Stewed Cranberry Beans with Tomatoes and Sage
By Amanda LuchtelPublished on October 31, 2023
Time
2 hours, plus 8 hours brining
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Soaking the beans in brine for at least 8 hours results in creamier beans that cook more evenly than if soaked in just water. Cranberry beans are also sold as borlotti or Roman beans.
Instructions
- Dissolve 1½ tablespoons salt in 2 quarts cold water in large container. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain beans in colander and rinse well.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Heat ¼ cup oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook, stirring often, until tomato paste begins to darken, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits. Add sage, salt, pepper, and rinsed beans and bring to boil. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook for 40 minutes. Remove pot from oven and stir in tomatoes and their juice. Cover pot; return to oven; and continue to cook until beans are fully tender, about 30 minutes longer.
- Remove pot from oven. Stir beans, then let sit, covered, until liquid thickens slightly, about 20 minutes. (Cooking liquid may seem brothy at first; it will thicken as it rests.) Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons oil until liquid is creamy and glossy, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle individual portions with Parmesan and drizzle with extra oil. Serve.
Time
2 hours, plus 8 hours briningYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Cranberry beans are often stewed with lots of tomatoes in their native Italy. We made a version of this classic one-pot bean with tomatoes and sage to showcase cranberry beans' delicate flavor and creamy texture. While pancetta is often used to add savory flavor to this dish, we leaned heavily into using tomato paste, whole canned tomatoes, and chicken broth instead. We cooked the beans halfway through before adding canned tomatoes to the pot. Many brands of canned tomatoes contain calcium chloride to keep the tomatoes firm, but we found that it toughened the bean skins if the tomatoes were added too early in the cooking process. To ensure that the dish was rich and creamy, we stirred in olive oil before serving and topped the beans with shaved Parmesan.
Before You Begin
Soaking the beans in brine for at least 8 hours results in creamier beans that cook more evenly than if soaked in just water. Cranberry beans are also sold as borlotti or Roman beans.
Instructions
- Dissolve 1½ tablespoons salt in 2 quarts cold water in large container. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain beans in colander and rinse well.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Heat ¼ cup oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook, stirring often, until tomato paste begins to darken, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits. Add sage, salt, pepper, and rinsed beans and bring to boil. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook for 40 minutes. Remove pot from oven and stir in tomatoes and their juice. Cover pot; return to oven; and continue to cook until beans are fully tender, about 30 minutes longer.
- Remove pot from oven. Stir beans, then let sit, covered, until liquid thickens slightly, about 20 minutes. (Cooking liquid may seem brothy at first; it will thicken as it rests.) Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons oil until liquid is creamy and glossy, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle individual portions with Parmesan and drizzle with extra oil. Serve.
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