White Beans Alla Toscana with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and Saba
The crostini selection served at just about every restaurant near my house in Italy includes toppings of chicken livers, chopped tomatoes, and white bean purée, such as this one.We simmer the beans with tons of garlic and olive oil, and drizzle the crostini with saba, Sardinian grape must. If you can’t find saba, substitute vin cotto, a sweet, syrupy condiment that means “cooked wine,” or aged balsamico condimento. It is a nice option for vegetarians.We grill the radicchio for these crostini but gave instructions for cooking it on the stovetop because it would be unrealistic to light the grill just to cook a few leaves of the radicchio. That said, if you happen to have the grill on . . .
Recipe information
Yield
makes 24 crostini
Ingredients
For the White Bean Purée
For the Radicchio
For Assembling the Crostini
Preparation
Step 1
To make the white bean purée, drain the soaked beans and put them in a large saucepan with enough water to cover by 1 1/2 inches. (Cooking them in just enough water yields richer, creamier beans than if you were to boil them in tons of water.) Wrap the carrots, celery, garlic cloves, onion, and chiles in a doubled piece of cheesecloth and tie it into a closed bundle with kitchen twine. Add the bundle to the pot with the beans, stir in the olive oil and salt, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer the beans until they are very tender and creamy, adding more water to the pot as needed, but never covering them by more than an inch to an inch and a half. (The time will vary depending on how long you soaked the beans, from 1 hour to as long as 4.) Turn off the heat and set the beans aside to cool slightly in their liquid. Remove and discard the cheesecloth bundle and drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid.
Step 2
Transfer the beans to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade or the jar of a blender and purée, adding some of the reserved liquid if necessary, to form a spoonable paste that is smooth with some texture. (Alternatively, you can mash the beans using a mortar and pestle or using a wire whisk as you would a potato masher to smash the beans.) Taste for seasoning and add more salt, if desired. Use the beans or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days. Bring the beans to room temperature before serving.
Step 3
To prepare the radicchio, combine the vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the radicchio leaves and massage the marinade into the leaves. Set aside to marinate the leaves for at least 15 minutes and up to several hours.
Step 4
Preheat a cast-iron pan or a grill pan over high heat. Place the radicchio leaves in the pan and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are deep brown and caramelized in places but not crisp.
Step 5
To assemble, lay the Garlic Crostini oiled side up on a work surface. Rip each radicchio leaf in half and drape the half on each crostino, leaving the edges of the bread visible. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of the white bean purée on top of the radicchio on each crostino, leaving the radicchio visible around the edges. Create a small crater in each serving of white beans, drizzle the finishing-quality olive oil in the craters and about 1/2 teaspoon of the saba in and around each crater. Sprinkle the thyme and grind the pepper over the crostini, and serve.
Suggested Wine Pairing
Step 6
Vernaccia di San Gimignano (Tuscany)
