White Bean and Pancetta Crostini
I can still remember the taste of those crostini, three months after our city break in Rome. We happened to walk into a small and charming restaurant, located between Campo de' Fiori and the Tiber river, to take shelter from the rain. Now I realize that everything has remained etched in my memory: the decor, the waiter's joviality, the taste of the food, the smell of rain on the hot pavement. It was the most pleasant and unplanned experience of that trip.
Ingredients
250g cooked white beans
3 thin slices of pancetta (preferably unsmoked)
2 cloves of garlic
8 slices of baguette
25g finely grated Parmesan
3-4 sprigs of fresh parsley
olive oil
salt, black pepper, chili flakes
For cooking the beans
1-2 bay leaves
1 small onion
1 generous sprig of rosemary
How to prepare white bean and pancetta crostini
- I prepared this recipe with fresh white beans (500g) which I boiled in plenty of water with bay leaves, onion cut in half and whole rosemary. It took about 45 minutes, but after 30 minutes you can start checking. When it's cooked but still feels just slightly firm in the center, turn off the heat, add plenty of salt to the water (taste the water to be pleasantly salty) and put the lid on. Let the beans cool like this, don't remove them immediately from the hot water, the skin will crack and look unsightly. Also, as they cool, the beans will absorb the flavor of the aromatics from the water better.
Follow the same procedure if using dried beans, only soak them overnight first and then cook them. Also, the cooking time will be longer, depending on how dry and how old the beans are.
Keep the cooked beans in the refrigerator, and when you want to use them just drain and weigh 250g for this recipe. - In a wide pan, tear the pancetta slices into suitable pieces. Place the pan over medium heat and fry the pancetta just until nicely browned, don't let it fry too long or it will become brittle.
- If the pancetta hasn't released enough oil in the pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add 1 crushed garlic clove and saute everything for 1 minute.
- Grind plenty of black pepper, sprinkle chili flakes to taste and then add the cooked beans. Saute everything for another 2 minutes. Taste for salt and add if needed.
- Grill (or use a grill pan; or toaster) the baguette slices drizzled with a little olive oil. Grill them until nicely browned, don't let them harden, they will be difficult to eat, especially with the bean topping.
- Grate the Parmesan on a fine grater and mix it with the finely chopped parsley and crushed garlic clove.
- Press one side of the baguette slices into the Parmesan mixture, a thin layer should stick to them. If not, help them a little by pressing the Parmesan with your hand. Place the slices on the serving platter. Put a generous tablespoon of beans with pancetta on each crostini. Serve immediately while still warm.
