Pea Pesto Crostini

Ingredients:

Pesto:
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas, defrosted
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
1/3 cup olive oil

Crostini:
8 (1/2-inch thick) slices whole-grain baguette or ciabatta bread, preferably day-old, [see *note below]
1/3 cup olive oil
8 cherry tomatoes, halved or 1 small tomato, diced

Preparing the pea pesto:
Pulse together the peas, garlic, parmesan, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a food processor. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Preparing the crostini: Preheat a stove top griddle or grill pan on medium-high heat. Brush both sides of the sliced bread with olive oil and grill until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the bread to a clean surface and spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of the prepared pesto on each slice. Top with tomato halves.

Serves 4 to 6

Note: If you don't have day-old bread on hand, you can dry out fresh bread by putting the slices in a preheated 300 degree F oven until slightly crisp, about 5 minutes.