Tomato and White Bean Casserole
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
40 mins
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Total Time
1 hr
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Servings
8 to 10, as a side
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Calories
390 kcal
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Cuisine
Italian-American Fussion
Tomato and White Bean Casserole
Description
The casserole begins with toasting cubed rustic bread with olive oil and salt to develop a light golden crust while remaining soft inside. This bread is mixed with juicy halved tomatoes, sliced shallots separated into rings, chopped garlic, fresh thyme, and rinsed white cannellini beans, all combined with olive oil, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper to create a harmonious base of flavors and textures. The mixture is transferred to a baking dish for gentle oven cooking.
Additional components include a cashew parmesan made from raw cashews, nutritional yeast, salt, and olive oil, lending a creamy, cheesy quality without dairy. A caper gremolata of parsley, basil, whole garlic cloves, and capers adds a bright, salty, and herbal counterpoint when served alongside or sprinkled over the casserole. The overall dish offers tender tomato and bean softness balanced with the hearty texture of bread and the complexity of the plant-based toppings.
This casserole can be enjoyed as a main vegetarian course or as a side, pairing well with simple salads or roasted vegetables. The recipe notes suggest variations in bread and bean choices and provide tips for using leftover cashew parmesan. The dish showcases how fresh, simple ingredients combine into a layered, nourishing meal.
Ingredients
- 10 ounces Rustic bread soft but sturdy, 285g
- extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
- 2 pounds cherry tomatoes sliced in half, or grape tomatoes, 900g
- 5 shallots peeled and sliced into rings, medium, 6-7 ounces or 170-200g
- 4 garlic chopped, cloves
- 1 tablespoon thyme fresh leaves
- 2 (15-ounce/425g) cannellini beans drained and rinsed, canned
- black pepper freshly cracked
Cashew Parm****
- ½ cup cashew raw, 70g
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Caper Gremolata
- ¾ cup flat-leaf parsley Italian, leaves, 9g
- ½ cup basil fresh leaves, 7-8g
- 2 garlic left whole and peeled, large cloves
- 2 tablespoons capers drained
- sea salt flaky or coarse
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F°/176°C. Chop the bread into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle 1 ½ tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, until lightly golden but not too hard.
- Meanwhile, in a very large bowl (the largest bowl you have), combine the tomatoes, and shallots. Separate the shallots into individual rings as much as possible. Add the garlic, thyme leaves, and beans. Drizzle the mixture with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and season with 1 ½ teaspoons of kosher salt and lots of freshly cracked black pepper. Toss well to combine.
- Add the baked bread cubes to the mix and gently toss to ensure the bread cubes are coated and well combined. Transfer the tomato mixture to a 3-quart/3-liter baking dish (I used a 13x9" pan).NOTE: if your bowl isn’t big enough to hold the bread cubes, transfer the tomato-shallot mixture to the baking dish, then mix in the bread.
- Bake the casserole in the preheated oven at 350°F/176°C for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top bread pieces are golden and crunchy.
- Meanwhile, make the Cashew Parmesan. Add the cashews, nutritional yeast, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil to a food processor. Pulse repeatedly in 1 second bursts until the mixture has a fine, crumbly texture, somewhat similar to grated parmesan (do not continuously blend, or you’ll end up with cashew butter).
- Meanwhile, make the Caper Gremolata. Finely chop the parsley and basil together. Using a microplane, grate the garlic directly over the parsley and basil (or mince the garlic with a knife). Add the capers on top, and chop everything together until well combined. Sprinkle with a bit of flaky or coarse sea salt.
- Remove the casserole pan from the oven. Using oven mitts, arrange an oven rack for the broiler (but don't position it too close to the flame) and set your broiler to a low heat.
- Sprinkle a generous layer of Cashew Parmesan on top of the baked dish and put it under the broiler for a couple minutes until the topping is nicely browned, but keep an eye on it to prevent burning. NOTE: For reference, my maximum broiler temperature is 550°F/288°C, so I set it to 500F/260°C and broiled for about 60 to 90 seconds, then reduced the heat to 475°F/245°C and broiled for another 30 to 60 seconds.
- Allow the casserole to cool for 10 minutes, then evenly sprinkle the top with the Caper Gremolata. Finish the casserole with a few drizzles of extra virgin olive oil and a light sprinkle of flaky or coarse sea salt.
Notes
- Use soft yet sturdy rustic bread for best texture in the casserole.
- If fresh thyme is unavailable, substitute with 1 teaspoon dried thyme or omit if necessary.
- Smaller white beans like navy or Great Northern can be used in place of cannellini beans.
- Approximately half to two-thirds of the Cashew Parm is used; leftovers can be stored and used separately.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8to 10, as a side
Amount Per Serving
Calories 390 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 390kcal | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | 46g | 15% |
| Protein | 13g | 26% |
| Fat | 19g | 29% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Sodium | 514mg | 21% |
| Potassium | 514mg | 11% |
| Fiber | 9g | 36% |
| Sugar | 16g | 32% |
| Vitamin A | 1115IU | 22% |
| Vitamin C | 37mg | 41% |
| Calcium | 103mg | 10% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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