Sun Dried Tomato And Cannellini Bean Dip Food

WHITE BEAN DIP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400.
• Use a sharp knife and trim the top 1/3" - 1/2" of the head of garlic. Place the garlic in a small piece of tin foil (use the trimmed pieces as well) Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
• Seal up the tin foil and roast for 30 minutes or until garlic is very tender. Remove from oven and let the garlic rest until it's cool enough to handle. Remove the garlic cloves from the peel and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium high heat until the oil starts to moire and is hot but not smoking. Turn off the heat and immediately add the chopped herbs. The oil will sizzle because of the freshness of the herbs. Swirl the pan so that the herbs are completely coated with the hot oil and set aside.
• Drain the cannellini beans in a mesh strainer, but DO NOT RINSE THE BEANS. Discard the bean liquid. Transfer the beans to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times until the beans resemble a chunky dip.
• To the bean mixture, add the oil and herb mixture, kosher salt, and lemon juice. Pulse 4 to 5 times to incorporate the ingredients. Add the garlic and lemon juice and pulse to puree the roasted garlic.
• Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and pulse 2-3 times to combine.
• Transfer the white bean dip to a serving bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top of the dip and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Serve with pita chips or fresh crudite.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO DIP

Steps:

• Puree the tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, red pepper sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the scallions and pulse twice. Serve at room temperature.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO AND WHITE BEAN DIP

Steps:

• Puree all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Add as much of the reserved oil as needed to achieve a smooth consistency.
• Refrigerate for at least two hours to allow flavors to blend. Bring to room temperature before serving.

WHITE BEAN PURéE WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Place beans in medium saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover beans by 3 inches. Let stand overnight.
• Drain beans well. Return to saucepan. Add 4 cups water, onion, and rosemary sprigs. Bring to boil; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until beans are soft, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Discard rosemary sprigs. Drain beans and onion; cool to room temperature.
• Using on/off turns, puree drained beans and onion, sun-dried tomatoes, shallots, and chopped rosemary in processor until smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add 3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Puree until blended. With machine running, gradually add 1/2 cup boiling water. Thin with more water by tablespoonfuls if necessary. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Transfer white bean puree to wide shallow bowl; drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with parsley. Garnish with lemon wedges. Serve with toasted pita triangles.

ROASTED GARLIC, SUN-DRIED TOMATO, AND WHITE BEAN DIP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Remove white papery skin from garlic head. Do not peel or separate the cloves.
• Wrap head in foil.
• Bake for 45 minutes; cool for 10 minutes.
• Separate cloves. Squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins.
• Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan.
• Add tomatoes.
• Cover and removed from heat.
• Let stand 10 minutes.
• Drain tomatoes in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup liquid.
• Place garlic pulp, tomatoes, 1/4 cup reserved liquid, oil, and remaining ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.

SAUCE OF SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND CANNELLINI BEANS

Steps:

• Start cooking the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water 5 minutes before you start the sauce.
• Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the tomato-packing oil, 1/4 cup total, into a big skillet, scatter the garlic slices in the oil, and set over medium-high heat. Cook for 1 minute or so, until the slices are sizzling.
• Drop the dried peperoncino in a hot spot, toast for 1/2 minute, and stir in with the garlic.
• Drop the strips of sun-dried tomato into a clear part of the skillet, stir, and spread them out. Let them sizzle and toast for a minute or so.
• Ladle 1 cup of boiling pasta water into the skillet and stir up everything well. Keep the liquid simmering actively so the tomatoes soften and release their flavor. Cook for 2 minutes or so, until the liquid has reduced by half.
• Stir in the cannellini beans, the 1/4 teaspoon salt, and about 1 1/2 more cups of pasta water. Bring the sauce rapidly to the boil, stirring, and cook at an active simmer for 4 minutes, thickening slightly. Keep hot until the pasta is ready.
• When the pasta is almost done al dente, scoop it up and into the skillet to finish cooking, adding a little more or reducing the pasta water as necessary. Add the parsley during the initial tossing; off the heat, toss in the cheese and a final tablespoon of olive oil just before serving.
• Wash, dry, and stem about 4 ounces tender fresh spinach; use small whole leaves, or cut larger leaves in pieces.
• Make the sauce as detailed in the main recipe. When the cannellini beans have been simmering in the skillet for a couple minutes, drop the spinach leaves on top. Let them steam until they wilt, then stir them into the sauce, with another cup or more of pasta water. Cook at an active simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the spinach and the beans are cooked, and the sauce has reduced. Finish with pasta as in main recipe, but omit the parsley
• A short tubular dry pasta such as ziti, rigatoni, gomiti (elbows), or radiatori