Creamy White Beans With Pecorino and Pancetta Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

blba

This was truly greater than the sum of its parts. I sautéed baby kale with the garlic and pancetta before adding in the beans, to add some more green to the dish.

Jonathan

How on earth does a dish come together this quickly and still taste so good. Absolutely loved it. To be fair, I was missing a key ingredient (pancetta or bacon) but proceeded anyway with little chunks of ground pork sausage because I couldn’t wait. Using a higher heat at first to make the outside of the pork a bit crispy, then lowering the heat and proceeding as written. Can’t wait to make again — but the proper way, with pancetta

Claire

These beans are bangin. No notes.

Zuzu

Don't know what's wrong with my Dutch oven, but I can't add garlic to a hot one for 5 whole minutes. More like 90 seconds. I've made this recipe for years, adding kale, red pepper flakes and a splash of white wine before the beans go in. Eats rich, costs little, reminds of an autumn day in Italy.

Dennis Chiapello

Cooking for one, I scaled this down for a single can of beans but didn't fret too much about measuring the other ingredients. "Less than half" is a good working definition of one third in this type of dish. It turned out delicious and only barely over salted. The lemon juice is important.

Cailín

Cooked a pot of white beans* with the intention of making ribollita. I had the cooked beans added to sauteed pancetta, garlic, diced fennel, onion and carrot on the stove, but the volume was too much allow adding broth to make a soup (and allow room for the kale as well). So dinner was a bowl of these beans with grated parmesan on top. Wonderful combination. Leftovers will become ribollita. *Buy good quality beans: I used Rancho Gordo Marcella beans and highly recommend them.

Michelle

To those having issues with emulsifying - try pouring the (very) hot water onto the (finely grated) cheese before adding to the beans.

a4george

Cooked exactly as described except fried up some sage leaves in olive oil and added those and some minced lemon confit as the garnish along with extra olive oil, black pepper, and pecorino. So quick, so delicious.

lynn

this is a keeper! it’s just me, so i scaled down and subbed with what i had: 1 can beans1 ounce guanciale2 garlic cloves1 tablespoon lemon juicean ounce or so of grated reg parmhad some fennel tea in the fridge; heated and subbed for watertossed in the handful of baby kale i found in the back of the fridge

Colleen

We loved these. They turned out soup-ier than the recipe photo depicts, but this was no issue for us! My one caution is to add the lemon slowly, tasting as you go.

CElisa

My SUPER picky 6 year old who the night before rejected the pineapple pizza he requested because the pineapple wasn't stuck to the pizza shoveled this into his mouth declaring, "This can be my back up food. When there's not other food available like mac and cheese or pizza. When there's NOTHING else I can eat this. It's not that this is super good, it's that I am super hungry. All the while inhaling it. Creamy beans for the win!!!

Jason

Super great, and so easy. Without reading the comments prior to cooking, I thought “some kale I need to use would be good in this” and boy was it! Seeing the recommendation for a little red pepper flake and white wine would really work too. Great with a piece of crusty, toasted, buttered bread. Regarding the note about “good pancetta” and not using pre-diced. Go with what you can find; it will be ok. Stop the pancetta shaming.

Linda Peterson

Well, it was quick but that’s as far as I’m willing to go. Silky sauce to some, but gummy beans to me. Better off using pasta, a la the original pasta a la gricia recipe.

Kate in Minnesota

This is fantastic! I added a sprig of rosemary and a splash of white wine. Added a dash of EVVO into my bowl. Thank you!

jil

I made this with butter beans that I cooked, and added kale as others suggested. Good flavor, but I think I missed out on the creaminess with the kale addition. Next time I'll prepare kale on the side.

Deb

Add thyme

Em

Go easy on the lemon next time

Delilah7

THIS. DISH. I mean why can’t I give it another 5 stars every time I make it. IT’S THAT GOOD. This time I tripled the garlic, sliced up almost one full bunch of celery and sautéed it was the pancetta, added a sprig of rosemary and a tablespoon of better than bullion w the water and let it simmer away. One of the easiest, quickest, most delicious-est. MAKE IT. EAT IT.

Jordan

Don’t put the garlic in with the bacon or else the garlic will fry with the bacon and turn bitter. Why not a little white wine?

cathy dellinger

Fabulous dish. Quick, perfect as written with room to play around if you choose to. Cooked up some Rancho Gordo Royal Corona beans that were buttery and so good, but I could definitely see canned beans working too. Added some sweet Italian sausage to up along with the pancetta. “Chefs Kiss.” Unpretentious and perfect for a subzero northern Vermont night.

