Rustic Italian Breakfast Crostini with Ricotta and Honey

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).

Slice the ciabatta loaf into 12 even slices, about 1/2-inch thick.

Arrange the ciabatta slices on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Brush each slice with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, ensuring even coverage.

Bake the bread for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown and crisp around the edges.

While the bread is toasting, peel and cut the garlic cloves in half.

In a small, dry skillet over medium heat, toast 3 tablespoons of pine nuts for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently until golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

Wash the lemon, then zest it to get 1 teaspoon of zest. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze to extract 1 tablespoon of juice.

In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of ricotta, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. Mix thoroughly until smooth and well combined.

Wash the fresh thyme and basil. Remove the thyme leaves from stems and roughly tear the basil leaves.

When the bread is toasted, remove from oven and immediately rub each slice with the cut side of the garlic cloves.

Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over each crostini, about 1-2 tablespoons per slice.

Drizzle each crostini with honey, using about 1/4 teaspoon per slice.

Sprinkle the toasted pine nuts evenly over all crostini.

Garnish with fresh thyme leaves, torn basil, remaining sea salt, and red pepper flakes.

Serve immediately while the bread is still warm and crisp.