Pea And Mint Pesto Crostini

Total Time: 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen peas, defrosted
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
• 1/3 cup olive oil (preferably extra virgin)
• 1 loaf sourdough bread or 1 loaf whole-grain baguette or 1 loaf ciabatta bread, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
• 1/4 cup olive oil (preferably extra virgin)
• 8 -10 cherry tomatoes, halved or 1 small tomato, diced

Recipe

• 1 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.
• 2 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.
• 3 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.
• 4 for maximum crispiness, use day old bread or fresh bread that's been dried out in a 300f oven for about 5 minutes.