Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Crostini

Total Time: 25 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 1 baguette, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 roasted red peppers, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted
• 3 tablespoons grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 ounces goat cheese

Recipe

• 1 preheat an oven to 350°f.
• 2 arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet and brush lightly on both sides with the 1/4 cup olive oil.
• 3 lightly toast both sides of bread in oven.
• 4 while the crostini are still warm, rub the top of each one with 1 of the garlic cloves. set aside.
• 5 in the bowl of a food processor, combine the red peppers, the remaining garlic clove, the almonds, cheese, 3 tbs. of the parsley, the lemon juice, the 2 teaspoons olive oil and the cayenne pepper. pulse until a coarse puree forms. season with salt and black pepper.
• 6 place the crostini in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• 7 spread about 2 teaspoons of the goat cheese on each crostini.
• 8 bake until the cheese is slightly soft and the crostini are warm, about 5 minutes. transfer to a platter and top each with about 1 tbs. of the red pepper pesto.
• 9 sprinkle with the remaining 1 tbs. parsley.