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Beans and Tomatoes

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 20 minutes (with cooked beans)

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped shallots or scallions
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
  • 3 cups drained cooked or canned navy, lima, or butter beans (reserve the liquid if you cooked them yourself)
  • Grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

  1. Put the butter or oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted or the oil is hot, add the shallots, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the thyme and stir for about 30 seconds.
  2. Add the tomatoes and adjust the heat so they release their liquid and bubble steadily. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break up and the liquid thickens, about 10 minutes. Add the beans and enough bean cooking liquid or water to make a slightly soupy mixture.
  3. Raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring, until the sauce is creamy, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot, topped with parmesan if you’re using it. (Or refrigerate for several days or freeze for months; reheat gently.)

– Recipe from How to Cook Everything: Completely Revised 20th Anniversary Edition

Recipe variations

Other optional adjustments:
We used a combination of butter and olive oil because it’s THE BEST, and added some thinly sliced garlic along with the shallots, keeping an eye on the heat so it didn’t burn. We also used fresh rosemary instead of thyme, because it’s what was lying around, and because the combination of white beans, tomatoes, and rosemary is pretty unassailable.