Pea And Mint Pesto Crostini Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Place peas, garlic, vinegar, salt and lemon pepper in a blender or food processor; pulse until well blended. Continue processing while gradually adding oil in a steady stream. Add cheese; pulse just until blended. Add broth; pulse until mixture reaches desired consistency., Cut baguette into 20 slices, each 1/2 in. thick. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Broil 4-5 in. from heat until golden brown, 45-60 seconds per side. Remove to wire rack to cool., To assemble crostini, spread each slice with about 1 tablespoon pesto mixture; top with tomato pieces.

Steps:

• Grill 12 slices bread and rub with garlic clove.
• Blanch peas in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes for fresh peas and 1 minute for frozen.
• Drain peas; transfer to a bowl. Season with kosher salt and extra-virgin olive oil and mash with the back of a fork.
• Spread about 1 tablespoon mixture over each toast. Garnish with shaved Parmesan, torn mint, and a few drops of balsamic vinegar.

Steps:

• For the pea pesto: Pulse together the peas, Parmesan, garlic, and mint with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a food processor. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until everything is well combined and you have a smooth puree, about 1 minute. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
• For the crostini: Brush one side of the sliced bread with olive oil and toast it until golden brown and crispy. You can grill the bread if you prefer.
• Transfer the bread to a serving platter. If necessary, cut the bread slices so that you have slices about 2 inches long. Spread one heaping tablespoon of the pea pesto on each slice. Top each slice with a tomato half or a bit of diced tomato and serve.
• For maximum crispiness, use day old bread or fresh bread that's been dried out in a 300F oven for about 5 minutes.

Steps:

• For the pea pesto: Pulse together the peas, garlic, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a food processor. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
• For the crostini: Preheat a stovetop griddle or grill pan on medium-high heat. Brush both sides of the sliced bread with olive oil and grill until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the bread to a clean surface and spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of the prepared pesto on each slice.
• Top with tomato halves and serve.
• *Cook's note: If you don't have day-old bread on hand, you can dry out fresh bread by putting the slices in a preheated 300 degree F oven until slightly crisp, about 5 minutes.