Roasted Fennel & Cannellini Dip {Food52 Potluck}

As part of my Food52 potluck fennel pollen trifecta, I started with the Roasted Fennel & White Bean Dip that was posted by the Singing_Baker and added a few touches of my own, including fennel pollen and truffle oil.

For Roasted Fennel

2 large fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces

splash of olive oil

freshly ground sea salt 

freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lay the fennel on a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Roast for 50-60 minutes - until the fennel is softened and caramelized. Remove from the oven and let cool. 

For the Cannellini Dip

3/4 C olive oil

1 T minced fresh garlic

2 1/2 C cooked cannellini (white beans), drained and rinsed

1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped

1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 C Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

1 T fennel pollen

In a blender, blend the fennel, the beans, the garlic, the olive oil, rosemary, and the lemon juice until smooth. In a large mixing bowl, spoon the blended beans. Add 1/2 C of the parmesan. Transfer to a baking stone and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and fennel pollen. Cover with foil and bake, at 350 degrees, for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden brown and bubbling.

For Serving*

crostini

black truffle oil

Spread the dip on your crostini and drizzle with black truffle oil. Pronto al tavolo!

*For the potluck I served this with crostini. For my preview the night before, I served the dip with Pink Lady apples