Yield: 8 people
White Beans with Rosemary and Bacon
White beans (cannellini beans) with rosemary and bacon
Ingredients
- 1/4 lbs thick cut bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 lbs dried white beans (cannellini beans)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1/2 onion
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- extra virgin olive oil or canola oil, as needed
Instructions
- Rinse the beans in a colander and remove any broken or split beans.
- Cover the beans in a bowl with water. The water should cover the beans by 2 inches as they will expand and the beans should stay submerged. Soak the beans in the bowl overnight or at least 8 hours in advance.
- We will use the water that the beans were soaked in. Place a large bowl under a colander and pour the soaked beans into the colander to drain the beans capturing the soaking water in the bowl below the colander.
- In a large pot, heat a small portion of oil (olive or canola) over medium high heat.
- Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the bacon.
- Cook the bacon until browned on all sides. You want the bacon to be lightly cooked, not burnt.
- After the bacon is cooked, add the beans, garlic and onion to the pot. Mix so that all ingredients are well coated with the flavors of the bacon, 1-2 minutes.
- Pour the bean water into the pot along with the bay leaves and rosemary.
- Bring to a light boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Let the beans simmer for an hour, checking the doneness of the beans at 30 minutes and then every 15 minutes until the beans are silky, but still hold their shape well. The time may be more or less than an hour depending on how long the beans were soaked for (less soaking time will result in a longer cooking time) and the quality/condition the beans are in.
Notes
This recipe is very easy, but time consuming since it will turn out best by soaking the beans the night before. By using the water that the beans are soaked in you will achieve incredible flavor with such a simple humble ingredient. This recipe is significantly better than canned beans and is incredibly eye opening about how simple ingredients can deliver amazing meals. This recipe makes a large portion, so cut it in half if cooking for a smaller group.
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