Andy Robinson

In a skillet. use 6oz of thick bacon and throw in 5 big cloves of garlic thinly sliced. A table spoon of dried herbs - oregano, sage. Use any white beans, tinned cannellini beans is fine. 3 tins is for two people with a portion left over. Use lots of parm and then sprinkle toasted breadcrumbs and drizzle with olive oil. important: brown under the grill like a cassoulet. Side: hammer broccoli rabe with an anchovy and chili flakes. In summer, just serve the rabe like a salad. dress with good oil

mel

Delicious! I might have added the butter beans too early because they got a little mushy. I might add them after I vigorously stir the pot. Excellent with toasted piece of sourdough and some peppery arugula

Vanessa

How could you make this with dried beans?

Suellen

I followed the recipe exactly, except for using parmesan instead of pecorino cheese. It tasted good, but it was in now way "creamy." Did anyone else have the same result?

Marianne

Home on Saturday night, scrounging about the kitchen for something to toss together. OMG! This hit the spot. DELICIOUS. Plopped on a bunch of fresh arugula. Spectacular.

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Creamy White Beans With Pecorino and Pancetta Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the creamiest beans? ›

White beans to be exact, since they tend to yield the creamiest results with a relatively neutral flavor. Baby lima beans are the pièce de résistance of creamy white beans if you ask me, but aren't always the easiest to find, especially canned.

Are white beans the same as great northern beans? ›

There are different types of white beans, which vary in size, texture, taste and cooking time. The most common types of white beans are: Navy Beans, Great Northern Beans, Cannellini Beans & Lima Beans.

What is the difference between navy beans and white beans? ›

Due to their creamy white color, navy beans are sometimes confused with other white beans such as great northern beans, cannellini beans, or white kidney beans. A quick tip to differentiate them: Navy beans are smaller and rounder than all of them.

What is the difference between butter beans and great northern beans? ›

For starters, butter beans grow from the Phaseolus lunatus plant while cannellini beans, like navy, and great northern beans grow from the Phaseolus vulgaris plant.

How do I get my beans creamy? ›

Vegetable broth– simmering the beans in a little broth will add flavor and make them creamy. Crushed red pepper flakes– for a little heat. Parmesan cheese– stir it in at the end for a boost of flavor and creaminess. If you want the recipe to be vegan or dairy-free, you can use nutritional yeast instead of cheese.

Which white bean is creamier? ›

Cannellini Beans – I love using canned cannellini beans for this white bean recipe. These beans help provide an extra creamy consistency to the dish. However, you can use any of the other white beans in this recipe if you wish.

Which white bean is healthiest? ›

All beans are rich in fiber, but the top-ranking variety is the navy bean, allegedly named for its popularity in the U.S. Navy in the early 20th century. These pea-sized, cream-colored beans provide 10 grams of fiber per half-cup serving.

What is the best white bean? ›

Great Northern Beans

But if you're looking for just one bean to keep on your pantry shelves, you'll want to go with the great northern white bean. With its nutty flavor, firm flesh and medium size, great northern beans work in almost any application. Bean salad? Perfect.

What are the big white beans called? ›

Cannellini beans are oval and large in size with a creamy texture and nutty flavor. These beans are also called white kidney beans, which are used in different Mediterranean dishes.

Are butter beans or cannellini beans better? ›

Nutritionally, both butter and cannellini beans are high in protein and fiber and have very similar nutritional profiles. The only noticeable difference is that butter beans contain a small amount of fat while cannellini beans have none.

Are butter beans just lima beans? ›

Other than what they're called and sometimes their color, butter beans and lima beans are exactly the same. Their species is called Phaseolus lunatus and the difference in their name is only a matter of geography. In the American South and the United Kingdom, they're butter beans.

What is the most productive bean variety? ›

Jade ~ A super productive and flavorful bean that produces 5- to 7-inch-long slender, dark green pods. This particular bush bean variety tends to produce more than other bush varieties.

Which canned beans are the softest? ›

White Kidney Beans, also known as Cannellini Beans, are large, kidney-shaped beans with a white skin. They have a soft texture, and are great ingredient for pureed dips like hummus, creamy salad dressings (i.e., Caesar salad dressing) and sauces.

Which coffee bean is creamy? ›

Crema e Aroma Beans

Lavazza Crema e Aroma is a premium blend of carefully selected Arabica and Robusta to enjoy the long-lasting creaminess of an exquisite coffee. Ideal for milk recipes.

What are the softest white beans? ›

Butter beans, or baby lima beans, are the softest variety of white bean, so they're best suited for dips.

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