Bruschetta With Fresh Ricotta And Pine Nut Salsa Verde Recipes

BRUSCHETTA

Steps:

• For tomato mixture: Heat olive oil in a small skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and saute until just starting to turn golden (don't brown it), about 1 minute.
• Pour into a large mixing bowl. Let cool while you chop the tomatoes and basil.
• Pour tomatoes into bowl with cooled oil mixture. Add parmesan, basil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss mixture well. Serve right away over toasted bread (spoon some of the juices along with it). Garnish with more parmesan if desired.
• To toast bread*: position oven rack a few inches below broil and preheat broiler. Align bread slices on an 18 by 13-inch baking sheet. Broil first side until golden brown, about 1 minute (don't walk away and keep and eye on them they'll brown quickly), then flip slices to opposite side and broil opposite side until golden brown.

CREAMY RICOTTA TART WITH PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In the bowl of a food processor, pulse flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 3/4 cup of pine nuts, and salt until finely ground. Add the butter. Pulse dough just until it comes together.
• Place the dough into an 11-inch diameter tart pan with a removable bottom and press down to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Refrigerate until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
• Line the tart shell with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the tart shell in the lower third of the oven until just set, about 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and pie weights. Bake until the tart shell is lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Cool completely.
• Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar with the water in a small saucepan over low heat. You don't want to boil the water, you just want to heat it so that the sugar can dissolve thoroughly. Stir until the sugar dissolves and remove from heat.
• In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the ricotta cheese and cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs and egg yolks, 1 at a time, and process until smooth. With the machine running, add the sugar syrup in a thin steady stream and process until smooth.
• Pour the custard into the tart shell and bake until the filling is almost set, about 20 to 25 minutes. Scatter the remaining 3/4 cup of toasted pine nuts atop the filling. Bake until the custard is set, about 10 minutes longer. Let the tart cool completely before serving.
• The tart can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Return the tart to room temperature before serving.

HERBED RICOTTA BRUSCHETTAS

Steps:

• Prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals or turn a gas grill to medium-high heat.
• Combine the ricotta, scallions, dill, chives, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and set aside. Cut the bread in half and cut each half into 6 thick slices to make 12 slices total.
• When the grill is hot, brush the bread with olive oil and grill on each side for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from the grill and rub each slice of bread with the cut side of the garlic clove. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and spread with the herbed ricotta. Serve 2 warm slices per person with the green salad on the side.
• Set a large sieve over a deep bowl. Dampen 2 layers of cheesecloth with water and line the sieve with the cheesecloth.
• Pour the milk and cream into a stainless-steel or enameled pot such as Le Creuset. Stir in the salt. Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar. Allow the mixture to stand for 1 minute until it curdles. It will separate into thick parts (the curds) and milky parts (the whey).
• Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined sieve and allow it to drain into the bowl at room temperature for 20 to 25 minutes, occasionally discarding the liquid that collects in the bowl. The longer you let the mixture drain, the thicker the ricotta. (I tend to like mine on the thicker side, but some prefer it moister.) Transfer the ricotta to a bowl, discarding the cheesecloth and any remaining whey. Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The ricotta will keep refrigerated for 4 to 5 days.
• Place the salad greens in a large bowl.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour enough dressing on the salad to moisten. Toss and serve.

FRESH RICOTTA AND FAVA BEAN BRUSCHETTA

Steps:

• Cook fava beans or lima beans in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 1 1/2 minutes for fava beans or about 4 minutes for lima beans. Drain. Rinse under cold water; drain well. Peel fava beans if using; set aside. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange bread pieces on baking sheet; toast in oven until light golden, about 12 minutes. Rub 1 side of each bread piece with cut side of 1 garlic half, pressing firmly to release juices into bread. Top each bread piece with 1 heaping tablespoon ricotta cheese, then fava beans, dividing equally. Place 2 bread pieces on each of 8 plates. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Garnish with sliced basil and serve.

FRESH SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• In an ungreased skillet, cook tomatillos over medium heat for 10 minutes or until tender and browned, turning frequently. Cool on a wire rack. For a milder flavor, remove veins and seeds from serrano peppers; finely chop peppers., In a food processor, combine the tomatillos, peppers, onion, 2 tablespoons cilantro, garlic and salt; cover and pulse just until mixture is coarsely pureed. , Transfer to a serving bowl; sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Refrigerate until serving.

BRUSCHETTA SALAD

Steps:

• Combine tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, bagel chips, basil, red onion, olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, basil, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl; toss until evenly combined. Refrigerate until chilled, 15 to 30 minutes.

PROSCIUTTO PARMESAN AND PINE NUT BRUSCHETTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, cream the butter. Blend in prosciutto, Parmesan cheese and ground black pepper.
• Place baguettes on a medium baking sheet. Heat in the preheated oven until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes.
• Spread baguette slices with the butter mixture. Arrange on a large serving platter. Sprinkle with pine nuts.

RICOTTA WITH LEMON, BASIL, AND HONEY BRUSCHETTA

Steps:

• Mix fresh ricotta with lemon zest, and spread onto toasts (do not rub with garlic or drizzle with oil in this variation). Add a few basil leaves, and drizzle with delicate honey.

FRESH SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Place the tomatillos, garlic, cilantro, green onions, jalapenos and salt in the blender or food processor container.
• Pulse until onions are processed, about 10 to 15 seconds.
• Pulse a few more times in needed, but be careful and not over process.
• Pour mixture into an airtight container, and chill for 1 to 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to blend.
• Before serving, add the cubed avocado.
• The cook time reflects the chilling time.

RICOTTA AND PINE NUT SALAD

Steps:

• Place ricotta in a mixing bowl and break up with a fork. Tear basil leaves into pieces, and toss with ricotta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Place a small dry skillet over medium heat, and add pine nuts. Stir constantly until nuts are darkly golden. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
• Arrange salad leaves on a large platter and sprinkle with Belgian endive. In a small bowl, combine vinegar and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle mixture over salad greens, and toss. Spread pine nuts evenly over greens.
• Drop small mounds of ricotta mixture onto greens. Dust ricotta with paprika, and garnish platter with basil leaves. Serve.

SALSA VERDE WITH NUTS

Steps:

• In a food processor or with a mortar and pestle, pulse or pound the anchovy and garlic to a paste, then add capers, and then the herbs until everything is coarsely pureed. Be careful not to overprocess.
• Add the olive oil a bit at a time until mixture is smooth and saucy. Taste, and add more oil if necessary. Stir in nuts, and serve with fish.

FRESH TOMATO BRUSCHETTA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the first 10 ingredients. , Spread baguette slices with butter; top each with a cheese slice. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Broil 3-4 in. from the heat until cheese is melted, 3-5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, top each slice with about 1 tablespoon tomato mixture.

BRUSCHETTA WITH FRESH RICOTTA AND PINE NUT SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Before you begin, make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. Preheat your grill, if using. (You can also crisp the bread in a toaster.)
• Combine the ricotta and oil in a metal bowl and whip with a whisk until fluffy. Alternatively, use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just to lighten the mixture and make sure the oil is incorporated.
• Brush each slice of bread with a little olive oil, and then grill until lightly toasted and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Alternatively, use a toaster to crisp the bread then brush with olive oil.
• Spread the ricotta mixture over the crostini, about 2 tablespoons per slice. Dollop about 1 teaspoon of the salsa verde on each and serve.