Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce

This is a simple baked bean dish, with the beans baked in a tomato sauce, flavored with bacon and sage, sweetened with molasses, and spiced up with some chili flakes.

Yield:
Serves 6 to 10 as a side dish or 4 as a main course
Category:
Casseroles and One Pots
Cuisine:
Canadian

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 15 ounce cans of cannellini, Romano, pinto or Great Northern beans
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 pound bacon or pancetta, roughly chopped into 1 inch squares
  • 150 g firm chorizo or smoked Kielbasa sausage, sliced into coins
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh sage or rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1/4 to 1 teaspoon chili flakes
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1 15-ounce can whole plum tomatoes
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • Salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  2. Cook bacon or pancetta: In a 3 or 4 quart heavy-bottomed, oven-proof, lidded pot such as a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook slowly until lightly browned and crispy.
  3. Add the chopped onions. Increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring often until the onions begin to brown. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  4. Add garlic, chili flakes, and sage, then add tomatoes and stock. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the molasses and tomato paste. Stir well to combine.
  5. Drain the beans and add them to the pot. Add the sausage, worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar. Stir well. Cover the pot and cook in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. If still a bit wet, remove the cover and cook for 10 minutes more. Repeat as necessary.
  6. Right before serving, gently stir in the chopped parsley.

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