This savory Nduja Bruschetta is topped with sweet and smoky roasted yellow peppers, nduja, and creamy goat cheese. Serve it as an appetizer, snack, or enjoy it for lunch!
We can’t get enough of this nduja bruschetta. It’s salty, smoky, spicy, and everything in between. If you’ve never tried nduja before, this is a great introduction to the spreadable Italian sausage.
Everything is made in the oven from the toasted bread to the roasted bell peppers. Finely chopping the peppers turns them into an almost, paste-like texture which melts in your mouth with every bite. The creaminess of the goat cheese mellows out the heat from the nduja and adds tons of flavor.
It’s great for serving as an appetizer, snack, or light lunch. If you like spicy Italian-inspired recipes, try our Calabrian Chile Meatballs.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: The roasted peppers are simple to make and like all bruschetta recipes, it’s mostly just assembling the ingredients together on top of some crusty bread.
- Packed with Flavor: The combination of roasted bell peppers, spicy nduja, and creamy goat cheese create an explosion of flavor. It’s kind of like eating a personal sized pizza.
- Minimal Ingredients: This nduja bruschetta isn’t overly complicated and the majority of the ingredients are readily available at the grocery store (or in your kitchen).
Ingredient Notes
Ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Here you’ll find notes on why we chose certain ingredients as well as any substitutions.
- Nduja: A delicious spreadable pork sausage from the Calabria region of Italy. It’s spicy and has a savory flavor similar to pepperoni and Spanish chorizo.
- Yellow Bell Peppers: Their sweetness complements the spiciness of the nduja.
- Rustic Sourdough: You’ll need large slices of crusty bread to make this bruschetta.
- Goat Cheese: It’s distinct flavor and creamy texture pair perfectly with the smokiness of the peppers.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: No need for specific measurements on this one, just drizzle some on your bread before toasting.
- Garlic: Rubbing garlic on freshly toasted bread adds a wonderfully fragrant flavor.
- Fennel Fronds or Fresh Basil: Finish off your bruschetta with a few fennel fronds or fresh basil leaves.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This section provides a general overview as well as any pictures to guide you through the recipe. The full detailed recipe instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
STEP 1: Roast the peppers. Cut the bell peppers in half and remove the stem and seeds. Roast them cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet until charred. Then place them in a bowl covered with plastic wrap and steam for 10 minutes.
STEP 2: Toast the bread. Reline the baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the sourdough on top. Drizzle with olive oil and toast for 4-5 minutes in the oven. Cut the end off a garlic clove and rub on each slice of bread.
STEP 3: Peel and chop the peppers. After steaming, the skin should be soft and easy to remove. Peel off the charred skin and chop the bell peppers into small pieces.
STEP 4: Assemble the bruschetta. Spread the nduja on each slice of bread then top with the roasted yellow peppers and fresh crumbled goat cheese. Garnish with fennel fronds or fresh basil.
Expert Tips
- Rub the garlic on the bread while it’s warm. The heat and texture of the bread will melt the garlic onto the surface.
- Use tongs to peel the peppers. It makes peeling and lifting the skin off much easier.
FAQ
Well stocked or higher end grocery stores should have it. If you live near an Eataly, we recommend Sap’s Nduja di Spilinga. If you’re in the US, that specific brand is not available to buy online, but Eataly should carry it in stores. We also like Central Market’s nduja.
Yes, ricotta cheese and burrata are good substitutes for this recipe. You won’t get that classic tang that goat cheese has but both are tasty options.
If you tried this recipe, let us know how it turned out for you! Leave a star rating and review below and tag us on Instagram @fancifuleats so we can see your amazing kitchen creations!
📖 Recipe
Nduja Bruschetta with Roasted Peppers and Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- 3 yellow bell peppers washed and patted dry
- 4 slices rustic sourdough
- Extra-virgin olive oil for toasting
- 1 clove garlic
- 4 tbsp nduja
- 2 oz (56 g) goat cheese
- Fennel fronds or fresh basil for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475°F (245°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the bell peppers in half and remove the seeds and stem. Place the halves cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until the surface is charred.
- Transfer the peppers to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit for 10 minutes to steam.
- Meanwhile, reline the baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the sourdough slices on it. Drizzle the tops with olive oil and toast in the oven for 4-5 minutes.
- Cut the end off the garlic clove and rub the cut side along the surface of the warm bread.
- Peel the charred skin off the peppers and finely chop into pieces.
- Spread 1 tbsp of nduja onto each slice of bread and top with the roasted peppers. Crumble the goat cheese on top and garnish with fennel fronds or fresh basil.
Notes
- We like to use tongs to make the peeling process a bit easier.
- Rub the garlic on the bread while it's warm. The heat helps melt it onto the surface of the bread.
- Goat Cheese Substitute: You can opt for ricotta cheese or burrata.
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