pear and ricotta crostini
Pears come in many shapes and sizes, from Bartlett to Bosc, Anjou to Asian. Pears with Olinda olive oil and lemon atop ridiculously creamy ricotta smeared on crispy crostini make for a very yummy appetizer! A hint of honey and thyme to finish is all you need.
1 cup of homemade or store-bought ricotta
1 lemon, juiced and zested
Honey
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1 baguette, made into 24 crostini, see note below
1 pear, cored and thinly sliced
Fresh thyme leaves plus sprigs to garnish
In a medium bowl, whisk together the ricotta, zest of 1/2 the lemon, a little honey, salt and pepper. Add olive oil, if you would like! Spread a layer evenly on top of each crostini. In a small bowl, fold the thinly sliced pears together with the juice of 1/2 a lemon, a dollop of honey, salt and pepper. Place a thin slice of pear atop each crostini. Add thyme on top, a gentle drizzle of honey and olive oil.
Recipe for crostini:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Line 1-2 baking sheet swith foil to make clean up easier! Brush each side of the crostini with olive oil. Place them on the baking sheets in a single layer. Bake the crostini for about 10 minutes (more or less depending of your oven). Remove the crostini, salt the first side, flip and bake the other side of the crostini for 5-7 more minutes. Salt the second side. Remove the crostini from the oven. Set aside.
