You could use cold-smoked salmon in place of the prosciutto for an equally delicious appetizer.
Ingredients
1 Baguette, cut crosswise into ¼-1/2 in. thick slices
Olive Oil
2 c. Frozen Peas 2 min salted water
1 c. Fresh Ricotta, drained in a colander lined with cheesecloth (or a coffee filter)
¼ tsp. Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
2 Tbsp. Basil (fresh mint or tarragon would be nice alternatives), thinly sliced or torn, plus additional for garnish
juice & zest from 1 Lemon
¼ # Prosciutto, very thinly sliced
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and lightly drizzle or brush with olive oil. Bake until lightly golden and crunchy, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the peas in simmering, salted water until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl. Smash the peas, using the back of a fork or a potato masher. Personally, I like the rustic, chunky look, but if you'd prefer a more evenly green topping for your crostini, puree the peas in a food processor until smooth. Fold in the ricotta and season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, 2 Tbsp. basil, and about 2 tsp. of lemon juice.
Assemble the crostini. Spread a very small amount of the ricotta-pea mash on the each crostini. This will serve as the "glue" to hold the prosciutto in place. Take about a ¼ of a slice of prosciutto and drape it over the top of the crostini. Spoon a heaping tsp. of the ricotta-pea mash on top of the prosciutto. Sprinkle with additional basil and lemon zest.
Notes
The ricotta-pea mash could be made a day or 2 ahead of time.
Recipe by strawberryplum at http://www.strawberryplum.com/pea-ricotta-prosciutto-crostini/