Crostini with white pesto & roast cherry tomatoes

Name: Crostini with white pesto & roast cherry tomatoes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 35 g blanched almonds or walnuts; 80 g ricotta; ½ clove garlic, grated to a purée; ½ unwaxed lemon, zest; 40 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated; 70 ml extra virgin olive oil; 3 sprig/s oregano, leaves finely chopped, or ¼ pack basil, leaves only; 260 g ciabatta, cut into 16 slices

Diana Henry's starter for a spring to summer sharing menu.

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Serves4
CourseCanape
Prepare15 mins
Cook30 mins
Total time45 mins

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Ingredients

35g blanched almonds or walnuts
80g ricotta
½ clove garlic, grated to a purée
½ unwaxed lemon, zest
40g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
70ml extra virgin olive oil
3 sprig/s oregano, leaves finely chopped, or ¼ pack basil, leaves only
260g ciabatta, cut into 16 slices

For the tomatoes

400g cherry vine tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tbsp Mazzetti Bianco Speciale White Condiment
¼ tsp chilli flakes (optional, to taste)

Method

Lightly toast the nuts in a frying pan, then cool and roughly chop. Put the ricotta, nuts, garlic, lemon zest, parmesan, olive oil and oregano (or basil) into a food processor and blitz to a paste using the pulse button. Season. If your food processor is too big or you don’t want the washing up, use a pestle and mortar.
Preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6. Put the tomatoes in a roasting tin in a single layer. Add all the other ingredients, then turn everything over with your hands. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes are a little shrunken and scorched in patches.
Put the slices of ciabatta onto a baking sheet and, when the tomatoes have cooked, toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes. You don’t have to turn the slices over, but you might have to turn the baking sheet around to ensure even toasting. Leave to cool a little. Spread the toasts generously with the white pesto. Cut the tomatoes into little sprigs – or pull them off their stems – and put on top of the toasts, spooning over any juices.