Pea And Mint Pesto Crostini - cooking recipe

Ingredients

For the Pesto
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)
For the Crostini
1 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 tomatoes, diced

Preparation

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.