Found this online because I was looking to do something with beans and greens, because I’ve been trying to eat less meat lately. I whipped it up on a whim and I was shocked by how good it was. It honestly ended up tasting like pepperoni.
I was really worried there would be too much moisture in it, but there wasn’t at all. I think because you cook the vegetables separately before baking them together, it just ends up this wonderful vegetable cheesy mess. It’s great.
Now, in the recipe I used paprika and smoke powder. That’s me being super bougie. The original recipe called for smoked paprika, which I was out of, so I made that substitution. You should feel free to use just an equal amount of paprika if that’s what you have. Or just leave it off, because I’m not entirely convinced that paprika does anything. I think it might be the same people behind the Bay Leaf Conspiracy.
Ingredients
2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
1 onion, minced
1 red bell pepper, minced
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
1/2 pound greens, I used spinach, but kale or escarole or collard greens would work just as well
14 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup red pesto
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon rosemary OR instead of all that starting with the thyme, 1 tablespoon italian seasoning. And it’s worth mentioning that I used a heavy hand with those spices.
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon smoke powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3 cups grated mozzarella
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400. Mix together the beans, tomatoes, pesto, parmesan, dried spices, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
Add a glug of oil to a frying pan, and saute the onions, peppers, and garlic over medium heat until the onions soften, maybe 10 minutes. Add the fennel seeds and fry for a minute, them dump everything into your mixing bowl.
Add another splash of oil to the pan, and saute the mushrooms over medium head until cooked down, maybe 15 minutes, then add them to your mixing bowl.
Now, add one last splash of oil to the pan, and saute the greens until softened, maybe five minutes. Add a splash of white wine or lemon juice to the pan and stir to deglaze, then add them to your mixing bowl.
It’s a mixing bowl. Do the thing. Mix everything up.
Spoon the mixture into a casserole dish (no need to oil it) and cover with the mozzarella. Put it in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the cheese is bubbly. Let sit for ten minutes to cool to allow it to set, and enjoy!
eatbensmeat 