Crostini with Mushroom and Olive Pesto
Crostini with Mushroom and Olive Pesto
Toasted bread spread with a quick black-olive pesto and piled with garlicky pan-fried mushrooms.
Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 10 minutes
What Is Crostini with Mushroom and Olive Pesto?
A two-layer crostini: a quick pesto of pureed black olives and olive oil spread on golden toast, topped with hot garlicky pan-fried mushrooms.
Why Make Crostini with Mushroom and Olive Pesto?
- Two big flavours — olive and mushroom — in one bite
- The olive pesto takes seconds in a food processor
- Porcini make it luxurious; buttons keep it everyday
- Warm topping over a cool, briny base
- Six generous crostini in 20 minutes
Unico Products Used in This Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 oz mushrooms (fresh porcini or button, trimmed and sliced)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (divided)
- 1 clove garlic (peeled)
- salt and pepper (freshly ground, to taste)
- 6 slices bread (firm, coarse-textured)
- 1/4 cup pitted black olives
Instructions
- Trim, wash and slice the mushrooms.
- Heat half the oil in a skillet over high heat; add the mushrooms and garlic and fry for 5 minutes, or until just tender.
- Season with salt and pepper and remove the garlic.
- Toast the bread slices in a 350F oven until golden.
- Combine the olives and the remaining oil in a food processor and puree.
- Spread the olive pesto on the toasts, cover with the mushrooms and serve.
Cooking Tips
- Fry the mushrooms over high heat so they brown, not steam
- Use the garlic clove whole and remove it after frying
- Pulse the olive pesto to a spreadable, slightly coarse paste
- Choose a firm bread that won't sag under the topping
- Serve while the mushrooms are still warm
Frequently Asked Questions About Crostini with Mushroom and Olive Pesto
-
1. What mushrooms should I use?
Fresh porcini are ideal; button or cremini mushrooms are a fine everyday substitute.
-
2. Can I make the olive pesto ahead?
Yes — refrigerate up to a week under a thin film of olive oil.
-
3. Why remove the garlic after frying?
It perfumes the oil without overpowering the mushrooms — a classic Italian technique.
-
4. Can I serve these at room temperature?
The pesto holds, but the mushrooms are best warm from the pan.
-
5. What bread works best?
A firm, coarse-textured loaf that toasts crisp and supports the topping.
Cooking Guides & Tips
- How to Cook with Olives: Tapenade, Puttanesca and Beyond Beyond snacking — how to turn olives into tapenade, puttanesca and other big-flavour dishes.
Crostini with Mushroom and Olive Pesto Made Simple
Crostini with Mushroom and Olive Pesto stacks earthy and briny on a single toast. Unico black olives whirred with olive oil form its instant pesto base.