Bell Pepper And Onion Crostini With Pesto Recipes

THREE PEPPER PESTO

Steps:

• Place the Parmesan cheese and olive oil in a blender or food processor; blend until smooth. Add the red bell pepper, basil, red pepper flakes, and black pepper; blend again until smooth.

SWEET PEPPER CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Brush the oil over the bread slices. Bake until pale golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. Arrange the bell pepper strips atop the bread. Sprinkle with the cheese. Broil until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

BELL PEPPER AND ONION CROSTINI WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Make toasts:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Put baguette slices on 2 large baking sheets, then brush tops with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in batches in middle of oven until pale golden, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack.
• Cook peppers and onions:
• Cook bell peppers, onions, and garlic with salt in oil in a wide 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until softened, 20 to 25 minutes. Cover pot and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender and just starting to brown, 20 to 25 minutes more. Stir in vinegar and remove from heat.
• Make pesto while peppers cook:
• Pulse all pesto ingredients except oil in a food processor until finely chopped. With motor running, add oil in a slow stream and blend until combined well.
• Assemble crostini:
• Put about 1 tablespoon pepper mixture on each toast and top with about 1/4 teaspoon pesto.

SHRIMP-ONION CROSTINI WITH ALMOND-PARSLEY PESTO

Steps:

• Make the pesto (this can be done ahead): Stick a palmful of almonds, a small handful of parsley, and a heart attack-inducing amount of salt in a food processer until it's nice and crumbly (don't worry about the salt, the pesto will be eaten in small portions!) Beat together about a tablespoon of softened butter with a couple glugs of olive oil until the butter floats around in little clumps. Mix oil mixture and almond/parsley mixture together and add freshly ground pepper. Taste it because it probably needs more salt, then plastic-wrap your container and put it in the fridge for later or continue the recipe.
• Preheat the broiler.
• If you're using fresh shrimp, shell and take the yucky stuff out, butterfly, then cook, saute, or grill with olive oil and black pepper. If using pre-cooked shrimp, thaw.
• Thinly slice the onion, and preserve the circle shape while saute-ing gently in oil just until tender, ~5 minutes.
• Slice the bread 1-1.5 inches thick and lay out on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush with olive oil.
• Thinly slice tomatoes, cover each crostini with one layer (either one slice from a big tomato or three slices from a grape tomato).
• Place a slice of the onion on top of each tomato, lay one (jumbo) or two (small) shrimp on top of the onion. Sprinkle chopped green onion over the tops.
• Broil until the bread is nice and toasty, about 10 minutes.
• Spoon a small amount of pesto onto each crostini, and serve.
• For bonus points, sprinkle with mozerella cheese!

PESTO PASTA WITH MUSHROOMS, ONIONS, AND RED BELL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions.
• Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onion until it starts to soften. Add the mushrooms and peppers and saute until tender.
• Add cooked spaghetti and pesto and combine well.
• Serve with garlic bread and salad.