Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Crostini Recipes

ROASTED RED PEPPER PESTO CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350°F.
• Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet and brush lightly on both sides with the 1/4 cup olive oil.
• Lightly toast both sides of bread in oven.
• While the crostini are still warm, rub the top of each one with 1 of the garlic cloves. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the red peppers, the remaining garlic clove, the almonds, cheese, 3 Tbs. of the parsley, the lemon juice, the 2 teaspoons olive oil and the cayenne pepper. Pulse until a coarse puree forms. Season with salt and black pepper.
• Place the crostini in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Spread about 2 teaspoons of the goat cheese on each crostini.
• Bake until the cheese is slightly soft and the crostini are warm, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a platter and top each with about 1 Tbs. of the red pepper pesto.
• Sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tbs. parsley.

CROSTINI WITH ROASTED RED PEPPER AND FETA

Steps:

• To roast the garlic and red bell peppers, first arrange the garlic cloves on a piece of foil, drizzle with some olive oil and fold foil to seal. Next place the whole bell peppers on the baking sheet. Drizzle about 1/2 tablespoon olive oil onto the peppers, turning to coat. Roast for about 15-20 at 425°F Watch carefully!
• Once the garlic and roasted bell peppers are done, set aside to cool. In a food processor, squeeze the garlic out of their skin. Next peel the bell peppers, remove seeds and stem, chop coarsely and add to processor. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, beans, vinegar, salt, pepper and half of feta. Pulse about 5 or 6 times or until combined.
• Cut bread into 24 slices (1/4") on the diagonal. Arrange the bread slices on the baking sheet, and brush with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• Spread the bell pepper-bean mixture on one side of each slice of bread. Lastly, sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Bake at 350°F for 5-7 minutes.
• Garnish with Italian parsley and serve.

ROASTED RED PEPPER PESTO

Steps:

• Toast the garlic in a small skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until the color of the cloves deepens slightly, about 7 minutes.
• Transfer the garlic to a plate to cool, then peel the cloves and mince.
• Process the garlic, peppers, parmesan, ricotta, shallot, parsley, thyme, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve with your choice of al-dente pasta!