Lunch Food

Mushroom-Ricotta Tartines

Enjoy the art of presentation with a tartine—a sandwich that's a feast for the eyes and taste buds, served open-faced. Here, we slather a thick slice of good crusty whole-wheat bread with a creamy pesto-ricotta spread and top it with golden-brown sautéed mushrooms. Any tender, quick-cooking mushroom would work for this recipe. Oyster mushrooms, chanterelles and shiitake mushrooms would all be delicious. Enjoy it as is or take it to the next level by adding a poached or fried egg on top.

Ingredients

  1. 4 (3/4-inch-thick) slices crusty whole-wheat bread

  2. 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  3. 1 pound sliced fresh cremini mushrooms

  4. 3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese

  5. 1/4 cup refrigerated basil pesto

  6. 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, divided

  7. 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

  8. 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions

Brush both sides of bread slices evenly with 2 tablespoons oil. Cook in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Add mushrooms and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan; cook over medium-high heat, undisturbed, for 3 minutes. Stir and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and most of the liquid has released, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Meanwhile, stir ricotta, pesto and 1/8 teaspoon pepper together in a small bowl.

Top the toasted bread slices evenly with ricotta mixture, sautéed mushrooms, Parmesan, basil and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper.