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ROASTED LEMON MINT PESTO & MASCARPONE STRATA.

The perfect brunch strata for spring, with layers of bread and egg, mascarpone cheese, and roasted lemon mint pesto from the Kale & Caramel cookbook.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

Roasted Lemon Mint Pesto & Mascarpone Strata

  • butter, for ramekins, cocottes, or pan
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 2/3 cup cubed bread
  • 1 cup Vermont Creamery mascarpone
  • 1 cup roasted lemon mint pesto recipe below

Roasted Lemon Mint Pesto

  • 1/2 medium lemon, washed, thinly sliced, and seeded
  • 1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup fresh mint leaves
  • 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts or almonds
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions
 

Make the pesto.

  • Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the lemon slices in a single layer on the sheet. 
  • Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil. 
  • Roast for 15 to 17 minutes, until the juices are tacky and the lemons are beginning to caramelize. 
  • Let cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a small food processor, add the remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons oil, the mint, hazelnuts, garlic, and salt and blend until you have a very lightly chunky pesto.

Make the strata.

  • Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Butter the bottom and sides of four 8-oz. ramekins or mini cocottes. Alternatively, use an 8- or 9-inch pie pan.
  • Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper, until completely blended.
  • Add a 1/3 cup layer of cubed bread to the bottom of each ramekin. Cover with dollops of mascarpone and pesto, totaling 1 tablespoon of each. Add another 1/3 cup layer of cubed bread, and more dollops of mascarpone and pesto, totaling another 1 tablespoon of each. (Each ramekin gets 2/3 cup bread cubes, 2 tablespoons of mascarpone, and 2 tablespoons of pesto total.)
  • Place ramekins on a large baking sheet. Pour about 3/4 cup of the egg mixture into each ramekin, filling to just below the top.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the strata has set and is beginning to brown on top. You may get some cheese and pesto spillover—that's what the baking sheet is for.
  • Let cool for 5 minutes, then top with a final dollop of mascarpone and pesto, garnish with fresh mint leaves, and serve.

Notes

Roasted Lemon Mint Pesto recipe copyright © 2017 by Lily Diamond from KALE & CARAMEL: Recipes for Body, Heart, and Table published by Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.