A savory puree of sweet green peas, pesto and parmesan served on toasted bread with crispy prosciutto.
Ingredients
one baguette
olive oil for brushing
one 3oz package thinly sliced prosciutto
8oz defrosted frozen peas (1 ½ cups)
1 ½ tablespoons toasted pine nuts
½ cup grated parmesan
1 ½ tablespoons Armanino Basil Pesto
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Directions
For the Crostini
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Slice the baguette with a serrated knife into thin 1/8” thick slices, lightly brush each slice on both sides with olive oil and place on a parchment lined sheet pan.
Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown and crispy, flipping each piece halfway through to brown evenly. Let cool completely.
For the Crispy Prosciutto
Line another sheet pan with parchment paper and carefully lay the slices of prosciutto on top, without overlapping or touching. Tip: packaged prosciutto usually comes with heavy waxed paper between the slices. Carefully separate the slices, leaving that paper intact on one side. Lay the prosciutto meat side down on the parchment lined pan and carefully pull back the sheet of waxed paper.
Bake for 10-15 minutes until crispy, flipping the prosciutto carefully halfway through to ensure even crispness. Let cool.
For the Pesto Pea Dip
In a food processor, pulse the peas, pine nuts, parmesan, basil pesto, salt and pepper a few times, scrape then run until smooth.
With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil through the feed tube until well combined, about 1-2 minutes.
Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated.
To serve, spread each crostini with a tablespoon of the pesto pea dip and top with a piece of crispy prosciutto. The dip keeps for about a week in the refrigerator.
Chef’s Tips
To quickly defrost the peas, place them in a bowl of room temperature water, let soak for a few minutes then strain, shaking well to remove any excess water.
If you like, add ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to the food processor with the peas for a little zing. A spoonful of chili crisp or a drizzle of sriracha on the finished crostini is quite nice too.
Alternatively, place the pea dip in a bowl in the center of a serving platter, top with the crispy prosciutto and surrounded with the crostini or crackers.
