Italian Baked Beans and Greens

A simple recipe for Italian Baked Beans, with kale, cannellini beans, and your favorite homemade (or store-bought) Marinara sauce,  baked in the oven until golden and bubbling. A delicious vegetarian main! Vegan adaptable and Gluten-free. Video

In a world that entices us to browse the lives of others to help us better determine how we feel about ourselves, and to, in turn, feel the need to be constantly visible — for visibility, these days, seems to somehow equate to success — do not be afraid to disappear. From it, from us, for a while. And see what comes to you in the silence. ~ Micheala Coel

This recipe for Italian Baked Beans will make good use of your Homemade Marinara Sauce or or Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce. Fold in lacinato kale and fresh mozzarella to create a cozy vegetarian meal perfect for cooler fall nights. And yes, you can absolutely use vegan cheese.  Or serve it as a tasty hearty side dish, keeping it simple with pecorino and basil. Take this recipe and use it as a base for your own creations! It’s super yummy and EASY.

Italian Baked Beans | 60-sec Video

What you’ll need:

• Cannelini Beans- cooked or canned
• Marinara sauce
• olive oil
• Mozzerella or Pecorino cheese (or both!)
• salt, pepper, chili flakes
• fresh basil
• Optional additions: kale or spinach, sauteed mushrooms, browned Italian sausage (or vegan sausage!)

How to Make Italian Baked Beans

Step one

Using either cooked cannellini beans or canned cannellini beans, strain, and place in a baking dish.

Toss with olive oil, salt pepper and optional chili flakes.

Step two

Add your favorite marinara sauce. Feel free to use store-bought or make your own Marinara sauce or Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce .

Step three

Stir this together and feel free to add chopped baby spinach or kale.

You can also incorporate fresh kale or spinach.

Step four

Top with grated pecorino cheese. For a richer meal- feel free to add fresh mozzarella or even burrata cheese.

Step five

Bake in the oven until bubbling and golden.

When it comes out, your house will smell amazing!

Can this be made Vegan?

Yes- simply top with meltable vegan cheese or try this Vegan Cheesy Sprinkle.

More recipes you may enjoy:

• Baked Enchilada Beans
• Fast & Easy Marinara Sauce
• Mole Black Beans
• Baked Enchilada Beans
• Eggplant Lasagna
• Smoky Tomato White Bean Soup
• Ribollita! (Tuscan White Bean Soup)
• Smoky Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Greens
• Simple Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce
• Vegan Cheesy Sprinkle
• Catalan Sautéed Spinach

We’ve been serving it up with pinot noir, a leafy green salad and crusty bread to mop up all the delicious juices.

Hope you enjoy!

xoxo

Sylvia

Italian Baked Beans and Kale

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 40 reviews

• Author: Sylvia Fountaine | Feasting at Home
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 30
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4
• Category: vegetarian main, side dish
• Method: baked
• Cuisine: Italian
• Diet: Vegetarian

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

---

Description

A simple recipe for Italian Baked Beans, with kale, cannellini beans, and your favorite homemade (or store-bought) Marinara sauce,  baked in the oven until golden and bubbling. A delicious vegetarian main! Vegan adaptable and Gluten-free.

---

Ingredients

Units USM

• 4 cups cannellini beans or white beans (cooked, or 2 x 14-ounce cans, drained)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper
• pinch chili flakes- optional
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• optional: big handful lacinato kale, torn, thick stems removed (or sub baby spinach)
• 1/4 cup parmesan or pecorino cheese
• optional 4–5 slices fresh mozzarella ( or sub grated, or burrata cheese)

---

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F

In a 9-inch ovenproof or skillet or medium-sized baking dish, add the white beans and stir them with the olive oil, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Add the marinara sauce and water and mix again. Stir in the kale if adding. Shake the pan to level it and sprinkle with the pecorino or parmesan and nestle in the optional mozzarella.

Bake uncovered in a 375 F oven until bubbling and golden, 25-35 minutes.  Feel free to broil for a couple of minutes to get the top extra golden.

Garnish with fresh basil and serve with crusty bread and a leafy green salad.

---

Notes

Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in the fridge.

You can embellish this even further by adding browned Italian sausage (or vegan sausage,) or sauteed mushrooms, or topping it with pesto.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 ¼ cup (made w/ both Pecorino and Mozzarella)
• Calories: 353
• Sugar: 6.6 g
• Sodium: 679.3 mg
• Fat: 10.1 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 43.6 g
• Fiber: 12.8 g
• Protein: 23.2 g
• Cholesterol: 5.1 mg