Pea Shoot and Ricotta Crostini - Seasonal Recipe

Pea Shoot and Ricotta Crostini

🌍 Seasonal, Spring Difficulty: ●●●○○

Crostini ("little crusts") are an ancient Italian tradition of topping toasted or day-old bread with seasonal toppings — a practical solution for using up bread that became elevated into an art form.

Ingredients

• 1 baguette, sliced on the diagonal, 1.5cm/½ in thick
• 250g (1 cup) fresh whole-milk ricotta
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for bread
• Salt and black pepper
• 100g (98g (3.5 oz)) fresh pea shoots
• 2 tbsp fresh mint, torn
• Optional: drizzle of honey

Method

1. Preheating — Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil, and bake 8–10 minutes until golden and crisp.
2. Mixing — Mix ricotta with lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper until creamy.
3. Step 3 — In a small bowl, toss pea shoots and mint with remaining olive oil, salt, and pepper.
4. Spreading — Spread ricotta generously onto crostini. Top with a small mound of dressed pea shoots.
5. Step 5 — Finish with a crack of black pepper and a drizzle of honey if desired. Serve immediately.

Tags: baguette, fresh whole-milk ricotta, zest of 1 lemon, lemon juice, olive oil · Source: Brittani's Almanac