How To Make Bruschetta With Pesto

Ingredients:

• Fresh basil – one cup
• Parmesan and Romano cheese – one fluid ounce (grated)
• Chopped nuts – optional (almonds, walnuts and pine nuts)
• White balsamic vinegar – one tablespoon
• Fresh baby or cherry tomatoes – one cup (cut into halves or quarters). If you do not have cherry tomatoes, you can use two plum tomatoes.
• Baguette – twenty four slices (toasted). Whole grain crackers can also be used.
• Olive oil – one tablespoon
• Lettuce or arugula – one cup (The latter provides a distinct flavor to the recipe, which is Italian)
• Salt – quarter teaspoon
• Garlic – one clove, cut into four pieces

Method Of Preparation:

Tomato and pesto bruschetta is a vegetarian recipe, which is delicious and mouth-watering. Prepare the pesto and keep the other ingredients ready, so as to minimize preparation time.

Recipe For Pesto:

1. Wash the fresh basil leaves. Place them on a tissue paper till they are dry.
2. Blend the leaves in a blender, along with garlic, spinach or arugula, toasted pine nuts, almonds and walnuts, olive oil, Parmesan or Romano cheese, salt, white balsamic vinegar and pepper.
3. You can add a small amount of water, to ensure easy blending.
4. Your pesto is ready, which is similar to butter in its texture.

Recipe For Bruschetta:

1. Heat the oven to about 375 degree Fahrenheit.
2. Toast the bread for three minutes.
3. Now, apply the blended mixture over the baguette or bread.
4. Garnish with tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Nuts and basil leaves are optional for topping.
5. Place in the oven for three minutes. Melting of the cheese is also an indicator of the finished product.

Tomato Bruschetta Health Benefits

• This Tomato and pesto bruschetta recipe contains wheat and gluten and is thus not recommended for individuals with gluten sensitivity.
• Pesto and tomato bruschetta is a vegetarian meal, which also comprises of nuts and dairy products.
  It is a low fat recipe, and proves to be appropriate for weight watchers. The snack provides three grams of fat and three milligram of cholesterol.
• It is low in dietary fiber, around one gram per serving.
• Pesto and tomato bruschetta takes forty minutes to prepare and contributes 246 mg of sodium and 4 grams of protein.
• It also provides 11 grams of carbohydrates and one gram of saturated fat.
• In case of vegans, use a dairy free substitute or avoid the cheese in the recipe.