Giada's White Bean Dip with Pita Chips

This week at I Heart Cooking Clubs, we are kicking off our cooking the recipes of Giada De Laurentiis for the next six months with Benvenuto Giada!--welcoming her with party foods or drinks to celebrate. I picked her White Bean Dip with Pita Chips from "Everyday Italian"--because I was craving hummus and this simple pantry recipe is Giada's Italian take on it. Plus I always love a quick and easy recipe like this that can be made with simple items on hand in the pantry, plus a little fresh parsley from the herb garden.

Giada says, "This dip is the Italian versus of hummus, and in my opinion it's smoother and tastier. This is a staple antipasto when I'm entertaining. The pita chips aren't Italian, but they work really well with this dip."

White Bean Dip with Pita Chips

"Everyday Italian" by Giada De Laurentiis

(6 Appetizer Servings)

4 pita breads, split horizontally in half

2 Tbsp plus 1/3 cup olive oil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste

1 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)

1 garlic clove

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut each pita half into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges evenly over a large baking sheet. Brush the pita wedges with 2 Tbsp of the oil, then sprinkle with the oregano and 1 tsp of the salt and pepper. Bake for 8 minutes, then turn the pita wedges over and bake until they are crisp and golden, about 8 minutes longer.

Meanwhile,in the bowl of a food processor, combine the beans, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, and the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper. Pulse on and off until the mixture is coarsely chopped. With the machine running, gradually mix in the remaining 1/3 cup of oil until the mixture is creamy. Season the puree with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the puree to a small bowl and serve the pita toasts warm or at room temperature alongside. (The pita wedges and bean puree can be made 1 day ahead. Store the pita wedges airtight at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate the bean puree.)

Notes/Results: Creamy, savory, and pretty darn delicious. Although white bean dip will never truly replace hummus in my heart (Sorry Giada!), it certainly makes a nice change. I added an extra clove of garlic and a little extra lemon juice because... well, because I really like garlic and lemon. ;-) For the pita chips, I used a whole wheat pita and baked them about seven minutes on one side and about five minutes on the other side and that was plenty. I make my own pita chips sometimes, and I really liked the oregano on this version--they really complimented the flavors in the dip. The recipe says it serves 6 as an appetizer but unless you have a large plate of antipasti or others pupus, I would recommend doubling it to serve more than a couple of people. It also makes a killer sandwich spread--so you'll want a little extra anyway. I will make this again.

You can check out what dishes the other IHCC participants make to welcome Giada by going to the post here and following the links.

In addition to linking to I Heart Cooking Clubs, I will be sending this yummy dip to the weekly Friday Potluck hosted by Erin at EKat's Kitchen. Be sure and stop by her blog and see the terrific potluck dishes.

Aloha,