BAKED CANNELLINI BEANS WITH ROSEMARY, TOMATO
PG tested
How do you ward off a cold or chase away the winter blues? Leela Cyd just might have the answer.
“Warmed beans oozing with smoky mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce is about the most wholesome cure I can think of to whatever ails me,” she writes in her charming new cookbook, “Tasting Hygge.”
“Hygge” (pronounced HOOgah) is a Danish word that translates loosely to “coziness.” But it’s really any homespun creature comfort that promotes a sense of warmth and togetherness. That includes food that warms you from the inside out.
The original recipe for this cheesy bean dish is vegetarian, but I couldn’t resist adding some Uncle Charley’s sweet Italian sausage. It features mozzarella and Parmesan, but you could easily substitute another cheese. When served with warm crusty bread and a glass of red wine, it’s a winner of a cold-weather meal — especially if you curl up in a blanket and eat it on the couch. 2 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for greasing pan 1 large white onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced ½ teaspoon each dried thyme, oregano, basil and sea salt
½ pound bulk sweet or hot Italian sausage 2 tablespoons tomato paste 28-ounce can diced tomatoes 3 cups cooked cannellini beans
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
⅔ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
⅓ cup shredded smoked mozzarella cheese
1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
In large, heavy-bottomed pot on medium-high heat, add butter and olive oil. When butter is melted, add onion, garlic, thyme, oregano, basil and salt, then cook for about 5 minutes until onions begin to soften and become transparent. Add sausage and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and canned tomatoes and reduce heat to low. Continue to cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch casserole pan with olive oil. Stir beans into tomato sauce until evenly combined. Pour tomato and bean mixture into prepared pan. (I split the mixture between two small casserole dishes.) Sprinkle grated Parmesan and ⅓ cup shredded Parmesan and all the mozzarella evenly over the beans. Cover in foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and take off foil, then increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. Add remaining Parmesan cheese to dish and bake for 5 minutes more or until the mixture is golden and bubbly.
Serve immediately or cover and store in the fridge for up to three days. Garnish with a sprinkling of fresh rosemary when serving.
Serves 6 to 8.
— Adapted from “Tasting Hygge: Joyful Recipes for Cozy Days and Nights” by Leela Cyd (Countryman Press, November 2017, $17.95)