Rosemary White Beans With Frizzled Onions and Tomato

By Melissa Clark

Published Jan. 4, 2023

Rosemary White Beans With Frizzled Onions and Tomato
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(5,808)
Comments
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A speedy, pantry-friendly dish, canned white beans braised in olive oil and tomatoes become stewlike and creamy. Pinches of fresh or dried rosemary, chile flakes and lemon zest add complexity to the mix, while a topping of frizzled, browned onions lends sweetness and a chewy-crisp texture. Serve this with toasted country bread drizzled with olive oil, or over a bowl of rice or farro for an easy, satisfying weeknight meal.

Featured in: Here’s Yet Another Reason to Worship Canned Beans

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Ingredients

Yield:3 to 4 servings
  • ½cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1large white onion, halved and thinly sliced into half moons
  • Fine sea salt
  • 6garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2teaspoons minced fresh rosemary, or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • ¼teaspoon red-pepper flakes, more for serving
  • 2(15-ounce) cans white beans, such as cannellini or butter beans (preferably canned with salt), drained and rinsed
  • 1cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
  • 1½teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
  • 1cup chopped fresh parsley leaves and tender stems, more for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

516 calories; 28 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 20 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 53 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 17 grams protein; 779 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil until it shimmers over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned all over, 7 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, transfer half of the onions to a plate and season lightly with salt.

  2. Step 2

    Add remaining 6 tablespoons oil, the garlic, rosemary, red-pepper flakes and a pinch of salt to the onions in the skillet. Cook until garlic is pale gold at the edges (don’t let the garlic turn brown), 2 to 5 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add beans, chopped tomatoes, ½ cup of water and 1 teaspoon salt to skillet; stir until beans are well coated with sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until broth thickens, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 15 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Stir in lemon zest and parsley, and taste, adding more salt if needed. Garnish with reserved onions, more parsley, olive oil and red-pepper flakes, if you’d like. The beans thicken as they cool, but you can add more water to make them brothier if you like.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
5,808 user ratings
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Comments

mike in nashville

I start my version of this with a few salted anchovies in the initial step - they will disintegrate and add extra depth/umami, as well as replacing the salt added later in this recipe.

NS

This recipe sounds delicious. But I wonder if it is necessary to use a half cup of olive oil for 3 to 4 servings? I make similar dishes all the time but with at the most 2 T of oil (plus more beans) and they feed 6-8.

Juliet

If the brand of canned beans is as important as Melissa Clark says, what are some recommended brands?

Sheryl

This recipe checked all the boxes for me. Easy, check. Not outrageously unhealthy (although I did cut back a tich on the EVOO). Doesn’t have a ton of ingredients, or ones that I can’t find locally.Check! And tasted great with the first bite, yet even better with the last, a few days later. Couldn’t ask for more, thank you!

Erin R

If you take out the onions when done, then fry a bunch of bacon to serve on top with an egg and that crusty toast, then you don’t need any extra oil in my opinion. Leave that fat once you remove the bacon. Makes those beans taste amazing. Then I used a 1/2 a clove of green garlic, minced, as it’s in season, with fresh rosemary from the yard, and a TBLS of tomato paste instead of tomatoes once the garlic was done, adding the onions back in at that point to get covered in paste. Any kind of broth you like 1/2 cup or 3/4 cup was better than water and I didn’t need the extra salt. Avocado was great on top, my 7 year old loved it.

BJ

I use canned beans only for speed or when I can't get dried ones to cook. Just soak and cook in an instant or pressure pot. Make extra to freeze. Much better than canned. I use only a teaspoon of oil. Still delicious.

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