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Lasagna Beans
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Lasagna Beans

A mash-up of my famous Lasagna Soup and gigantes plaki (Greek baked beans), where giant beans replace the pasta!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 776 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian, American

Ingredients

Cheesy Yum
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese whole milk
  • ½ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
  • ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese use shredded whole milk mozzarella, if you can find it, shredded
Lasagna Beans
  • 12 ounces gigante beans or use 3 cups canned/cooked gigante white beans, rinsed and drained, dry, cooked until tender and creamy, yet still firm
  • 1 pound Italian sausage bulk
  • 1 large yellow onion diced
  • 4 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cans crushed tomatoes do not drain, 15 ounces each, no added salt/seasonings, with juices
  • 2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning mix dried
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes dried
  • black pepper to taste
  • salt to taste
  • 1½ cups mozzarella cheese shredded
  • ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
  • ¼ cup basil for garnish, small, fresh leaves

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Note: Before you start, know that if you are cooking dry gigante beans from scratch, you will need to allow extra time. See Notes below.
  2. Preheat oven to 450°F.
Cheesy Yum
  1. In a small bowl, stir together ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Then fold in mozzarella. Set aside.
Lasagna Beans
  1. Heat a 2.5 to 3-quart oven-safe deep saute pan, braiser, or shallow Dutch oven over medium to medium-low heat, and brown the sausage with the onion. Stir often, breaking the sausage into small bites. Once the sausage has cooked through and is a bit browned, stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Drain away any excess grease.
  2. Add crushed tomatoes to pan, stirring and scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
  3. Bring to a simmer, then fold in the cooked beans. Turn heat down to low and stir in the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Let simmer for 10 minutes. If the mixture is dry, depending on the tomatoes that you use, add a bit of water to loosen it up.
  4. Taste test, then add salt and pepper, to taste. (If your pan is not oven-safe, now transfer mixture to a 3-quart oven-safe baking dish.) Spread lasagna beans into an even layer, then dollop the prepared cheesy yum over the top, in 8 dollops. With the back of a spoon, press the dollops down into the lasagna beans a bit, to create a more even top surface. Sprinkle mozzarella over the top.
  5. Bake for 5 minutes, or until cheese is very melty. Then sprinkle Parmesan over the top and bake 5-10 minutes more, or until everything is bubbly and the cheese is melted and just a bit browned.
  6. Remove from oven and garnish with small fresh basil leaves. Serve with your favorite garlic bread, for scooping up the lasagna beans.

Notes

  • How to cook gigante beans:
  • Add the dry beans to a colander and rinse under cool water. 
  • This recipe is mash-up of my famous Lasagna Soup and gigantes plaki (Greek baked beans), where giant beans replace pasta...by way of Smitten Kitchen's pizza beans. recipe!
  • Smitten Kitchen's pizza beans. recipe
  • !
  • Add the dry beans to a colander and rinse under cool water. 
  • Place the beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Let soak overnight, about 12 hours.
  • Drain the beans and transfer them to a large pot. Add water to cover beans by 2 inches.
  • On the stovetop, bring the water just to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Stir in 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt. Check the beans now every 20-30 minutes. The goal is for the beans to have soft, creamy centers while still holding their shape. With the beans I use, this usually takes right around 2 hours total simmering time. 
  • Drain the beans. 

Nutrition Information

Calories 776kcal (39%) Carbohydrates 52g (17%) Protein 46g (92%) Fat 44g (68%) Saturated Fat 20g (100%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g (24%) Monounsaturated Fat 16g (80%) Cholesterol 126mg (42%) Sodium 1346mg (56%) Potassium 1784mg (38%) Fiber 12g (48%) Sugar 9g (18%) Vitamin A 1002IU (20%) Vitamin C 17mg (19%) Calcium 652mg (65%) Iron 9mg (50%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 776

% Daily Value*

Calories 776kcal 39%
Carbohydrates 52g 17%
Protein 46g 92%
Fat 44g 68%
Saturated Fat 20g 100%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g 24%
Monounsaturated Fat 16g 80%
Cholesterol 126mg 42%
Sodium 1346mg 56%
Potassium 1784mg 38%
Fiber 12g 48%
Sugar 9g 18%
Vitamin A 1002IU 20%
Vitamin C 17mg 19%
Calcium 652mg 65%
Iron 9mg 50%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.