White Bean Bruschetta with Sun-dried tomatoes and Basil

Bruschetta is classic Italian food and we love it with almost any topping.

I wanted to try a different topping and decided to use White Navy beans with sun- dried tomatoes and fresh basil. The sun-dried tomatoes add a burst of flavour every now and then and the garlic flavoured beans, make this Bruschetta lipsmacking good!

You will need:

1 small baguette, sliced into thick pieces

1 cup canned white beans, drained (reserve liquid)

1 tbsp thinly sliced garlic

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling

1 tsp chili flakes (adjust to taste)

8 to 10 basil leaves

1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced 1/4-inch thick

Lemon juice

Salt and black pepper

Parmesan shavings

Preheat oven to 400F.

Place baguette slices on a baking sheet, drizzle lightly with olive oil and set in oven for 4-5 minutes or until the slices are golden brown.

While bread is toasting, in a pan on medium heat, saute the sliced garlic in the olive oil. When it is light golden, add the chili flakes, cook for 10 seconds and then add the basil leaves. This should be done carefully, as the basil may spatter.

Transfer the beans to the pan. Add 1 to 2 tbsp of the canned liquid reserved earlier and mix all together. Adjust consistency, as necessary, with the bean liquid, a little at a time.

When the basil leaves are wilted, remove mixture from the heat. Add the sun-dried tomatoes Toss to combine and adjust the seasoning with lemon juice, to taste, and salt and pepper.

Arrange the toasted bruschetta on a serving platter and drizzle with the remaining extra-virgin olive oil. Top each piece with some of the tomato-bean mixture, then top with parmesan cheese. Serve immediately while still warm.