Arugula-Pea Bruschetta
By: MightyEskim081
Published: Tuesday, February 1, 2011 - 7:32am

Ingredients




1 1/2 pounds fresh English peas (still in the pod)
1/2 cup arugula
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 zest from of a lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup ricotta cheese
Optional: fleur du sel
extra-virgin olive oil
1 loaf skinny French bread, cut into thin slices
2 garlic cloves

Preparation

1 In a medium pot, bring 2-3 cups water (enough for the peas to cook in freely like pasta) and Kosher salt (enough to taste) to a boil.  2 In the meantime, shuck peas from pods. Add peas to boiling water. Stir and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Pat dry with paper towel(s) and set aside. 3 Place bread slices on baking sheets and lightly brush with olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 min, oil side up. Turn over and bake another 5 min. When still warm, rub with garlic. 4 To a food processor, add peas, arugula, cheese, zest, and juice. Purée, scraping down sides of bowl. Taste, then season with salt and pepper.  5 Add broth--you may not need all of the broth. You want to add enough to get the consistency of loose pesto, but it shouldn't be runny. 6 Put in a a serving bowl. Put ricotta cheese in a separate bowl and drizzle oil over (just for garnish--don't drown the cheese) and top with a dusting of fleur du sel. 7 Top toasts with pea purée and ricotta cheese.

About


Got inspired by an appetizer I had in San Francisco. This recipe is the bomb and only took about 45 minutes. Don't be turned off by the peas. My bro-in-law hates peas, but said this was delicious. As the lovely JC would say, bon appetit!