Chef John's Sandy Beans

One quest that never ends for a cook is the search for ways to make common side dishes seem a little more special. Here we're coating the beans with a crispy, cheesy, pleasantly-gritty bread crumb mixture. This was inspired by a similar trick I like to use for finishing pastas, and if there's one thing I know about people, it's they like crispy and crunchy toppings.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 20 mins
• Calories: 754 Calories

Ingredients

• salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed
• ¼ cup freshly chopped parsley
• ¼ cup garlic olive oil
• ¾ cup bread crumbs, or more to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat garlic olive oil, bread crumbs, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir until mixture resembles wet sand and is fragrant, 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in remaining Parmesan cheese; cook and stir until golden brown and crunchy, about 1 minute more. Transfer bread crumbs to a plate.

Step 2

Return skillet to heat; cook and stir white beans, olive oil, vinegar, cayenne pepper, and salt in hot skillet until beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir parsley and breadcrumbs to taste into beans; toss to coat.