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This is a dish I created for the “Mediterranean Summer” class I taught at The Culinaria Food & Arts Studio in Ocala, Florida. This menu was designed to travel well so that one can bring these dishes to a picnic, summer BBQ or family gathering. I have always loved crostini with white beans and I wanted to create one that would stand strong in terms of taste by adding fried rosemary and prosciutto. I hope you enjoy it and bring it to your next picnic!

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INGREDIENTS:

1 can cannellini beans
¼ lb of ground prosciutto
1 clove of garlic
¼ cup of olive oil
drizzle of truffle oil
1 ½ tsp rosemary
salt & pepper to taste
1 baguette

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Slice baguette on a diagonal at about ¼ inch slices. Lay pieces of baguette on a cookie sheet and with a pastry brush, brush them lightly with olive oil. Toast in oven for about 10 minutes or until the bread has become golden brown. This is best to do the night before, so the bread will retain its crunch. If you do them the night before, do not cover them; leave them out to air dry.

Open your can of beans, rinse, drain, and place in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

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Heat a non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. Add about 1 TBS of olive oil and then add the ground prosciutto. You can ask the deli counter at your grocer to grind the prosciutto for you. If they can’t, then just rough chop your prosciutto when you get home. Add the prosciutto to the skillet and sauté until it caramelizes and becomes a nice golden brown. Remove from skillet and place on a plate to cool.

Add another TBS of olive oil to the skillet. Tilt your pan so that all the olive oil pools on one side. Drop the garlic clove and the rosemary into the oil. Once the garlic is browned and the rosemary stops crackling immediately pour the contents of the skillet onto the beans. Drizzle a bit of truffle oil onto the beans (remember a little goes a long way – you can always add more, but you cannot take it away!).

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Using a fork mash the bean mixture roughly- you still want to have some chunkiness to it. Then fold in the prosciutto bits. Drizzle with a little olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Place bean mixture in a bowl and serve with crostini. This is great as an appetizer. Or can be used as a main meal served with a salad and a glass of wine! Perfect for summer picnics, BBQs and cocktail parties! Buon Appetito!