Name: Bruschetta with Black Olive Pesto, Ricotta and Basil
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: ItalianEurope
Ingredients: 1 loaf country bread with thick crust (about 10 by 5 inches, ends discarded), sliced crosswise into into ¾-inch-thick pieces; ½ garlic clove , peeled; ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 garlic clove , minced; ½ cup pitted kalamata olives; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , plus extra for serving; 2 tablespoons minced shallot; 1½ teaspoons lemon juice; 1½ cups whole-milk ricotta cheese; 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves , finely shredded

Why This Recipe Works

Pairing year-round, pantry-ready ingredients like black olives with a mild cheese like ricotta fit the bill for the punchy, concentrated flavors we wanted for our bruschetta recipe. We pulsed some of the bruschetta topping ingredients in the food processor until they formed a rough paste, which provided a stable base for the other toppings and allowed us to easily pick up our bruschetta and eat it neatly.

Before You Begin

Use only a high-quality whole-milk ricotta for this recipe; our preferred brand is Calabro.

Instructions

for the toasted bread

Adjust oven rack so it is about 4 inches from heating element and heat broiler. Place bread on foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil until bread is deep golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and repeat on second side. Lightly rub 1 side of slices with garlic and brush with oil. Season to taste with salt.

for the topping

Process garlic, olives, oil, shallot, and lemon juice in food processor until uniform paste forms, about 10 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula once during processing. Combine ricotta with salt and pepper to taste in small bowl. Divide olive topping among toasts and spread to edges. Top with ricotta and carefully spread over pesto. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with basil, and serve.