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Greek-Style Baked White Beans in Tomato Sauce (Gigantes Plaki)

Gigantes plaki, or Gigante beans baked in tomato sauce, is a Greek classic. The delicious version we tasted at Manousakis Winery on the island of Crete had us eager to re-create the dish ourselves. But we quickly learned that dried Gigante beans, a type of large, white runner bean—they are not lima beans, contrary to what some sources say—are not widely available in the U.S.
We discovered that great northern beans, though smaller, are an excellent alternative. (We prefer them over cannellini beans, which are slightly larger but have a tendency to cook unevenly and break down even if just slightly overdone.) If you are able to source dried Gigante beans, they will require at least 50 minutes of covered cooking in the Dutch oven to become tender, and even when fully cooked, will have a firmer texture than great northern.
This is a multi-step recipe but requires minimal hands-on time. First, the soaked beans are simmered in a pot in the oven until tender; meanwhile, a rich tomato sauce is cooked on the stovetop. The two then are combined and finished in the oven, where the flavors deepen and concentrate.
Servings: 6
Author: Milk Street

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried great northern beans or gigante beans
  • kosher salt
  • ground black pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 medium yellow onion peeled
  • 2 medium celery stalks
  • 1 medium zucchini
  • 1 medium carrot peeled
  • 1¼-1½ pounds ripe tomatoes halved
  • 3 medium garlic cloves peeled
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more to serve
  • 6 ounce can tomato paste ⅔ cup
  • 1½ teaspoons dried oregano

Instructions

Soak the beans:

  • In a large bowl, stir together the beans, 3 quarts of water and 2 teaspoons of salt.
  • Soak at room temperature for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.
  • Drain and rinse the beans.

Cook the beans:

  • Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the lower-middle position.
  • In a large Dutch oven, combine the beans, bay, pepper flakes and 5½ cups water; bring to a boil over medium-high.
  • Cover the pot, transfer to the oven and bake until tender, about 40 minutes.

Grate the vegetables:

  • Meanwhile, set a box grater in a medium bowl. Grate the onion on the large holes down to the root end.
  • Next, grate the celery into the bowl; discard the strings that remain.
  • Grate the zucchini into the bowl down to the stem; discard the stem.
  • Grate the carrot into the bowl down to the stem; discard the stem. Set the mixture aside.

Grate the tomatoes and garlic:

  • Into another medium bowl, grate the tomato halves (start with the cut sides against the grater); stop when you reach the skin and discard it. Set the tomatoes aside.
  • Finally, grate the garlic cloves on the small holes of the box grater; set aside.

Transfer the beans to a baking dish:

  • When the beans are tender, remove the pot from the oven.
  • Increase the oven to 375°F.
  • Transfer the beans with their liquid to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; wipe out and reserve the pot.
  • Remove and discard the bay; set the beans aside.

Cook the vegetables:

  • In the same pot over medium, heat the oil until shimmering.
  • Add the grated vegetable mixture (but not the tomatoes or garlic) and 1½ teaspoons salt.
  • Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to release some moisture, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is softened but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes.

Cook the sauce:

  • Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it starts to brown and sticks to the bottom of the pot, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Stir in the grated tomatoes, oregano and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
  • Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and a few shades darker, 3 to 4 minutes.

Bake the beans:

  • Spoon the tomato sauce into the beans, then stir to combine.
  • Taste and season with salt and black pepper.
  • Bake, uncovered, until bubbling at the edges and the surface is lightly browned, 35 to 40 minutes.
  • Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.
  • Serve drizzled with additional oil.

Notes

  • Don’t try to take a shortcut by quick-soaking the beans. For even cooking and the best texture, the beans need to soak for at least 12 hours at room temperature prior to cooking.
  • Don’t forget to add salt to the soaking water, which helps produce more tender beans.