Mozzarella and Roasted Red Pepper Boo-schetta
A spooky Halloween twist on classic bruschetta featuring mozzarella rounds decorated to look like eyeballs using roasted red peppers, olives, and pesto-mascarpone mixture. Perfect for a festive appetizer that's both delicious and visually striking.
Ingredients
- •1 loaf Italian bread
- •2 cloves garlic
- •1 pinch Salt
- •1 pinch black pepper
- •¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- •3 balls fresh mozzarella
- •2 tablespoons basil pesto and mascarpone
- •7 olives black olives
- •1 jar roasted red bell peppers
- •drained
- •patted dry
- •and cut into thin strips
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Heat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.
5 min
- 2.
Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet and bake until pale golden, 6 to 12 minutes. Rub tops of slices with cut sides of garlic, then brush each bread slice with oil. Season toasts with salt and pepper and transfer to a wire rack to let cool completely.
12 min
- 3.
Cut mozzarella crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and trim, if necessary, to fit toasts.
5 min
- 4.
Stir together pesto and mascarpone in a small bowl. If necessary, thin mixture with a little olive oil or water.
3 min
- 5.
Dollop 1/2 teaspoon pesto mixture in center of each mozzarella-covered toast, then top each dollop with an olive slice to form the "irises" of the "eyeballs." Add 6 to 8 pepper slices for "veins," trimming to fit.
15 min
- 6.
Serve within 1 hour of making.
