Pizza Beans

“Pizza Beans” is another winner from Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen, it takes all the things we love about a great pasta bake ie cheese and turns it into what can be considered quite a healthy dish. I challenge even the biggest bean “hater” not to like/love this bubbling, cheesy, tomatoey goodness. Recipe can be found both on her blog and in Smitten Kitchen Every Day. If you wish to add a meat you can squeeze out the filling from a few sausages into a frying pan, brake them up with a spoon as they cook and brown and add to the sauce when you add the beans. Serve with garlic bread and a salad if you wish and you will easily be able to feed 8 people.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• Salt and pepper or red chilli flakes
• Dried oregano or Italian seasoning
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 cup white wine (optional)
• 1/2 bunch kale, chopped
• 2 cans tomatoes, crushed or diced
• 500gm dried lima beans, soaked overnight and cooked
• up to 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 250 gm mozzarella, grated
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Heat oven to 240°C (or 220°C fan forced). On a medium heat, heat the oil in a casserole dish. Add the onion, celery and carrots, season well with salt and pepper or chilli flakes. Cook stirring, until the vegetables brown lightly, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and a good sprinkling of oregano (or Italian seasoning), cook for one minute more.

Add the wine, or a splash of water, and scrape up any stuck bits, then simmer until the liquid has evaporated. Add the kale and cook for 1 – 2 minutes, until it softens.

Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add the beans and give it all a gentle stir.

If the mixture seems too dry to coat the beans evenly add vegetable stock 1/4 cup at a time. Simmer the beans for 10 minutes adding more stock if needed. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Transfer the mix to an oven proof dish ie lasagna dish.

Sprinkle the bean mix with the mozzarella, then the parmesan and bake for 10-15 minutes until browned on the top and the mix is bubbling.

Just a note on the dried lima beans, I found them at Oasis Bakery in Murrumbeena in Melbourne. If you can’t find them use the biggest white bean you can find. Soak them in lightly salted water overnight, 12-24 hours.

So do you like beans? Even if you aren’t the biggest fan do give this recipe ago as I’m sure you’ll love it just as much a we do. Enjoy. Sheryl x