Description
During ramp season, ramp pesto is the thing to make. It’s garlicky, slightly spicy and perfect on crostini with rich, creamy ricotta cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
Pesto:
- 3 cups roughly chopped ramp leaves (from about 2 bunches)
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- ¼ cup parmigiano reggiano cheese, finely grated
- Zest of half a lemon, plus more for topping
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for topping
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
The rest:
- 1 baguette loaf
- ½ lb fresh ricotta cheese (cow’s or sheep’s milk)
- Cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Toast pine nuts: Add nuts to a small, room temperature pan. Turn heat to medium and toast, 4-5 minutes, tossing often until lightly browned. Remove from pan and let cool.
- Make pesto: Add nuts to a food processor and finely grind. Add ramp leaves and pulse until finely chopped. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until emulsified. Stir in cheese, lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Toast bread: Preheat oven to 350°F. Add whole baguette to oven straight on the rack, and warm for 5-8 minutes or until crispy. Remove from oven. Heat a large flat top griddle or nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Slice bread in half lengthwise. Grease griddle. Place cut side of bread down on pan and apply slight pressure. Toast bread 2-3 minutes or until browned.
- Slice & assemble: Slice toasted baguette halves into 1 ½ inch wide slices. Slather on ramp pesto. Spoon over ricotta cheese. Top with black pepper, lemon zest and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Toast
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 small crostini
- Calories: 402
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 482mg
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g