More than Just Dip

We had a party at my office where a few people brought in things to nibble on. I made breadsticks with my two favorite dips: pumpkin-cannellini bean and roasted red pepper. There was plenty left over so it’s a good thing these dips are versatile.

The roasted red pepper dip is a recipe I adapted (ever so slightly) from Main-Course Sandwiches by Ray Overton where it was presented as a tapenade to be used as a sandwich spread. But leftovers also make a terrific quick pasta; simply toss the cooked and drained pasta with the dip and voila.

I made a variation on my pumpkin-cannellini bean dip by substituting 10-12 sage leaves instead of the herbes de Provence, omitting the garlic, and adding ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. I wondered whether I could use those leftovers as a pasta sauce as well. I cooked up a pound of farfalle, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water before draining. I added about ½ cup of the pasta water to the dip to make it a little more saucy and tossed it with the pasta. Conclusion: another great quick pasta sauce from another great dip.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

• 2 red bell peppers
• 12 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• 2 anchovy fillets
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. capers, rinsed and drained
• 1 tbsp. herbes de Provence
• ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. lemon zest
• freshly ground black pepper

1. Arrange the peppers in a foil-lined baking sheet about 6 inches from the broiler. Roast until the peppers are charred all over, turning with tongs ever few minutes, about 15 minutes under the broiler. Place blackened peppers in a heavy-duty zip-top freezer bag and seal (the steam will loosen the skin of the peppers). When cool enough to handle, gently remove the charred skin, tear open the peppers, and remove the seeds.
2. In a food processor or blender combine the peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, anchovies, garlic, capers, herbes de Provence, and basil. Process until chopped. With the machine running add the olive oil in a thin, steady stream until the mixture is smooth and thick. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with the pepper. Cover and refrigerate.

Serve with breadsticks (shown above) or pita chips, use as a sandwich spread (for example, it’s delicious with prosciutto and mozzarella on ciabatta) or use as a pasta sauce.

Pumpkin-Cannellini Bean Dip

• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• 1 cup canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 10-12 fresh sage leaves
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup olive oil

1. Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food process and process roughly. While running the food processor, stream in the olive oil and mix well.

Serve with breadsticks or pita chips or use as a pasta sauce (shown above), reserving pasta cooking water and adding it to the dip to make it saucier.