Food Recipes Smashed Pea and Ricotta Toasts Be the first to rate & review! Frozen peas and creamy ricotta join forces in these company-worthy toasts. The best part is, they come together in 20 minutes flat. By Jenna Helwig Jenna Helwig Instagram Jenna is the food director at Real Simple and the author of Bare Minimum Dinners, a cookbook featuring more than 100 low-lift, high-reward recipes. Previously, Jenna was the food director at Health and Parents. She is also the founder and operator of Rosaberry, a boutique personal chef services company, and the author of four other cookbooks, including the bestselling Baby-Led Feeding. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on March 17, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Victor Protasio Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 20 mins Servings: 8 Workaday frozen peas go glam in this brunch-worthy recipe. Start by cooking and mashing them with fresh mint for an herby, springy vibe. Then perk up some creamy ricotta cheese with a little lemon juice and salt. Toast bread under the broiler, then top it with the ricotta and peas. The finishing touches are lemon zest, a shower of pine nuts, and a pinch of flaky sea salt. The end result is a satisfying dish that looks as good as it tastes. Pro tip: don't skip seasoning the bread with oil and salt before broiling—it really does make a difference. Ingredients 2 cups fresh or frozen English peas ¼ cup olive oil, divided, plus more for toasts and serving ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more for toasts 2 tablespoons finely sliced fresh mint 4 1/2 in.-thick slices rustic or sourdough bread .66666 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese (6 oz.) 1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 1 tsp. fresh juice (from 1 lemon) 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts Flaky sea salt, for serving Directions Place peas in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until peas are tender and bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Rinse and dry pan. Return peas to pan. Add 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to peas. Mash about two-thirds of peas with a spoon or fork; stir in mint. Place broiler with oven rack about 3 inches from heat. Place bread on a large rimmed baking sheet. Brush both sides with oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Broil, flipping once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Stir together ricotta, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a medium bowl. Spread on toasts and top with pea mixture. Drizzle with oil and top with lemon zest and pine nuts. Top with flaky sea salt. Cut each toast in half and serve. Rate it Print