Garlic Toast with Balsamic Tomatoes and White Beans

Ingredients

• 4 slices hearty bread
• 1 large clove garlic
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 Tbsp butter
• Pinch salt
• 15 oz. can Cannellini beans
• 2 tsp Parmesan

Directions

1. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Cut the garlic clove in half, keeping the peel on so it is easier to grip, and rub the cut side across the bread. Add the olive oil to a small bowl and brush it over the garlic-rubbed bread. Put the bread aside, but save both the garlic and any oil left in the bowl for the tomatoes.
2. Warm a large skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the remaining olive oil from the bowl and tilt the skillet so the oil coats the bottom. Add the grape tomatoes and cook them, stirring now and then, until the skins blister, the tomatoes burst, and they start to collapse. The tomato juices will darken and caramelize against the pan.
3. As the tomatoes cook, mince the reserved garlic. When the tomatoes have opened up and softened, stir in the minced garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, just until the garlic mellows and no longer tastes raw.
4. Lower the heat to medium-low, then add the balsamic vinegar and rosemary. Stir as it cooks, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, until the vinegar reduces and thickens slightly. Reduce the heat again to low, add the butter and a pinch of salt, and stir until the butter melts smoothly into the sauce.
5. Rinse and drain the Cannellini beans, then stir them into the skillet with the tomatoes and sauce. Let them warm through.
6. While the beans heat, set the oven to broil and slide in the baking sheet with the bread. Stay close while it toasts, and take it out when the top turns golden brown; depending on the rack’s distance from the broiler, this can happen in only a few minutes.
7. For serving, spoon a generous amount of the tomato and bean mixture over each piece of bread, then finish with a pinch of Parmesan.