Cannellini Bean Gratin
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.At one of my favorite restaurants in SF, Nopa, they serve the most delicious baked white beans, topped with feta, herbs and breadcrumbs. It comes warm and sizzling in a skillet: crispy from the breadcrumbs, creamy from the beans, and with a little bit of bite from the feta.
Since we’re far far away from Nopa now, I was determined to try to recreate their “Wood Baked Giant White Beans” at home.
And when I came across this recipe from Vegetarian Times, I knew I had found the inspiration I was looking for! You can make it with dried beans but I chose to do it with canned to save on time – it still tasted delicious.
You can use any kind of cheese you like for this, I chose Parmesan because I absolutely love the way it tastes when it’s baked in the oven. This recipe makes 12 enormous servings, and it also freezes really well so you can always make a big batch and freeze half of it for another day. It’s a healthy vegetarian Italian recipe!
The husband loved this recipe and I thought it completely took me back to eating those giant white beans at Nopa.
The Ingredients
Adapted from Vegetarian Times
- 3 (15oz) cans cannellini beans
- 1.5 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, divided
- 1 large red onion, diced (2 cups)
- ½ large or 1 medium fennel bulb, bulb quartered and diced (2 cups)
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups diced carrots
- 1.25Â cups coarsely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/2Â cup fresh whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1.5-2 cups broth
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
The Directions
Step 1:Â Chop all of your veggies. Saute the onion, garlic, carrots, fennel, thyme and 1 tbsp parsley in a large pan with 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil.
Step 2:Â Add the beans, thyme, 1/2 cup cheese, 1.5-2 cups broth (if needed), crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper to taste.
Step 3: Let the mixture cook for 10-15 minutes until warmed through. Meanwhile, combine breadcrumbs, remaining chopped parsley, and remaining cheese in small bowl. Drizzle remaining 1 tbsp olive oil into crumb mixture, and combine to moisten breadcrumbs.
Step 4:Â Spray an oven safe casserole dish with olive oil cooking spray. Pour mixture into the dish.
Step 5:Â Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top of the casserole and bake in a 400 degree oven, uncovered for 15-20 minutes until the breadcrumbs have browned.
When it’s done, it will look like this:
How good does that look? And the best part is: you can enjoy a huge serving of this for only about 200 calories. It will keep you full and satisfied forever – and it will feel totally decadent but it is so good for you! (shhh don’t tell anyone 🙂 ).
I hope you like this dish as much as we did!
Cannellini Bean Gratin
Ingredients
- 45 oz cannellini beans 3 cans
- 1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley divided
- 1 large red onion diced (2 cups)
- ½ large or 1 medium fennel bulb bulb quartered and diced (2 cups)
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups diced carrots
- 1 1/4 cups coarsely grated Parmesan cheese divided
- 1/2 cup fresh whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 1/2-2 cups broth
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Chop all of your veggies. Saute the onion, garlic, carrots, fennel, thyme and 1 tbsp parsley in a large pan with 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil.
- Add the beans, thyme, 1/2 cup cheese, 1.5-2 cups broth (if needed), crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Let the mixture cook for 10-15 minutes until warmed through. Meanwhile, combine breadcrumbs, remaining chopped parsley, and remaining cheese in small bowl. Drizzle remaining 1 tbsp olive oil into crumb mixture, and combine to moisten breadcrumbs.
- Spray an oven safe casserole dish with olive oil cooking spray. Pour mixture into the dish.
- Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top of the casserole and bake in a 400 degree oven, uncovered for 15-20 minutes until the breadcrumbs have browned.
Do you drain and rinse the beans?
Yes! I always recommend draining and rinsing the beans.
So, if one wanted to use feta instead of parmesan, how much would you use? btw, love the pics – I find them very helpful. (fwiw, img_1853) isn’t displaying in my browser) thanks again for the yummy recipe!
Hi Patricia! I’d use the same amount – 1.25 cups of crumbled feta cheese. So glad you found the pics helpful! That’s strange about that one image – it loads for me so I’d suggest clearing your cache and trying to load it again. Hope you love this recipe when you try it! 🙂
Looks absolutely delicious! That looks like it would be a great side to a turkey dinner on Thanksgiving.
Thanks! And yes totally!! I can definitely see this as being the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas 🙂
This looks so incredibly comforting – Made it last night and it was so delicious!! Such a nice change!! You have the best recipes!!
Awww yay! So happy to hear that Lahoma – and I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying my recipes! Happy cooking! 🙂
I love beans (my husband is looking at me weird)- he has no idea how many times he had beans in the dishes I made 🙂 Thank you for sharing.
Haha! That’s awesome 🙂 I love beans too Freddie! Hope you like this recipe when you try it!
This looks so yummy AND healthy! Should be super simple to throw together as well. Thanks for the recipe!
Absolutely Lindsey! I’m sure you will enjoy this one!
hah, @Elisha I was thinking the same while reading the recipe but I’ll make it for my fiance.. Just have to get done with the house cleaning marathon and off to the kitchen
Haha that’s awesome Stephanie! Hope you and your fiance loved this recipe!
Awesome idea- I’m going to switch up the bread crumbs and make this for my mother. Several helpings of this + wine = perfect dinner.
Sounds like a great plan Elisha! Let me know how your mother liked the recipe!