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Spring onion pesto focaccia toast with whipped goat cheese, pine nuts, and microgreens on a white plate

Spring Onion Pesto Focaccia Toast

Crispy focaccia toast topped with bright spring onion pesto, whipped goat cheese, and dressed spring greens. A seasonal appetizer that looks impressive and comes together in 30 minutes.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 320
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Focaccia Toast
  • 4 slices focaccia, about 1 inch thick
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • flaky sea salt
Spring Onion Pesto
  • 1 bunch spring onions, trimmed
  • ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
  • ¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • kosher salt and black pepper
Whipped Goat Cheese
  • 4 oz fresh goat cheese
  • 2 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tbsp heavy cream
  • salt and white pepper
Spring Greens and Garnish
  • 2 cups mixed spring greens
  • 4 radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • microgreens for garnish

Method
 

Toast the Focaccia
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush focaccia slices on both sides with olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet.
  2. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until golden and crispy at the edges. Remove and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
    3. The edges should have some char on them. That bitterness is what balances the richness of the goat cheese. A pale, soft toast will sag under the toppings and disappear into the bite.
Make the Spring Onion Pesto
  1. Heat a dry cast iron pan over high heat. Char the spring onions until blackened in spots, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Let cool slightly, then trim any heavily charred outer layers.
    2. Charring the onions concentrates their sweetness and adds depth that raw or blanched onions cannot replicate. The blackened outer layers peel off and what remains underneath is intensely flavored and vivid green.
  2. Add charred spring onions, pine nuts, Parmigiano, garlic, and lemon juice to a blender or food processor. Pulse to combine.
  3. Stream in olive oil while blending until a pesto consistency forms. Season with salt and pepper.
    4. Pulse, don't blend continuously. You want texture left in the pesto. A completely smooth paste loses the body it needs to sit on top of the goat cheese without running off the edge.
Whip the Goat Cheese
  1. Beat goat cheese and cream cheese together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
    2. Room temperature cream cheese makes a real difference. Cold cream cheese stays lumpy no matter how long you beat it. Pull it out of the refrigerator thirty minutes before you start.
  2. Add heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy. Season with salt and a pinch of white pepper.
Dress the Greens
  1. Toss spring greens with lemon juice, olive oil, and a small pinch of salt just before assembling.
Assemble
  1. Spread a generous layer of whipped goat cheese on each toasted focaccia slice.
  2. Spoon spring onion pesto over the cheese. Top with dressed spring greens, radish slices, and a pinch of microgreens.
    3. Build the layers in order. Goat cheese first, then pesto, then greens. If you add the greens before the pesto sets, the cheese layer shifts and the whole assembly loses its structure.
  3. Serve immediately while the focaccia is still warm and crisp.

Notes

Plating. Arrange on a long wooden board or dark slate and cut each toast diagonally just before serving so guests can see the layers. Do not over-garnish. The visual stack of green, white, and gold does the work on its own.
Wine pairing. Vermentino from Sardinia is the first call. The minerality and citrus lift mirrors the lemon in the pesto and the slight almond note complements the pine nuts. Sancerre or Pouilly-Fume works equally well. Stay crisp and white. No oak.
Prep ahead. The pesto can be made the day before and stored with a thin layer of olive oil pressed against the surface to prevent oxidation. The whipped goat cheese can be done the morning of and kept covered in the refrigerator. The toast can be made two to three hours in advance and held on a wire rack at room temperature. Day-of assembly takes ten minutes.
Feeding more people. This recipe makes eight to ten toasts, enough for four people as an appetizer. Triple the pesto for a party of twelve to sixteen and plan on twenty-five to thirty toasts. One standard bakery loaf gives sixteen to twenty slices depending on size.
Swaps. No spring onions? Young scallions work nearly identically. For nut-free, replace pine nuts with toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Dairy-free? Whipped cashew cream with lemon zest stands in for the goat cheese, though the tang is different.