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Greek-Style Baked White Beans in Tomato Sauce
Gigantes plaki, or gigante beans baked in tomato sauce, is a Greek classic. The delicious version we tasted at Manousakis Winery on the island of Crete had us eager to re-create the dish ourselves. But we quickly learned that dried gigante beans, a type of large, white runner bean—they are not lima beans, contrary to what some sources say—are not widely available in the U.S. We discovered that great northern beans, though smaller, are an excellent alternative. (We prefer them over cannellini beans, which are slightly larger but have a tendency to cook unevenly and break down even if just slightly overdone.) If you are able to source dried gigante beans, they will require at least 50 minutes of covered cooking in the Dutch oven to become tender, and even when fully cooked, will have a firmer texture than great northerns. This is a multi-step recipe but requires minimal hands-on time. First, the soaked beans are simmered in a pot in the oven until tender; meanwhile, a rich tomato sauce is cooked on the stovetop. The two then are combined and finished in the oven, where the flavors deepen and concentrate.
6
Servings
Don’t try to take a shortcut by quick-soaking the beans. For even cooking and the best texture, the beans need to soak for at least 12 hours at room temperature prior to cooking. Don’t forget to add the salt to the soaking water, which helps produce more tender beans.
1¾ hours
30 minutes active, plus soaking and cooling
Ingredients
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1
pound dried great northern beans
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Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Directions
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01First, soak the beans. In a large bowl, stir together the beans, 3 quarts water and 2 teaspoons salt. Soak at room temperature for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse the beans.
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