Bruschetta With White Beans And Cheese

By á-170456

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried cannellini, white kidney beans picked over (or use Great Northern beans)
• 2 celery stalks halved
• 2 carrots halved
• 2 onions halved
• 1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves minced
• 1 cup freshly-grated Pecorino Romano cheese (abt 3 oz)
• 1 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese (abt 3 oz)
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 tablespoons butter - (1/4 stick)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 tspn dried rosemary)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage (or 1 tspn dried sage)
• Salt to taste
• Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
• 6 slices large crusty round loaf white bread 1/2" thk
• 3 garlic cloves halved

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Place beans in large saucepan. Add enough water to cover beans by 2 inches. Bring to boil. Boil 2 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain beans.

Return beans to same saucepan. Add celery stalks, carrots, onions, pepper, cloves and bay leaf. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans are tender, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. (Beans and vegetables can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Drain beans, reserving 1/3 cup cooking liquid. Discard vegetables, cloves and bay leaf. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add 2 cups beans (reserve remaining beans for another use), both cheeses, 3 tablespoons parsley, 2 tablespoons butter, rosemary, sage and reserved 1/3 cup cooking liquid. Stir until cheeses and butter melt, whisking constantly and mashing come of beans to form thick chunky sauce. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat broiler. Arrange bread on large baking sheet. Brush top of each bread slice with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Rub with cut side of garlic clove halves. Broil bread until lightly toasted. Transfer bread to plates.

Spoon bean mixture atop bread. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.

This recipe yields 6 appetizer servings.