Piedmont's blu di Moncenisio ages in mountain caves, its funk balanced by acacia honey drizzled over pancetta-topped crostone since medieval times.
Special Crostone
Elevate your summer snacking with our delightful Special Crostone! Imagine juicy, sun-kissed grapes paired with creamy cheese, all served atop perfectly toasted bread for that irresistible crunch. This quick and easy appetizer is a delightful burst of flavor that will leave your guests craving more!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
This crostone is basically Piedmont and Sardinia having an argument at the dinner table—blu di Moncenisio from the Alpine north crashes into vermentino from the Mediterranean south, a regional standoff that only resolved itself when some clever Turin cheesemonger in the 1990s realized pungent blue cheese and sweet acacia honey were basically destined to be Italy's answer to a British ploughman's lunch, posh version.
Regional Twist
In Piedmont's Langhe hills, they'd swap the acacia honey for chestnut honey and use a Castelmagno instead of blu di Moncenisio, giving the pancetta arrotolata a smokier, more mineral counterpart that fights back against all that caramelized pizzutella sweetness.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- 2 spicchi d’aglio
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 200gr. di pancetta arrotolata (7.06 oz)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 200gr di blu di Moncenisio (7.06 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 2 cucchiai di miele d’acacia (30 ml)
- 1/2 pagnotta semi integrale
- Olio evo qb
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- Pepe nero qb
- Sale fino qb
- Timo, santoreggia o rosmarino qboptional
📦Other(3)
- 300gr di uva tipo pizzutella (10.6 oz)
- 4 pesche tabacchiere
- 1L di vermentino di Sardegna (4.23 cup)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
812
Protein
24g
Carbs
61g
Fat
36g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Choose a semi-integral bread and cut it into thick slices.
- 2
Season the bread slices with olive oil, salt, and your choice of herbs.
- 3
Toast the bread in the oven until golden.
- 4
Prepare the grapes by roasting them until they become caramelized.
- 5
Layer the toasted bread with blu di Moncenisio cheese and the roasted grapes.
- 6
Add slices of rolled pancetta on top.
- 7
Drizzle with acacia honey before serving.
- 8
Serve with chilled vermentino wine and slices of tabacchiera peaches.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Toast semi-integral bread at 200°C for 8-10 minutes until the crust reaches 65°C internal temperature, which allows the denser crumb to dry out without burning the bran while developing Maillard flavors.timing200°C | 8-10 minutes | 65°C internal
- ✓Roast grapes (pizzutella variety) at 180°C for 12-14 minutes until their skins split and release juice; the natural sugars concentrate to approximately 25-30% solids as water evaporates, creating enzymatic browning reactions.timing180°C | 12-14 minutes | 25-30% sugar concentration
- ✓Layer blu di Moncenisio (soft-paste cheese with 45-50% moisture) while bread is still warm (50-55°C) so the residual heat softens the cheese's crystalline structure without causing separation of fats and water.technique50-55°C bread temperature | 45-50% cheese moisture
- ✓Add pancetta after cheese layer while bread is still warm (45°C) so the rendered fat (approximately 15-20% by weight in rolled pancetta) emulsifies slightly into the cheese, improving adhesion and flavor integration.technique45°C temperature | 15-20% pancetta fat content
- ✓Drizzle acacia honey at 38-40°C (slightly warmed) just before serving because this viscosity allows even distribution across the crostone without pooling, while the mild floral notes (fructose-dominant, 38% glucose) complement blue cheese's pungency without overwhelming it.technique38-40°C honey temperature | 38% glucose ratio
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Piedmont's blu di Moncenisio ages in mountain caves, its funk balanced by acacia honey drizzled over pancetta-topped crostone since medieval times.
Special Crostone
Elevate your summer snacking with our delightful Special Crostone! Imagine juicy, sun-kissed grapes paired with creamy cheese, all served atop perfectly toasted bread for that irresistible crunch. This quick and easy appetizer is a delightful burst of flavor that will leave your guests craving more!
The Story
This crostone is basically Piedmont and Sardinia having an argument at the dinner table—blu di Moncenisio from the Alpine north crashes into vermentino from the Mediterranean south, a regional standoff that only resolved itself when some clever Turin cheesemonger in the 1990s realized pungent blue cheese and sweet acacia honey were basically destined to be Italy's answer to a British ploughman's lunch, posh version.
Regional Twist
In Piedmont's Langhe hills, they'd swap the acacia honey for chestnut honey and use a Castelmagno instead of blu di Moncenisio, giving the pancetta arrotolata a smokier, more mineral counterpart that fights back against all that caramelized pizzutella sweetness.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- 2 spicchi d’aglio
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 200gr. di pancetta arrotolata (7.06 oz)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 200gr di blu di Moncenisio (7.06 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 2 cucchiai di miele d’acacia (30 ml)
- 1/2 pagnotta semi integrale
- Olio evo qb
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- Pepe nero qb
- Sale fino qb
- Timo, santoreggia o rosmarino qboptional
📦Other(3)
- 300gr di uva tipo pizzutella (10.6 oz)
- 4 pesche tabacchiere
- 1L di vermentino di Sardegna (4.23 cup)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
812
Protein
24g
Carbs
61g
Fat
36g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Choose a semi-integral bread and cut it into thick slices.
- 2
Season the bread slices with olive oil, salt, and your choice of herbs.
- 3
Toast the bread in the oven until golden.
- 4
Prepare the grapes by roasting them until they become caramelized.
- 5
Layer the toasted bread with blu di Moncenisio cheese and the roasted grapes.
- 6
Add slices of rolled pancetta on top.
- 7
Drizzle with acacia honey before serving.
- 8
Serve with chilled vermentino wine and slices of tabacchiera peaches.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Toast semi-integral bread at 200°C for 8-10 minutes until the crust reaches 65°C internal temperature, which allows the denser crumb to dry out without burning the bran while developing Maillard flavors.timing200°C | 8-10 minutes | 65°C internal
- ✓Roast grapes (pizzutella variety) at 180°C for 12-14 minutes until their skins split and release juice; the natural sugars concentrate to approximately 25-30% solids as water evaporates, creating enzymatic browning reactions.timing180°C | 12-14 minutes | 25-30% sugar concentration
- ✓Layer blu di Moncenisio (soft-paste cheese with 45-50% moisture) while bread is still warm (50-55°C) so the residual heat softens the cheese's crystalline structure without causing separation of fats and water.technique50-55°C bread temperature | 45-50% cheese moisture
- ✓Add pancetta after cheese layer while bread is still warm (45°C) so the rendered fat (approximately 15-20% by weight in rolled pancetta) emulsifies slightly into the cheese, improving adhesion and flavor integration.technique45°C temperature | 15-20% pancetta fat content
- ✓Drizzle acacia honey at 38-40°C (slightly warmed) just before serving because this viscosity allows even distribution across the crostone without pooling, while the mild floral notes (fructose-dominant, 38% glucose) complement blue cheese's pungency without overwhelming it.technique38-40°C honey temperature | 38% glucose ratio