Caprese Crostini with Pesto

You’ll have leftover pesto. Toss it with freshly cooked pasta for a second, simple meal or add a dollop to your favorite vinaigrette. The generous amount of lemon juice makes this pesto tangy and preserves it’s brilliant green color.

For the pesto:
1 large clove garlic
3 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup toasted walnuts
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded or cut in small chunks
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt to taste

For the crostini:
24 1/2-inch baguette slices
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
8 ounces fresh mozarella, cut into 24 1/2-inch slices
3 medium tomatoes, each sliced into 4 rounds, then 8 half-rounds (total 24 half slices)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
24 small fresh basil leaves

To make the pesto: add garlic, fresh basil, walnuts and Parmesan cheese to the bowl of a food processor. Process until finely minced. With the processor running, drizzle in lemon juice and olive oil until the pesto is smooth. Add salt to taste and pulse to combine. Set aside.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high-heat). Brush both sides of baguette slices generously with olive oi. Grill until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. (Alternatively bake on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes per side.)

To assemble crostini: spread a generous amount of pesto on crostini and top each with a slice of fresh mozzarella and a slice of tomato. Drizzle with olive oil and season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Top each crostini with a fresh basil leaf and serve.

Makes 24 crostini