Garlic White Bean Basil Hummus and Homemade Toasted Pita Chips

For the pita chips:
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Cut each pita into 8 wedges and place wedges in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil or spray with olive oil cooking spray and gently toss to coat. Sprinkle salt all over wedges adding other spices if desired; toss again to coat.

Arrange on an ungreased baking sheet and bake about 8-10 minutes, until pita chips are golden brown. Flip over once halfway through baking. Cool on pans.

For the hummus:
Combine beans, garlic, lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a couple of times until the mixture looks somewhat chopped. Add in the olive oil while the machine is still running. Let process until the mixture is creamy.

If the mixture appears to be too thick, add in a teaspoon of water at a time to thin it out. Otherwise, season with additional salt and pepper to your liking and drizzle the top with a tiny bit of olive oil. Dip away!

The hummus should be stored in the refrigerator and can be made 1 day ahead. The pita chips should be kept at room temperature in a container.

This recipe was inspired by Giada De Laurentis’ Everyday Italian cookbook.