Roasted eggplant and white bean crostini
- 1 (1½-pound) eggplant or 3 Japanese eggplants, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- â…“ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 French baguette, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- â…“ cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1 garlic clove
Instructions:
This is rustic and simple, and deeply satisfying. Pureed beans can get a bit crusty when exposed to air, so if you make these ahead of time, drizzle a bit of a nice fruity olive oil over each crostini to keep it fresh and make it glisten.
- Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Put the eggplant on a parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
- While the eggplant is roasting, preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the bread slices with olive oil on both sides and arrange in the pan. Cook until both sides are pale golden and crisp, about 5 minutes total. Set aside to cool.
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cooled eggplant (flesh and skin), beans, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the ⅓ cup olive oil and process until the mixture is creamy. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
- Spoon the spread into a small bowl and serve with the bread slices. Alternatively, spoon the spread over the bread and arrange on a serving platter.