Italian White Bean Dip

This white bean dip made with creamy cannellini beans is what I like to call "Italian Hummus". It's the perfect appetizer or snack topped with jammy roasted cherry tomatoes and scooped up with garlicky slices of crostini.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Keyword white bean dip

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings people

Calories 227kcal

Author Florentina

Ingredients

2 x 15 oz cans cannellini beans (drained & rinsed)
1 lemon juiced
2 garlic cloves grated
1/3 cup Italian flat leaf parsley roughly chopped
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (tahini or water)
1 tsp fine sea salt or to taste
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts for garnish
1 lb cherry tomatoes
1 sprig rosemary
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 pinch fine sea salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425”F.
Rinse and drain the tomatoes well then add them to a 9 x13 inch roasting dish. Toss together with the olive oil, rosemary, thyme and salt and roast for about 30 minutes giving them a shake half way. Your tomatoes are done once they have burst and released their juices and they start to get jammy as the sauce evaporates.
1 lb cherry tomatoes, 1 sprig rosemary, 6 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 pinch fine sea salt
Meanwhile drain and rinse the cannellini beans. Add them to a food processor or blender with the seasonings, herbs and oil and process until creamy to your liking. Adjust seasonings to taste with sea salt and more lemon juice. Transfer to a lidded container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2 x 15 oz cans cannellini beans, 1 lemon, 2 garlic cloves, 1/3 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp fine sea salt
When ready to serve transfer the bean dip to a shallow bowl or platter and top with the roasted cherry tomatoes together with some of the juices from the bottom of the pan. Finish with a drizzle of cold pressed olive oil and serve with garlic crostini, your favorite pita chips or flatbread. Garnish with toasted pine nuts.
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts for garnish

Notes

Crostini - To make crostini slice 3/4 inch thick slices of baguette and grill in a cast iron griddle until charred grill marks form. Rub with garlic, lightly brush with olive oil and season with a pinch of fine sea salt. Serve with the dip.
Parsley - Italian flat leaf parsley is used to freshen up the flavors of the dip. It's important to use the Italian versus the curly parsley which lacks in flavor but makes for a beautiful garnish. Alternatively you could swap it for basil and go for a different flavor profile.
Pesto - A drizzle of basil pesto makes for a nice garnish and really compliments the dip.

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