Red Pesto Bruschetta with Grilled Summer Vegetables
When the spread is as good as the pesto on this bruschetta, you don’t need much in terms of additional toppings. Just a pop of contrasting color and balancing flavor from the season’s best vegetables, and you’re good to go! This is the perfect app—easy to make, eye-catching, not overly filling, yet full of vibrant flavor.
- 1/3 c. slivered blanched almonds
- 2 whole roasted red bell peppers (high-quality jarred or homemade, see TIP A)
- 8-10 whole sun dried tomatoes (packed in extra virgin olive oil)
- 2 tbsp. olive oil from sun dried tomato jar
- 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 small garlic clove, coarsely chopped
- 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
- 1 baguette (French or multigrain), sliced on the diagonal in 3/4-in pieces
- 3-4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium garlic clove, halved
- 3-4 c. grilled or roasted vegetables of your choice (see TIP B)
- kosher or flake sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
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Lightly toast the slivered almonds over medium heat in a small, dry skillet (about 3 minutes total, watch closely). Once toasted, transfer the almonds to a food processor and add the remaining Pesto ingredients. Whir all of the ingredients together until well-blended and mostly smooth. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Set aside until ready to use. The pesto can be made up to 48 hours in advance and stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Let come to room temperature before serving.
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If toasting, warm a very large skillet over medium heat. If grilling, warm your grill to about 400°. Lightly brush both sides of every slice of baguette with olive oil. Place the slices in an even layer across the skillet or grill (work in batches if needed) and lightly toast on both sides. While toasting the second side, gently rub the halved garlic clove over the first toasted side to infuse it with flavor. When done, remove the baguette slices from the pan or grill and arrange them garlic-side up on a serving platter or tray.
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Spread a generous dollop of pesto on top of each baguette slice and then top with a few bite-size pieces of grilled or roasted vegetables. Sprinkle flake or kosher sea salt and fresh ground black pepper over the top of each piece (do not skip this step—it will dramatically enhance the flavor of the grilled or roasted vegetables).
TIP A: Roasting your own red bell peppers is quite easy—it just takes time. An equally tasty short-cut is to purchase a jar of whole red peppers that have already been roasted and peeled of their outer skin. Look for a variety that is packed in a simple vinegar brine. You'll also want to ensure that the "roasted" flavor is authentic (i.e. the peppers were actually roasted before being packed) vs. artificially added.
If you prefer to roast yourself, simply prick a couple whole red bell peppers with a toothpick (3-4 pinholes will do) and put them under the broiler in your oven or over an open flame on your gas range (range must be gas, electric will not yield the same result). If using the oven method, you can put a piece of aluminum foil underneath the peppers to prevent any juices from dripping onto your oven's lower racks or base. You want to blister and blacken all sides of the pepper so watch them closely and turn as needed. Once fully roasted, immediately transfer the peppers to a bowl and cover that bowl with plastic wrap. Let sit for at least 10-15 minutes. The steam will help loosen the outer charred skin. When ready, gently peel the charred skin away from the peppers and remove/discard the stem, seeds, and internal white membranes (all should pull away from the good flesh part pretty easily).There you have it!
TIP B: To prepare the grilled or roasted vegetables, choose an assortment of firm vegetables that appeal to you. If using large vegetables like zucchini, squash or avocado, then cut them into thick slices before grilling or roasting. Stalk vegetables like asparagus and broccolini simply need their woody ends removed (typically bottom 1-2 inches). Corn should be grilled on the cob and then cut, or cut from the cob and then roasted on a sheet pan. Coat your vegetables in 1-2 tablespoons olive oil before grilling or roasting. You want your grill or oven to be very hot (450-500° for grill and 425-450° for oven). Cook vegetables until the vibrancy of their color intensifies and they are fork-tender, but not soft or mushy. When done, cut them into bite-size pieces.