Roasted Red Pepper Bruschetta with Bacon

5 from 2 votes

Bright and easy, this Roasted Red Pepper Bruschetta is a quick and easy standalone appetizer or vibrant finger food perfect for picnics.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Appetizer, Finger Food

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: Bruschetta

Calories: 164kcal

Preheat oven to 375F.
Place washed and de-seeded peppers in a baking tray lined with baking paper. Roast the peppers until they are soft, blistering, and possibly slightly blackened. Approx. 20 minutes
When the peppers are cooked, peel the skins and set them aside. For tips on roasting and peeling peppers, see my post on how to make roasted peppers.
Note: keep the oven on for the bruschetta bread.
While the peppers are in the oven, blend the basil, parsley, garlic, olive oil, and salt to taste in a food processor or with an immersion blender until smooth – like a pesto. Reserve some fresh herbs for garnish.
Cut the baguette into about 1-inch slices. Line a large tray with baking paper and spread each slice with the pesto mix.
Note: Reserve 1 tablespoon of the pesto mix for the roasted peppers.
Bake in the preheated oven for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
While baking the bruschetta, heat a pan over medium heat and fry the bacon pieces until crispy. Place on a paper towel to drain any excess fat.
Cut the peeled peppers into small pieces. Add oregano, reserved pesto, and balsamic vinegar. Mix well.
Once the bruschetta slices are cool, spread each with a dollop of ricotta and top with some roasted peppers.
Sprinkle each with crispy bacon bits. Garnish with chopped herbs.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

Bread: Either crusty baguette or ciabatta bread works best for bruschetta.
Bacon: You can use bacon or pancetta; just make sure it’s thinly sliced and small to get nice, crisp, little bacon bits. This recipe is just as good without the bacon, so feel free to leave it off for a vegetarian bruschetta.
Herbs: You can play with the herbs you use, but make sure they are fresh. Basil works best with this recipe, though, as it is a lovely, fragrant herb that is perfect with the red pepper for a seasonal summer picnic recipe.
Ricotta: You can use goat cheese if you prefer, but it will have a much stronger flavor profile. You can also combine ricotta and goat cheese.

Expert Tips

Ricotta: If your ricotta (or goat cheese) is in brine or is quite wet, drain it off before using it. You don’t want to make the bruschetta bread unnecessarily soggy.
Cool the Bruschetta: Ensure the toasted bread is cooled properly before adding your toppings. You don’t want warm bread to melt the ricotta.
Toasting the Bread: Make sure the bread is toasted well so it is dry like toast but still pliable, but not so much that it is hard to bite into, especially if you use ciabatta bread.