Now more than ever I am embracing the process of cooking beans. Soaking them overnight, then coming up with different flavor combinations to braise them in. Sometimes doing this over the stove, sometimes in my Instant Pot, and like this recipe here, letting them braise in a buttery parmesan broth in the oven until plump and creamy.

I have done this method both with corona beans (like in the photos) or a smaller white bean. This is also delicious with chickpeas. Just whatever you do, when eating and storing the beans, make sure to keep the broth. It is rich and flavorful, and will keep your beans perfect in the fridge until you eat them again.

Jake and I like to eat these as is, in a big bowl topped with even more parmesan and black pepper. The kids like to have the beans mashed a bit and served over grilled bread. Leftover beans get mixed into soups or pastas for the week, or tossed with some vegetable like broccoli or cauliflower and sausage.

Buttery Parmesan Braised Beans

INGREDIENTS:

16 ounces dried beans, soaked overnight (Corona, Chickpeas, or any white bean)
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1-2 parmesan rinds
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
kosher salt + freshly ground pepper
2/3 cup parmesan, finely grated
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes

STEPS:

Soak your beans overnight by covering them with 2” of water. The next day drain the beans and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a dutch oven, warm olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes until just turning golden. Add in the drained beans, baking soda, parmesan rinds, pepper flakes, and a few good grinds of black pepper, and add enough water to cover the beans by 2”. Bring to a boil, then cover with a lid and transfer to the oven.

After 90 minutes, check on your beans, taste and see where they are at. At this point I like to add a tablespoon of kosher salt. If the water level has dropped and the beans are out of the water, add in some water or broth to cover the beans by 1”. Continue cooking the beans, covered, in the oven for another 20-40 minutes depending on the size of your bean. I generally like to check them every 15 minutes after they have cooked for 90. When sampling the beans, make sure to taste 3-4 beans to indicate that the beans are finished and creamy.

Remove from the oven and begin adding in 2 tablespoons of butter and a small amount of parmesan at a time, stirring until the butter has melted before you add in more. Do this until all of the butter and parmesan are mixed into the beans. Taste, adding in more salt, lots of freshly ground pepper, some additional chili flakes, or even more parmesan.