Ah, the wonders of pesto. It’s such a versatile spread. Eat it plain on bread, add it to a pasta dish, marinate your chicken in it, or use it to whip up delicious caprese crostini, as we do in this recipe. Make extra pesto and freeze it in an ice cube tray, so you can just pop out a cube whenever you need an emergency sauce, chip dip, or accompaniment for pre-dinner Italian bread. Pine nuts can be expensive, so try using walnuts or hemp seed to get that nutty flavor. These caprese crostini hors d’ouevres are sure to delight the taste buds of your guests at any party or celebration!
What You Need
For Pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 2.5 cups baby spinach
- 1.5 cups parmesan cheese, shredded or grated
- ¾ cup pine nuts
- ½ cup walnut oil
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
For Crostini
- Bagel crisps or toasted Italian bread
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 8 oz. mozzarella slices
What to Do
- Put the basil, baby spinach, pine nuts, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, garlic cloves, walnut oil, and salt into a food processor. Blend until creamy and spreadable, adding more walnut oil if necessary. (You can also use olive oil, if that’s what you have on hand.)
- Spread a layer of pesto onto each bagel crisp, and top with a slice of mozzarella cheese and a grape tomato half. Serve within 24 hours for maximum taste!
