Red Pepper and Bacon Bruschetta

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This easy bruschetta appetizer is a delicious variation of the traditional tomato-based recipe and it includes BACON, so you know it’s gotta to be good!

You’ll love the vibrant color, bold flavor, and crunchy texture in this Red Pepper and Bacon Bruschetta! Served on crostini and topped with savory Parmesan cheese and fresh basil, it’s the perfect appetizer for summer dinner parties on the patio.

If you’re searching for an appetizer that compliments everything, this is it. It may well be a sophisticated Italian-inspired recipe, but this simple red pepper bruschetta is equally delicious alongside all-American grilled burgers and barbecue chicken, too!

Not only is this a beautiful dish you’ll be proud to put on your table, roasted red pepper bruschetta literally takes minutes to prepare!

Love Mediterranean flavors? Try my Mediterranean Appetizer Pinwheels or these Italian Nachos — both are crowd pleasers!

Key ingredients and substitutions for Roasted Red Pepper Crostini

• Mezzetta Roasted Red Bell Pepper Strips — These convenient peppers are flame roasted and have the perfect texture for this recipe. You’ll want to pick up an extra jar so you can make my Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade, too!
• Red onion — Most red onions have a mild, sweet flavor, but sometimes they can be pretty strong. If that’s the case, you can tame them by placing them in a fine mesh strainer and pouring boiling water on top. In place of the red onion, you could also use a finely diced shallot.
• Bacon — The bacon needs to be cooked crisp and finely chopped. Even when we only need a few slices for breakfast, I usually cook the whole package to have leftovers for recipes like this — and to crumble on top of salads!
• Garlic — Use 1 or 2 cloves depending on how big your garlic is and how much you like. You can always just toss in a teasspoon of jarred minced garlic if you don’t have fresh on hand.

• Extra-virgin olive oil — The Mezzetta peppers already have plenty of flavor, so if you only have a light olive oil it will be fine.
• Sherry vinegar — Sherry vinegar is a great complement to roasted red peppers, but you may also use red wine vinegar.
• Parmesan cheese — Use the fine grating side of a box grater to freshly grate a block of Parmesan, or even Pecorino Romano cheese.
• Basil — Fresh herbs really elevate any dish! Luckily we have a big basil plant on our patio! Roll the leaves together and slice across to make a chiffonade cut.
• Baguette — You’ll slice a French baguette diagonally into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices and then toast to make crostini for serving.

How to make Roasted Red Pepper Bruschetta

STEP 1 | Drain the peppers and chop ingredients

Drain all the liquid from the jar of roasted red pepper strips and place the peppers right into the serving bowl — no need to dirty up anything else! I leave the peppers in strips, but of course you can give them a rough chop first if you prefer.

Next, chop up the bacon, onions, and mince a garlic clove using your garlic press. Now, give it all a stir to combine.

STEP 2 | Season and rest

Drizzle equal amounts of extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar over the bruschetta mixture. You’ll want to give it another quick stir to make sure everything is well coated. If you like, add a few grinds of black pepper now, too.

That’s it —the bruschetta is done! Well… almost. Now you let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes (or even up to a half hour) to let all those delicious flavors meld together. Delish!

STEP 3 | Bake crostini

Last step is to prepare the bread for serving. Take a French loaf and slice it into pieces that are no thicker than 1/2 inch. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet.

Drizzle olive oil evenly over the bread then pop it in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. You want the bread to get nice and toasty on both sides.

STEP 3 | Garnish and serve

Once the baguette is toasted, add a layer of freshly grated parmesan cheese and garnish the red bell pepper bruschetta with freshly chopped basil leaves — isn’t that so pretty!

Now, watch this yumminess disappear!

Frequently asked questions