Bruschetta with White Beans, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Basil

Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello

Show: Easy Entertaining with Michael ChiarelloEpisode: It's All There

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (18)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(18)

Cook Time:
1 hr 0 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
4 servings

Times:

Prep: 40 min
Inactive Prep: 1 hr 0 min
Cook: 1 hr 0 min
Total:: 2 hr 40 min

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Ingredients

For the beans:

3/4 cup cannelloni beans
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the bruschetta and topping:

1 small baguette, sliced into thick pieces
1 tablespoon thinly sliced garlic, plus 1 garlic clove, peeled, for coating bread
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
8 to 10 basil leaves
1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Lemon juice
Salt and fresh black pepper
2 ounces ricotta salata cheese, grated large

Directions

For the beans:

Rinse the beans well and then put in a 1-quart saucepan. Cover with water to 1-inch over the top of the beans. On medium-high heat, bring to a boil. Immediately take the pot away from the burner, cover and hold for 1 hour. Change the water; add half of the extra-virgin olive oil, 1 garlic clove and the bay leaf. Cook beans on low. Simmer for about 40 minutes or until tender. During last 10 minutes, add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in carefully. Remove from heat and hold in the saucepan with the cooking liquid until cool. This may be done 1 to 2 days before serving, and kept refrigerated.

For the bruschetta topping:

Preheat a grill or stove-top grill pan.

Grill the bread on both sides until crispy. Be careful on high heat as bread burns easily.

While bread is grilling, in a saute pan on medium heat, toast the sliced garlic in the olive oil. When it is light golden, add the chili flakes, cook for 10 seconds and then add the basil leaves. Do this carefully, as the basil may spatter some oil.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to the pan. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the bean cooking liquid (or liquid from canned beans) and mix all together. Hold warm. Adjust consistency, as necessary, with the bean liquid, a little at a time.

When the basil leaves are wilted, remove mixture from the heat. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and chopped parsley. Toss to combine and adjust the seasoning with lemon juice, to taste, and salt and pepper.

Lightly swipe the remaining garlic clove on 1 side of the bread. Arrange the toasted bruschetta on a serving platter and drizzle with the remaining extra-virgin olive oil. Top each piece with some of the tomato-bean mixture, then evenly divide the ricotta salata over the mixture. Serve warm.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Bruschetta with White Beans, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Basil
stacey valrcio, FL 10-28-2009
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Worth the effort
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this for a dinner party of "foodie" people. It is sooo good.they loved it, one person joked oh yummy beans on bread,... but once he tasted it he ate 3 more! I added a bit more red pepper than recipe called for and it was very zippy.I'll follow the recipe next time. I love the garlic rubbed on the bread, it just adds to the layers of flavor this appetizer has to offer. This is a keeper!Read more
recipe Bruschetta with White Beans, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Basil
Eileen Waretown, NJ 10-11-2009
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Make sure you use cannelloni beans...
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I made the mistake of trying to substitute Small White Beans, and was all set to add these to the garlic and sundried... tomatoes before I realized that they were not cooked enough. If you are going to switch, make sure to cook the white or navy beans longer. Had to do a fast substitution using canned white beans to get this ready in time. Even with the canned beans, these were very good, and I am sure they would be even better using the cannelloni beans. Also, next time I would only use half of the red pepper flakes, since I thought they competed too much with the sweetness of the sundried tomatoes. Will try again tomorrow with the homemade beans, if they ever finish cooking! Read more
recipe Bruschetta with White Beans, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Basil
Kathy m, MI 10-11-2009
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For Shirley of Chicago
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

Judging from the ingredients and other reviewers, there shouldn't be any reason for bad smell or taste. A few... possibilities come to mind: Your Extra Virgin Olive Oil was rancid (easy to have happen when one buys large bottles and/or doesn't keep in fridge - especially if not used often.) The dried tomatoes weren't packed in oil, or just wasn't a great tasting brand - odd seasonings (?), or were simply past prime. The garlic was past its prime, or was burnt (doesn't take much to move from golden brown to bitter.) Nothing can wreck the flavor of any recipe than this! The Ricotta you used was past its prime or just was a rotty-tasting brand. Any one of the mentioned possibilities could have caused the 'Stinkies" As a side not, I'm a huge fan of canned beans (find a brand that doesn't overcook beans to mush-level), which I rinse until there are no more bubbles and drain until dry before adding other ingredients. That's always a good hint - no bubbles, no more ummm...y'know, issues! lollllll Hope this might answer your question, Shirley. Read more
recipe Bruschetta with White Beans, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Basil
Mindy Downers Grove, IL 09-11-2009
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Oh my god!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This was absolutely amazing. I don?t normally care for sun-dried tomatoes, but I tried it anyway. The sweetness of the... tomatoes really balanced out the earthiness of the beans. It was layered with great flavor. The lemon juice is a must?acidic, garlicky, sweet, and hearty- delicious. Read more
recipe Bruschetta with White Beans, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Basil
isabelle newport coast, CA 09-11-2009
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Fresh and Delicious
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Michael is extremely talented, and this recipe is just one of many examples of how he masterfully combines simple ingredients... to get a burst of flavor. As soon as you bite into this, you'll see what I mean. This is easy to make and absolutely scrumptious. You could play around with it if you want, but why mess with perfection? Read more
recipe Bruschetta with White Beans, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Basil
Julia Powell, TN 09-30-2008
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Must try this bruschetta version
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

You can't go wrong making this...adjust to suit your personal taste. Fresh tasting!