These luscious butter beans are inspired by pasta alla gricia, a classic Roman dish that is similar to pasta carbonara, but this recipe doesn’t require any egg yolks. The no-cream creaminess is created by vigorously stirring pecorino, sizzling pancetta and its fat into the warm, brothy beans, all of which emulsify into a spoon-coating peppery sauce. Serve the beans with bread to mop up the sauce. Try to use good pancetta, guanciale or thick-cut bacon — the kind of pork product is less important than its quality. This dish is unlikely to need added salt if you are using salted broth; if you use low- or no-salt broth or stock, add salt to taste at the end.
Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 8 ounces dried gigante, butter (lima) or other large beans, soaked overnight and drained
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 ablespoon olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for seasoning
- 4 ounces pancetta, guanciale or thick-cut bacon, cut into ½- to 1-inch batons
- Juice of ½ lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
- ½cup (about 1¾ ounces) grated pecorino, plus more for serving
Preparation
- Stir together the beans, broth, olive oil, garlic and 1 teaspoon of the pepper in a 6- to 8-quart pot cooker. Cover and cook on low simmer until the beans are tender, about 2 – 3 Hours
- Put the pancetta in a skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the pork has rendered most of its fat and is deep golden brown and crunchy in spots, about 10 minutes. (You may need to lower the heat to medium-low and/or add a spoonful of water to keep the pork from scorching as the fat renders.)
- Add the pork and its fat, the lemon juice and the pecorino into the beans in the pot. Stir vigorously until the pecorino has completely melted and the sauce has become smooth and emulsified, lightly coating the back of a spoon. Taste and add more pepper if you like. Pass more pecorino and pepper at the table.
Tip
- Beans should reach a simmer and cook until tender to be safe to eat.
