Crostini with Pea Pesto

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I know, I know. The color is impossible. I've tried to tone it down but to no avail. It remains greener than the glorious hues that blanket the floor and hillsides of the valley in which we live. I obviously wouldn't post this, if it had no merit. So, let me say upfront, that these crostini are different, delicious and decidedly easy to prepare. If you are still looking for nibbles with which to start your holiday meal you might want to give them a try. The recipe was developed by Giada De Laurentis who obviously must love peas. She has used them to create a pesto that can be used as a spread or pasta sauce. I made a few changes to her recipe, but they are really minor and involved the addition of extra garlic and a squirt of fresh lemon juice. I also thought the size of the crostini was too large for a nibble, so I used a baguette and cut it into 12 rather than the 8 pieces that were recommended. The pesto should be made several hours before you plan to serve it. Its flavors improve with age and I think you'll be surprised at how well they meld. While this may not be to the liking of all, it is a really nice spring starter that I think you'll enjoy. Here's the recipe.

Crostini with Pea Pesto...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Giada De Laurentis

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:
1) To make pesto: Pulse peas, garlic, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper together in a food processor. With machine running, slowly add 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.
2) To make crostini: Preheat a stovetop griddle or grill pan on medium-high heat. Brush both sides of sliced bread with olive oil and grill until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer bread to a clean surface and spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of prepared pesto on each slice. Top with tomato halves and serve. Yield: 8 crostini.

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