Bacon Ricotta Crostini Recipe 455

Steps:

• 1.Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Use a serrated knife to cut the baguette into about 30 slices. 2.Use a pastry brush to coat each side of the slices with olive oil. I actually sprayed mine because I have an olive oil mister. Sprinkle salt and pepper over one or both sides of the slices. 3.Spread the bread out onto a large baking sheet, not overlapping. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip each toast. Bake for another 3-4 minutes. It's okay if they are not browned. Let the toasts cool for a few minutes. 4.Finely chop the raw bacon. Cook it in a heavy skillet until it is crispy, then remove to a paper towel-lined plate. 5.Add the ricotta to a medium bowl and stir until smooth. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, if you want. (This is optional) 6.When the toasts are cool enough to handle, add a dollop of ricotta to the center of each toast. Top with a sprinkle of bacon. 7.Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and more salt, if desired. Drizzle with a little bit of honey.

Steps:

• Lay three layers of cheesecloth over a colander.
• Add the milk to a large heavy pot and place over medium-high heat. Stir in the lemon juice and salt and heat until an instant-read thermometer reaches 175 degrees F. The milk will begin to just bubble and start to steam. At this temperature you'll begin to see the curds separate from the whey. Be mindful of over stirring the ricotta while the curds are forming, you don't want to make your ricotta stiff. Let it sit for 5 minutes undisturbed and you will be left with a very creamy and pleasant finished result.
• Gently remove the curds from the pot to the colander. Use the side of the cheesecloth to very gently release some of the liquid. Tie up the curds using butcher's twine and let drain for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the cheesecloth and place in a bowl. Serve warm on toasted bread with lemon zest and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange bread on a baking sheet; brush both sides with oil. Season with salt. Toast until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Spread with ricotta; drizzle with oil and sprinkle with pepper, or add toppings as desired.