Goat Cheese Toasts with Asparagus-Mushroom Ragu Recipe
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These creamy bites taste of spring and take as little time to put together as they will to disappear. Omit the toasts, and the ragu makes for a quick weeknight dinner when tossed with pasta.
What to buy: We used slightly sour pain au levain to bring out the tanginess of the goat cheese, but a sour baguette will do in a pinch.
Game plan: You can bake the toasts and make the ragu up to 1 day in advance so that you just need to spread the cheese and ragu on the toasts when you’re ready to serve. To reheat the ragu, cover and warm it in the microwave for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through.
This recipe was featured as part of our Resurrecting Easter Brunch menu.
- 25 (1/4-inch-thick, 1-1/2-by-3-inch-long) slices pain au levain, from about 1/2-pound loaf
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup chèvre (fresh goat cheese; about 4 ounces)
- 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed, and thinly sliced (about 3 1/2 cups)
- 1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed and thinly sliced on the bias (about 3 cups)
- 1 medium shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
- Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Brush bread slices with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Spread about 1 teaspoon goat cheese on each toast; set aside.
- Heat remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add mushrooms, asparagus, and shallot and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus and shallot are tender and mixture starts to let off liquid, about 3 minutes. Stir in cream, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in tarragon and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Spoon about 1 tablespoon ragu over each goat cheese toast and serve.
Beverage pairing: Hippolyte Reverdy Sancerre, France. Goat cheese and Sauvignon Blanc. Nothing more needs to be said, except that this Sauvignon Blanc from the town of Sancerre is a smashing example of the form. It has bright apple and lemon zippiness to it, but also a lovely, complex unfolding in the mouth that allows the goat cheese to make its impression before being swept away by a rush of juicy freshness.
Just made these for a party. Instead of asparagus, I made caramelized onion. It was sooo good. You can substitute with prosciutto instead of mushrooms. Also I rub the toasts with garlic cloves before putting the goat cheese on. It was a hit.
We made those for a party and it was amazing and so easy to do! We had a lot of asparagus and mushroom left so we did it again and this time threw it in pasta : It was even better like that! Also i like the idea of flour and milk instead of cream, make me feel less guilty...
I thought about making these for a surprise birthday party for a friend. However, she is allergic to mushrooms. This looks too delicious to pass up though. Do you think anything could be substituted for the mushrooms and still make it taste great?
Brilliant, cheeseguysgirl, thanks!
If you want to substitute whole milk for the cream, I'd add a tablespoon or two of flour (and cook for a minute or two) before adding the milk. That will thicken it a little to make up for the loss of body with the substitution.
I made these for a party, and they were an instant hit. I couldn't keep the plate full for a minute! Quick and easy too!
Made this with toasted baguette. It was delicious. However, I cut the bread a little too thick.
This sounds amazing... could I leave out the cream or use whole milk instead without altering the taste too much?
I know this is almost unethical to ask, but what kind of calories and fat does this have?
Just made this with brioche and Chevre goat cheese, and it was pretty good.