Party like a Vegetarian

Throwing a soiree but need a dish for the token vegetarian in the house?

Why not give Giada's white bean dip and homemade pita chips a whirl?

I mean, really. What do you have to lose?

You know you're considering a crudite with some dip that NOBODY will eat. Girl, please.

And you can make the dip part ahead and it requires like four ingredients: cannellini, lemon juice, parsley and garlic. And some olive oil, salt and peps, natch.

Sure, you can buy a bag of pita chips, but these homemade chips are fantabulous. So worth the effort. Just toss with olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper and voila. Delish chips in a few minutes after a bake in the oven.

Yay.

Now, please don't misinterpret The Jersey Girl. Carnivores and herbivores alike will devour your non-meaty dip, trust. In fact, my main squeeze The Husband, known to house a brontosaurus or two, frequently makes a kind request that I whip this dish up when we're throwing a shin-dig. It's also fantastic to make when you receive an impromptu invite to a gathering. Why is that? Because I ALWAYS have a can o' beans in the pantry.

I often serve the dip with some fresh carrots or bell peppers in addition to the pita chips. Delish.

My one piece of advice when making this is to set your timer for about 6 minutes on the pita chips. Check them, and then put them back in for a few minutes if need be. I feel like the time allotment in the recipe could possibly lead to burnt chips. 

• White Bean Dip with Pita Chips
• From "Everyday Italian"
• By Giada De Laurentiis

• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

• 2 cloves garlic

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1/3 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons

• 1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves

• Salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 6 pitas

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

• Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and parsley in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the

• mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the bean puree to a small bowl.

• Cut each pita in half and then into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges on a large baking sheet. Pour the remaining oil over the pitas. Toss and spread out the wedges evenly. Sprinkle with the oregano, salt, and pepper. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until toasted and golden in color.

Serve the pita toasts warm or at room temperature alongside the bean puree.