Italian-Style Butter Beans Recipe
Prep Time:
1 hour, 20 minutes
Cook Time:
1 hour, 55 minutes
Servings:
4 Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cups dried butter beans (large lima beans)
  • 2 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 3 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, diced
  • 2 pounds ripe tomatoes (about 6 medium on-the-vine tomatoes), cores removed and chopped
  • 2 anchovy filets, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives, halved
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon jarred Calabrian chile peppers
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 bunch Tuscan (lacinto) kale, tough stems removed, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
Directions
  1. Sort and rinse the beans to remove any debris.
  2. Place the beans in a large pot and add water to cover by 3 inches.
  3. Bring the beans just to a boil, then cover and remove from heat. Let the beans sit for 1 hour.
  4. Rinse the beans once more and return to the pot with water to cover by 1 inch.
  5. Bring the beans to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
  6. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the beans and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until soft.
  7. Remove 1 cup of the bean cooking liquid from the pot and set aside.
  8. Drain the beans and set aside.
  9. In a large pan heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.
  10. Add the garlic, shallot, and green bell pepper, cooking and stirring occasionally for 5 minutes until softened.
  11. Add the tomatoes and anchovies and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  12. Carefully add the wine and allow the mixture to reduce for 1 minute.
  13. Add the cooked butter beans, olives, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, chiles, pepper, and remaining teaspoon salt
  14. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
  15. Add the kale, sage, and thyme along with the reserved bean cooking liquid. Continue to simmer until reduced slightly (about 10 minutes).
  16. Serve the beans in shallow bowls and drizzle with the remaining olive oil and grated Parmesan.