Crostini with Homemade Ricotta, Honey and Rosemary Pistachios

Ciao a tutti! I am so excited, I leave for Italy on Monday! I can’t believe it’s already here!! When I first signed up to attend culinary school and booked everything, it felt like so long ago and now it’s here. I will be in Italy for two months and I’m so excited to be sharing this wonderful experience with my mother who will be a part of this amazing journey. I will be posting on my facebook and twitter daily and will be sharing lots of beautiful pictures on my pinterest, so please be sure to follow me the entire way. And of course, I will posting here..recipes, photos, journals, you name it. My latest recipe is a Crostini with Homemade Ricotta, Honey and Rosemary Pistachios. That’s right, homemade ricotta!! When I tell you how easy it is to make homemade ricotta, you’re never going to buy the packaged stuff again. I used a recipe for the ricotta from one of my favorite chefs, Fabio Viviani! It’s appears in his cookbook, Fabio’s Italian Kitchen.

As I mentioned, I am planning on starting a business where I throw special dinners and events, so please stay tuned. I hope that some of you will able to join us, I have some AMAZING theme dinners planned. I served this, along with my Fried Pizzettes with Spicy Onions and Crispy Prosciutto at my Masquerade Pop Up last week, which was a big success!! I hope you like this recipe as much as I do!! The ricotta with honey and nuts on the crostini is amazing, it’s sweet, it’s savory, it’s crunchy, it’s creamy, it’s everything! And everyone couldn’t get over the fact that this was real, homemade ricotta. Enjoy!!

Crostini with Homemade Ricotta, Honey and Rosemary Pistachios

 

1 loaf of rustic Italian bread

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 bottle of honey

Homemade Ricotta

Rosemary Pistachios

 

Homemade Ricotta
 

1 gallon of whole milk

1/3 cup white wine vinegar

1 tbsp. lemon juice

Pinch of salt
 

Bring the milk to a boil in a large saucepan, let it reach 181 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a thermometer! Turn off the heat, add the vinegar, lemon juice and salt. As the milk starts to curdle, stir it with a whisk just a few times to mix the lemon and salt. Cover and let the mixture cool down for 2 about two hours. When it is cool, strain it through a cheesecloth over a pot, pressing the curds with a wooden spoon to squeeze out the liquid. It will keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
 

Rosemary Pistachios
 

2 tbsp. butter

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. fresh rosemary

1 cup of roughly chopped pistachios

 

In a small pan over low heat, melt you butter. Add salt and rosemary. Add the

chopped pistachios and cook until roasted. Turn off heat and allow to cool.

Assembling the Crostini
 

Slice your bread and drizzle with olive oil. Toast until slightly crunchy. Spread the bread with the homemade ricotta, drizzle with some honey and top with the rosemary pistachios. Buon Appetito!!