Description
Pizza Beans is an easy one-skillet recipe featuring blistered cherry tomatoes, creamy cannellini beans, fragrant herbs, and melty mozzarella cheese, broiled to golden perfection and served with crusty bread for a hearty, comforting meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- 2 cans cannellini beans (15 oz / 400 g each), drained and rinsed
- 1 cup broth (vegetable or chicken)
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella (or one fresh mozzarella bowl torn into chunks, about 7-8 oz or 200 g)
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan
- 1 handful fresh basil
- 4 slices crusty bread, toasted, for serving
Instructions
- Blister the tomatoes: Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes, until the skins start to blister.
- Add seasonings and tomato paste: Stir in the grated garlic, tomato paste, dried oregano, red pepper flakes (if using), salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant and the tomato paste browns slightly for deeper flavor.
- Add beans and simmer: Stir in the drained cannellini beans and the broth. Mix well, bring to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes until the tomatoes soften and the sauce thickens.
- Add cheese and broil: Preheat your oven broiler. Top the skillet mixture evenly with shredded mozzarella cheese or torn fresh mozzarella chunks, then sprinkle grated parmesan over the top. Broil for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden in spots. Watch closely to prevent burning.
- Finish and serve: Remove from the oven. Sprinkle fresh basil leaves on top. Serve warm with toasted crusty bread slices to scoop the saucy beans and melted cheese.
Notes
- Substitute extra virgin olive oil with avocado oil or light olive oil.
- Use marinara sauce or canned diced/crushed tomatoes instead of fresh cherry tomatoes.
- Garlic powder or roasted garlic can replace fresh grated garlic.
- Tomato paste can be swapped with tomato passata or marinara sauce.
- Dried oregano may be replaced with Italian seasoning or dried basil.
- Cannellini beans can be swapped with great northern beans, butter beans, or chickpeas.
- Vegetable broth can be substituted with water plus a pinch of salt or chicken broth.
- Mozzarella can be either fresh or shredded; cheddar, feta, provolone, or dairy-free mozzarella alternatives also work.
- Parmesan can be replaced with Pecorino Romano cheese.
- Fresh basil can be replaced with fresh oregano or basil pesto.
- Serve with whole grain toast or warm pita instead of crusty bread.
- Let tomatoes blister undisturbed to build deep, sweet flavor.
- Use an oven-safe skillet to move easily from stovetop to broiler.
- Brown the tomato paste briefly to boost sauce richness.
- Add broth or water to adjust sauce thickness as needed.
- Tear mozzarella into irregular pieces for a bubbly, textured melt.
- Watch the broiler carefully as cheese can brown quickly.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
