Up in Flames. Nearly.

I'll be honest. I didn't cook up a pound of pasta after whipping up my latest batch of pesto. The last thing I need is a tub of pasta available for feeding 24 hours a day. But I do like having some leftover pesto on hand, just cuz...you never know. Instead of an obvious sandwich, why not make some little pesto toasts for a snack or for when your friends pop in to watch the latest reality series in HD. (Oh. Just me?) They only take about 5 minutes to make, and even though you're turning on the broiler, it won't heat up your whole apartment. Well, my whole apartment. You probably have a separate kitchen and central air. Lucky!

Pesto Toast

Preheat the broiler. Split a baguette in half lengthwise. Cut one of the halves crosswise into 1-inch wide pieces. (Reserve the other half for something else...like, for a breakfast of Plugra butter and blood orange marmalade...or an open-faced Nutella sandwich...or...whatever.) Spread pesto on the cut side of each piece of bread, followed by a slice of a plum tomato, then a slice of fresh mozzarella. Place under the broiler for approximately 2 minutes, until the cheese is melted and starting to brown. DO NOT WALK AWAY. Food burns quickly under the broiler. Keep an eye on it. (My True Blood Tomato Toast nearly went up in flames when I decided to make a phone call.) Place the pesto toasts on a platter and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, then sprinkle with sea salt. Serve immediately. Still hungry? Cut up the other half of the baguette and repeat.