Tuscan Sunburst Appetizer (Printer-friendly)

Bright yellow peppers with lemon goat cheese and crisp breadsticks arranged in a sunburst style.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 3 large yellow bell peppers, seeded and sliced into thin strips

→ Cheese Mixture

02 - 7 oz fresh goat cheese, softened
03 - 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1–2 lemons)
04 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
05 - 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
06 - 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
07 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Bread

08 - 12 grissini (Italian breadsticks)

# How To Make It:

01 - Combine goat cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, chives, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Mix until smooth and creamy.
02 - Place yellow bell pepper strips in a circular pattern on a large serving platter to form sun rays, leaving the center empty.
03 - Spoon the lemon-infused goat cheese into the platter’s center and shape into a neat circle or dome.
04 - Arrange breadsticks around the platter, radiating outward from the cheese center like sun rays.
05 - Serve immediately, allowing guests to use breadsticks and bell peppers to scoop the cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks far more impressive than the 20 minutes it actually takes to make.
  • The lemon-goat cheese center is bright and creamy without feeling heavy.
  • It's one of those appetizers people keep coming back to, not because they're being polite, but because they genuinely want more.
02 -
  • If your goat cheese is cold and stiff, it won't blend smoothly with the lemon and oil—give it ten minutes on the counter and it transforms.
  • The peppers taste better if you slice them thick enough to hold their shape but thin enough to fold easily around a breadstick.
03 -
  • Arrange everything on the platter no more than an hour before serving so the peppers stay crisp and the cheese stays at the right texture.
  • If you want to add a wine pairing, a crisp Vermentino or Pinot Grigio echoes the brightness of the lemon and lets the goat cheese shine.
Go Back