Dippin' Goodness

What do you get when you cross a white bean with pesto? A DARN good dip!

In the summer I make pesto with all my bushes of basil. I whirl it in the food processor with pine nuts, peccorino romano, garlic and olive oil. Sometimes I leave out the olive oil. I freeze them in baby food jars that I pack ratted away (eh hum, two years ago). They come in handy. Not just for a quick pasta dish but for soups and other things as well.

I had to have some snack food for Super Bowl Day. Sunday is our day to hang with my parents and the kids. We dont have a party or anything but I still make pizza and snack items. In an effort to make lighter food, I made this bean dip and a pizza that I will post tomorrow.

PESTO WHITE BEAN DIP

2 cups white beans cooked until tender
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons pesto
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

Boil the beans with a bay leaf until tender. Drain and whirl in the food processor with the remainder of the ingredients. If you do not have pesto then add a handful of basil, 1/4 cup peccorino romano, handful of pine nuts or walnuts, one more clove of garlic and one more tablespoon of olive oil. Process until mixture is smooth.