Home >Recipes >Bruschetta with Homemade Ricotta and Salsa Genovese

Serves: 4

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 4 slices country-style bread, each 3/4 inch thick
• sea salt, preferably gray salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup Salsa Genovese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup ricotta, at room temperature, seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
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• For the salsa:
• 1/2 lb green olives, pitted
• 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme (optional)
• 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp minced capers, rinsed before mincing
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for storing

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 8 minutes

Make the salsa: Pulse the olives in a food processor until well chopped. Add all the remaining ingredients except for the olive oil and pulse until nearly pureed. With the machine running, add 6 tbsp olive oil through the feed tube, pureeing until the mixture is almost smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Refrigerate in an airtight container with a thin film of olive oil on top to protect it from oxidizing. The flavors will stay lively for 2 to 3 days.

Make the bruschetta: Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over moderately high heat. Add the 2 tbsp olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the bread to the pan and immediately turn over to coat the second side with oil. Season with salt and pepper and place the skillet in the oven. Bake for 4 minutes, then turn the slices over and bake for another 4 minutes. The toasts should have a crisp, browned exterior but should not be dried out.

Spread each slice with a tbsp of the salsa, then top with a tbsp of ricotta. Drizzle with a little more olive oil. Serve immediately.