Creamy White Beans with Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Breadcrumbs
Beans are one of those classic side dishes that seem to have variations all over the world, be it Mexican refried beans or Greek chickpeas that are either blended into hummus or tossed into salads. Over in the great land of Italy, they seem to focus more on the waxy white bean or Cannellini bean that are full of flavor on their own, but can lend themselves to be infused with all sorts of delicious things.
Today, I’ll be sharing a simple but tasty dish where I’ll be making the beans very creamy, stirring in some roasted garlic because I love the flavor of roasted garlic and topping them with some crunchy, cheesy breadcrumbs that will turn the humble, ordinary white bean into something worthy of being the main dish.
This dish is great to serve to vegetarians, it’s great as a side dish, or it’s simply a nice way to elevate your bean game.
Serves 4 or 5, plus extra garlic-infused oil
Time: 1/2 hour
Difficulty: Easy
10 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt
1 can (15 oz) white beans such as Cannellini*
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
If you have the time and want to cook your beans from dry, that’s fine by me. However, that process involves soaking the beans for hours then they end up taking a while to cook, plus…I’m lazy so I will just stick with the canned stuff.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/190 C.
Place all of the garlic into a saucepan and cover with olive oil. Heat over medium-low until the garlic starts gently sizzling. Slowly cook the garlic, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is golden brown and very soft. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and set aside on paper towels, and set aside the oil. Once cool enough to handle, use the side of a knife to mash the roasted garlic into a paste.
Dump the cream into a saucepan along with the roasted and smashed garlic, Worcestershire, and pinch of salt. Heat the cream over medium heat until it’s very hot, but don’t let it boil. Meanwhile, drain the canned white beans, but don’t rinse them.
Once the cream is boiling, stir in the beans. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until the beans are warmed through and the cream begins to thicken. Taste the mixture and add salt if needed.
For the topping, stir 2 tablespoons of the garlic-infused oil into the breadcrumbs. Dump the beans into a baking dish or cast iron pan, then top with the breadcrumbs and the Parmigiano. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the beans are bubbly and the topping is golden. Serve hot.
