Pea Pesto Crostini

For my first recipe from Giada's new Book, Giada at Home, I chose Pea Pesto Crostini because
Sur La Table served the crostini to all of Giada's fans in line. It is my Number 12!

Pea Pesto Crostini

Giada de Laurentiis

Giada at Home

Number 12

 

Ingredients

Pesto:

1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas, defrosted

1 garlic clove

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning

1/3 cup olive oil

Crostini:

8 (1/2-inch thick) slices whole-grain baguette or ciabatta bread, preferably day-old, * see Cook's Note

1/3 cup olive oil

8 cherry tomatoes, halved or 1 small tomato, diced

Directions

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.

(Giada's)

*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.

The presentation is absoluetly beautiful! The green and red are so vibrant and happy!

The hubby and the kids loved them!

I served them (just the Hubby, not the kids) with a glass of Los Vascos Chardonnay out in the garden.

It was a nice pairing.

For dinner, we had lemon basil (fresh from the herb garden) chicken.

Happy Cooking!

Laura