Ingredients
Whipped Ricotta
- 1 cup whole-milk ricotta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Salad
- 2 cups freshly shelled English peas (about 2 pounds in the pod)
- ⅓ cup shelled roasted pistachios, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, torn
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill fronds, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, thinly sliced
- 4 or 5 breakfast radishes, sliced into thin rounds
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup good olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Crostini
- ½ baguette, sliced on the diagonal into ½-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Flaky salt, for finishing
Instructions
- Combine the ricotta, olive oil, lemon zest, and salt in a food processor or use a hand mixer and whip until smooth and light, about 1 to 2 minutes. It should look like soft frosting with no graininess left. Set aside in the fridge while you build the salad.
- Bring a medium pot of well-salted water to a boil and set up an ice bath alongside. Drop the shelled peas in and blanch just until they turn a shade brighter and lose their raw starchiness, about 60 to 90 seconds. You still want a clean snap when you bite one. Transfer immediately to the ice bath, cool completely, then drain and pat dry.
- For the crostini, heat the oven to 400°F. Arrange the baguette slices on a sheet pan, brush both sides lightly with olive oil, and bake until golden and crisp at the edges but still a little chewy in the center, about 8 to 10 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
- Combine the lemon juice, garlic, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then stream in the olive oil while whisking until it comes together.
- In a wide, shallow bowl, combine the blanched peas, radishes, and herbs. Pour the dressing over and toss gently until everything gets coated without crushing the peas. Taste for lemon and salt.
- To serve, spread the whipped ricotta across a serving plate. Pile the peas on top. Finish with pistachios, flaky salt, and a last few torn mint leaves. Arrange the crostini alongside for scooping.