Description
Pizza Beans is a comforting and easy one-skillet dish featuring blistered cherry tomatoes, tender cannellini beans simmered in a flavorful tomato sauce, topped with melted mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and served with crusty bread for scooping.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste + black pepper
- 2 cans cannellini beans 15 oz / 400 g each can – drained and rinsed
- 1 cup broth vegetable or chicken
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella more or less to taste – or 1 fresh mozzarella ball torn into chunks (about 7-8 oz or 200 g)
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan
- 1 handful fresh basil
- 4 slices crusty bread toasted, for serving
Instructions
- Blister the tomatoes: Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 pints halved cherry tomatoes and cook about 5 minutes until the skins start to blister.
- Add aromatics and seasonings: Stir in 2 cloves grated garlic, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add beans and simmer: Stir in 2 cans drained and rinsed cannellini beans and 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth. Mix well, bring to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes until the tomatoes soften and the sauce thickens.
- Add cheese and broil: Turn on your oven broiler. Top the skillet with 1½ cups shredded mozzarella or torn mozzarella ball and ⅓ cup grated parmesan. Broil for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden in spots. Watch carefully to avoid burning.
- Finish and serve: Remove skillet from oven and sprinkle 1 handful of fresh basil over the top. Serve warm with 4 slices of toasted crusty bread to scoop up the saucy beans and melted cheese.
Notes
- Extra virgin olive oil can be substituted with avocado oil or light olive oil.
- Cherry tomatoes can be replaced with marinara sauce or canned diced, crushed, or whole peeled tomatoes.
- Garlic may be swapped with garlic powder or roasted garlic for a different flavor.
- Tomato paste can be substituted with tomato passata or marinara sauce.
- Dried oregano can be replaced with Italian seasoning or dried basil.
- Cannellini beans can be substituted with great northern beans, butter beans, or chickpeas.
- Vegetable broth may be substituted with water plus a pinch of salt or chicken broth.
- Mozzarella can be fresh or shredded; cheddar, crumbled feta, provolone, fontina, or dairy-free mozzarella also work well.
- Parmesan can be substituted with pecorino Romano.
- Fresh basil can be switched out for fresh oregano or basil pesto.
- Serve with whole grain toast or warm pita as alternatives to crusty bread.
- Let tomatoes blister undisturbed to develop a deep, sweet flavor.
- Use an oven-safe skillet to easily move from stovetop to broiler and simplify cleanup.
- Brown the tomato paste briefly to boost richness and add depth.
- Add more broth or water if the sauce becomes too thick during simmering.
- Tear mozzarella into irregular pieces for a bubbly, attractive melted topping.
- Watch the broiler carefully as cheese browns quickly in the last minutes.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
