Slow-Baked Giant Beans in Tomato, Dill & Olive Oil

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Creamy dried lima beans simmered until tender, then baked low and slow in a garlicky tomato sauce heavy with good olive oil, fresh dill and parsley. The top goes jammy and slightly caramelized while the beans underneath stay silky. Serve it warm with bread as a main, or at room temperature as part of a mezze spread — it tastes even better the next day.

Ingredients

• 1 lb dried large lima beans (butter beans or gigantes)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 1 rib celery, finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Instructions

1. Put the dried lima beans in a large bowl, cover with 3 inches of cold water, and soak at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours (overnight). Drain and rinse.
2. Transfer the beans to a large pot, add the bay leaf and enough fresh water to cover by 2 inches, and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off any foam, reduce to a bare simmer, and cook uncovered for 45 to 60 minutes, adding the 1 teaspoon salt in the last 10 minutes, until the beans are tender enough to crush against the roof of your mouth but still holding their shape. Drain, reserving 2 cups of the cooking liquid. Discard the bay leaf.
3. Meanwhile, heat the 1/2 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, for 10 to 12 minutes until soft and just beginning to color.
4. Add the sliced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant, then stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes more, pressing it against the pan until it darkens.
5. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the black pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in half the dill.
6. Heat the oven to 350°F. Combine the drained beans and the sauce in a 9x13-inch baking dish or a wide 3-quart baking dish, then stir in 1 1/2 cups of the reserved bean cooking liquid. The beans should look loose and soupy — add up to 1/2 cup more liquid if needed, since they will drink it up.
7. Bake uncovered for 60 to 75 minutes, stirring once at the 30-minute mark, until the sauce is thick and the surface is darkened and glossy with olive oil pooling at the edges. If the top browns before the beans are fully creamy, tent loosely with foil and continue baking.
8. Let the dish rest 15 minutes. Scatter over the remaining dill and the parsley, squeeze on the lemon juice, and drizzle with the 2 tablespoons finishing olive oil. Serve warm or at room temperature with crusty bread.

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Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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