Pumpkin Pesto Crostini Recipe with Goat Cheese
This pumpkin pesto crostini recipe with creamy goat cheese is a fun fall appetizer everyone loves. Sweet, savory, and ready for your next party!
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Pumpkin and pesto together on a crostini sounds like an odd couple, right? Trust me, it’s a match made in heaven. You get sweet, roasted pumpkin, bright basil pesto, and a smear of creamy goat cheese, all piled onto a crunchy slice of toasted bread. It’s the appetizer that disappears at every party I’ve ever brought it to.
I first made this recipe years ago when I got a little too ambitious and decided to roast a whole fresh pumpkin instead of just grabbing a can. It was worth the extra effort. Roasting your own pumpkin gives you a deeper, richer flavor than canned, and this crostini is the perfect way to show it off.
Why You’ll Love This Pesto Crostini Recipe:
Key Ingredients
Pumpkin: Look for a small “pie” or “cooking” pumpkin, not a big carving pumpkin. Roast it in the oven with olive oil, salt, and pepper. In a real time crunch, canned pumpkin puree will work too, though the texture will be smoother rather than slightly chunky.
Not a pumpkin fan, or just want to switch things up? Any of these 6 winter squash varieties roast up beautifully and make a great swap here.
Pesto: Pine nuts, garlic, fresh basil, olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper. This makes a classic, simple basil pesto; feel free to use store-bought in a pinch.
Goat Cheese: Choose your favorite creamy goat cheese as a topper for the pumpkin pesto crostini.
Bread: A French baguette (sliced on the diagonal for that classic crostini look). Or, make it gluten-free as I do. My go-to gluten-free baguette these days is Against the Grain. Even my gluten-eating family loves it!
How to Make Pumpkin Pesto Crostini
- Roast the pumpkin. Halve it, scoop out the seeds, drizzle the flesh with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roast flesh-side down at 350°F for 45 to 60 minutes, until it’s tender. Let it cool, then scoop out the flesh.
- Make the pesto. While the pumpkin roasts, toss the pine nuts, garlic, basil, olive oil, parmesan, salt, and pepper into a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Cook the pumpkin filling. Sauté the chopped onion in olive oil until golden, then stir in the roasted pumpkin with salt and pepper to taste.
- Toast your crostini. Slice the bread on the diagonal and toast until crisp.
- Assemble. Layer each crostini with pesto, the pumpkin mixture, a dollop of goat cheese, and a final swirl of pesto on top. Best enjoyed warm!
Tips for the Best Crostini Recipe
- Let the roasted pumpkin cool before mixing it with the onions, so it doesn’t turn mushy.
- Don’t skip toasting the bread. A sturdy, crisp crostini holds up to the toppings without going soggy.
- Roast extra pumpkin. It freezes well and makes a great addition to soups or oatmeal later.
FAQs
Pumpkin Pesto Crostini with Goat Cheese
Ingredients
Pumpkin Puree
- 1 cooking pumpkin
- 1 sweet onion, i.e. Maui or Vidalia; diced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle on the pumpkin
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Pesto
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 cups fresh basil , de-stemmed & packed tight
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Pumpkin Pesto Crostini
- 2 baguettes, gluten-free or regular
- Pesto, recipe above
- Roasted pumpkin puree, recipe above
- 16 ounces goat cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Halve and seed the pumpkin, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast flesh-side down for 45 to 60 minutes, until tender. Cool, then scoop out the flesh.
- While pumpkin is roasting, prepare pesto. Combine all pesto ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high hea. Add the onions and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the roasted pumpkin. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice bread on the diagonal and toast 4 to 6 minutes, until crisp.
- Top each crostini with pesto, pumpkin, and goat cheese. Best enjoyed while warm.
Notes
- In a time crunch, canned pumpkin puree works in place of fresh, though the texture will be smoother.
- No time to make the pesto? Use your favorite store-bought brand.
- My favorite gluten-free baguette is Against the Grain.
- The total number of servings may vary, depending on the size of your baguettes. In addition, you may have additional pesto and/or pumpkin left over. Both will keep in the refrigerator in a well-sealed container for up to 3 days.
