer appetizer ideas:

Greek Salad Crostini – A cube of feta, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes & cucumber make a tangy, briny & crisp topping for Mediterranean hummus.
Cool Cucumber Ranch Crostini – I top a slather of the Ranch hummus with cucumber ribbons, lime juice, and chives.
Corn Ceviche Crostini – My favorite! We LOVE the crisp, bright mixture of corn, chiles, red onion & lime over zesty Jalapeño Lime hummus.
Strawberry Caprese Crostini – Have you every tried eating hummus with something sweet? For this crostini, I use the ALDI Park Street Deli Classic hummus, and I swap a strawberry for the tomato in the caprese trifecta. Let me tell you, the sweet/savory combination is absolutely delicious!
Roasted Grape & Feta Crostini – Another sweet pairing, and another favorite! Juicy roasted grapes & earthy Rosemary Sea Salt hummus are a match made in heaven. A tangy crumble of feta and sprigs of thyme are the perfect finishing touch.
Beet, Avocado & Chia Crostini – This one couldn’t be simpler – it’s just a dollop of sweet beet hummus, a few slices of creamy avocado, and a sprinkle of chia for crunch. I love the bold colors in this combo!

If you have leftover hummus after making these summer appetizers, use it in a chickpea shawarma wrap or an easy veggie wrap. Of course, all these hummus flavors are good with fresh veggies & crackers, too.

If you love these appetizer ideas…

Head to ALDI to find all these fresh ingredients and bold hummuses at great prices. And if you try these easy appetizers, comment below with your favorite!

Hummus Crostini Appetizers

Author: Jeanine Donofrio

Recipe type: appetizer

Specially Selected French Baguette, sliced and toasted

½ cup sweet corn kernels
2 tablespoons minced red onion
½ teaspoon minced jalapeño
2 teaspoons minced cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Park Street Deli Jalapeño Lime Hummus

Park Street Deli Rosemary Sea Salt Hummus
Organic red grapes
Simply Nature Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling
Sea salt
Happy Farms Feta Block, crumbled
Thyme leaves

Park Street Deli Mediterranean Hummus
Cherry tomatoes, sliced
Mini cucumbers, sliced
Park Street Deli Kalamata Olives, halved
Happy Farms Feta Block, sliced
Simply Nature Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling
Pinches of Simply Nature Oregano

Park Street Deli Ranch Hummus
Mini cucumbers, peeled into ribbons
Simply Nature Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling
Lemon, for squeezing
Sea salt
Chopped chives, optional

Park Street Deli Classic Hummus
Strawberries, sliced
Priano Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
Basil leaves
Simply Nature Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling

Park Street Deli Beet Hummus
Avocado, sliced
Lemon, for squeezing
Simply Nature Chia Seeds, for sprinkling
Sea salt

In a small bowl, combine the corn, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and sea salt. Chill until ready to use. Assemble crostini with the hummus and spoonfuls of the ceviche.

Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the grapes on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 7 to 10 minutes or until soft and bursty. Assemble crostini with the hummus, roasted grapes, sprinkles of feta, and thyme leaves.

Assemble crostini with the hummus, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and feta. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano.

Assemble crostini with the hummus and top with cucumber ribbons. Drizzle with olive oil, squeeze a little lemon juice, and sprinkle with sea salt and chives, if using.

Assemble crostini with the hummus, top with strawberries, mozzarella, basil, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Assemble crostini with the hummus, top with avocado, a squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch of chia seeds, and a pinch of salt.

Note: the Corn “Ceviche” and roasted grapes can be prepared in advance and stored for 2-3 days in the fridge.

3.4.3177

Vegetarian Recipes

Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Here’s a quickie recipe for those nights when you just need something fast and delicious. This Lemon Ricotta Pasta is super fast, light, and fresh, which makes it perfect for an easy weeknight dinner during the summer. The bright lemon flavor perfectly compliments the light and creamy ricotta, and the little pops of sweetness from the peas make every bite a little more interesting. Simple, fresh, and easy.

Originally posted 3-4-2011, updated 6-8-2022.

Do I Have to Use Fresh Lemon?

This is one of those recipes where you really do want to use a fresh lemon instead of bottled juice. The zest from the lemon adds a ton of bright, summery lemon flavor to the pasta without making the sauce too sour. We add just a little of the juice to balance the creaminess of the ricotta, but the zest is where you’re getting all that gorgeous sunny lemon flavor!

Not All Ricotta is Created Equal

I find there is quite a bit of variation in the quality of ricotta from brand to brand. Some are smooth, mild, and sweet like fresh milk, while others are bland and grainy. My preferred brand is Galbani, but they didn’t have any at the store when I went, so I got the generic Kroger brand. It was definitely a bit grainy, but the pasta was still quite delicious despite that!

Also, make sure to get whole milk ricotta. Low-fat ricotta just doesn’t hit the same in this recipe.

What Else Can I Add?

This simple pasta is a great jumping-off point for making a more elaborate pasta, if that’s what you’re in the mood for. Try adding some sliced chicken breast, fresh basil, or fresh spinach. Garlic butter shrimp would also go great with this pasta!

What to Serve with Lemon Ricotta Pasta

This pasta is so light and fresh that I suggest keeping any side dishes really simple, light, and fresh as well. I would go with a super simple side salad, or maybe some roasted asparagus and tomatoes.

Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Lemon Ricotta Pasta is light, fresh, and quick to prepare, making it the perfect pasta for weeknight dinners in the summer.

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American

Total Cost $4.27 recipe / $1.07 serving

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings

Calories 400kcal

Author Beth – Budget Bytes

Ingredients

1 lemon $0.89
8 oz. pasta* $0.67
1 cup frozen peas $0.50
1 clove garlic, minced $0.08
1 Tbsp butter $0.11
1 cup whole milk ricotta $1.60
1/4 cup grated Parmesan $0.36
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste) $0.02
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste) $0.02
1 pinch crushed red pepper (or to taste) $0.02

Instructions

Zest and juice the lemon. You’ll need about ½ tsp zest and 1 Tbsp lemon juice.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions (boil for 7-10 minutes, or until tender). Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the starchy water from the pot.
Place the frozen peas in the colander before draining the pasta so the pasta will thaw the peas as it drains.
Add the butter and minced garlic to a large skillet and sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the drained pasta and peas, and about ½ cup of the starchy pasta cooking water to the skillet with the butter and garlic. Stir to combine, then turn off the heat.
Add the ricotta, Parmesan, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon lemon zest to the skillet. Stir until everything is well combined, the residual heat from the skillet and pasta have warmed the ricotta, and the ricotta has formed a creamy sauce. Add more of the warm reserved pasta water if needed.
Season the pasta with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Notes

*Use any short shape pasta.

Nutrition

How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pasta – Step By Step Photos

Zest and juice one lemon. You’ll need about ½ tsp of zest and 1 Tbsp juice.

Cook 8oz. pasta according to the package directions (boil for 7-10 minutes, or until tender). Reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.

Add 1 cup of frozen peas to a colander, then pour the boiled pasta over top to thaw the peas as you drain the pasta.

Add 1 Tbsp butter and 1 clove garlic to a large skillet. Sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic becomes very fragrant.

Add the still-hot pasta and peas to the skillet along with about ½ cup of the hot reserved pasta water. Stir to combine, then turn off the heat.

Add 1 cup whole milk ricotta, ¼ cup grated Parmesan, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, and ½ tsp lemon zest to the pasta. Stir until the ingredients are combined, the residual heat from the pasta and skillet have warmed the ricotta, and the ricotta has turned into a creamy sauce.