Color Kitchen

Who doesn’t love a pretty piece o’ bread? I’ve been playing around with colorful dips and spreads, and I think I found a winner with this one (or two).

The pesto spread can double as a pasta sauce, so make a ton! Here is goes:

First, tear up enough fresh basil to PACK two cups. Put all the basil in a food processor (or blender, if you don’t have one). Add three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, two tablespoons of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, a half-teaspoon of salt and process/blend. 

This is your “pesto paste.”

For the dip, you’re going to mix this into 1/4 cup of part-skim ricotta and 2 tablespoons of fresh-grated parmesan. 

For a pesto sauce, work in another 2 tablespoons of olive oil and some toasted pignoli nuts. 

(Photo by Mia Tramz)

The pink parmesan spread is VERY RICH, and works best in small quantities. It’s a simple equation: two parts finely-grated parmesan to one part ricotta. The pink color comes from mixing in some red beet. You can buy the beat pre-cooked, or roast one quickly (wash, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in tin foil, pop in the oven  at 400F for 25 minutes). Grate your beet using a regular cheese-grater, and mix in about a tablespoon with your parmesan mix. The more beet you use, the deeper your hue will be. 

For the bread: slice some fresh baguette diagonally, brush with olive oil and stick in the toaster oven for 3 minutes. If you have a grill, you can use that instead of the toaster oven for a more rustic taste. 

Spread your pesto on the bread, then decorate with the pink parmesan. Scoop a tablespoon or two into a plastic baggy, squeeze to the corner and snip the corner with some scissors (just like a pastry bag). 

Decorate with zig-zags, write the names of your guests, or speckle the toasts with pink stars. Have fun with it!