One Great . . . healthful dip

Have you noticed the hummus trend? The old mixture of chickpeas, tahini and olive oil is jumping into new forms, including carrot hummus, cauliflower hummus and beet hummus.

This twist isn't a hummus - there's no tahini or nuts. But it's light and tasty, an easy thing to pack for lunch or put out for a light appetizer. Serve it with pita chips.

Ricotta Cannellini Dip

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
1 to 2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Pita chips

RINSE and drain cannellini beans. Place in a food processor with ricotta, lemon juice, garlic, salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt and garlic if desired. Scrape into a bowl and drizzle remaining tablespoon olive over the top. Serve at room temperature with pita chips.

YIELD: 2 cups.