A while back, in an introduction to Royal Corona Beans, I provided a few ideas on how to use them. One of those ideas was to use in place of pasta. Because the corona is such a hearty bean, it is a nice substitute for a heavier pasta such as penne, fusilli, rigatoni, or even fettuccine. Another nice thing about the corona is that it pairs quite well with tomato. With that said, I’d like to share with you this Corona Beans with Roasted Tomato Garlic Sauce recipe.
Like most dishes with a flavorful tomato sauce, this dish comes together for a comforting, hearty, and very delicious meal. Cooked coronas are tossed in a tomato based sauce made with roasted tomatoes, several cloves of roasted garlic and a generous amount of herbs – both dried and fresh. When topped with Parmesan or Pecorino Romano and paired with a nice red wine, you can enjoy an elegant high-protein, vegetarian dinner.
The Ingredients
Corona Beans
Corona beans with roasted tomato garlic sauce is a relatively easy dish to make. However, if you cook dried beans (which I strongly suggest), it does take some planning ahead and a few hours of time. The beans can be made up to three days prior or, if you plan to cook the whole dish in one day, just cook up the sauce while the beans are in the brine. That way the sauce is allowed to rest and gain flavor while the beans are cooking. You could also just use canned white beans such as Cannellini or Great Northern Beans if you don’t want to cook up dried beans.
Roasted Tomatoes
For the sauce, I prefer to use homegrown tomatoes that I roast in the summer and fall, then freeze. You could also buy some fresh tomatoes and roast them using this method minus the drizzle of olive oil. Then of course, for a quick solution, canned crushed fire roasted tomatoes work just fine.
Roasted Garlic and Garlic Infused Oil
Roasted garlic is also an important ingredient of this sauce. If you love roasted garlic as much as I do, then you’ll have some already on hand. A few times a year, I make a batch of a roasted garlic which yields both roasted garlic and a nice bottle of garlic infused oil. However, if you don’t already have the garlic and infused oil, you can cook up a small batch of roasted garlic on the stove top in a few tablespoons of olive oil. It takes 20-30 minutes and you’ll get some roasted garlic and infused oil for this recipe and a couple more dishes as well.
Hope you enjoy!
Corona Beans with Roasted Tomato Garlic Sauce
A high protein, vegetarian meal made with large white beans (e.g., Royal Coronas, Cannellini, Great Northern), smothered in a rich and tasty roasted tomato garlic sauce and finished off with fresh herbs and cheese. Delicious comfort food.
*See Kitchen Notes for more information, related links and substitutions.
- 3 cups cooked Royal Corona Beans* or other large white bean, drained
- 2 Tbsp garlic infused oil* or EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
- 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced crosswise, separated into rings (about ½ cup)
- ¼ tsp red chile flakes
- ½ tsp crushed dried oregano
- ½ tsp crushed dried Italian herb blend
- ¼ tsp black pepper or to taste
- 3 cups crushed roasted tomatoes* with liquid or 28 oz can of crushed, fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 to 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 4 to 6 large roasted garlic cloves*, smashed and minced
- ½ to 1 tsp honey (optional)*
- 1 tsp fresh thyme, coarsely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh chives, diced
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt to taste
The dried beans can be cooked 2-3 days in advance.
To cook Royal Corona beans or another white bean, follow the instructions at this link.
Save 3 cups of cooked beans for this recipe and use the rest in another dish.
- In a wide saucepan, heat the oil over medium low heat.
- When hot, add the shallot rings and sweat the shallots, stirring occasionally until the shallots are translucent and just starting to brown.
Add the chile flakes, oregano, and Italian herb blend. Stir frequently until the herbs become fragrant, about 1 minute.
Slowly pour in the tomatoes with juice. Add the black pepper and 1 Tbsp. tomato paste. Stir to dissolve the paste.
Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the roasted garlic and stir. If the sauce is too thin, add another Tbsp of tomato paste. Stir to incorporate.
Taste and add salt if needed (but keep in mind that you’ll be adding cheese to the final dish, so don’t over salt.) If the sauce is too acidic, add ½ tsp. honey, taste again, and if still a little too acidic, add another ½ tsp.
- Simmer for another 15 minutes stirring frequently. Add the fresh herbs, stir, and remove from the heat.
- If you have time, let the sauce cool to room temperature and reheat about 15 minutes before serving.
Add 3 cups of cooked, drained corona beans to the sauce. Stir to coat the beans and heat through.
Serve in wide bowls. Top with finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese and a few more chopped, fresh herbs if desired.
Corona beans – Since it takes about 6 hours to brine and cook up a pot of large white beans such as Royal Coronas, you can make them up to 3 days in advance. You can also make the beans and the sauce on the same day. While the beans are in the brine, cook up the sauce then let it rest and flavor while the beans cook.
Roasted tomatoes – During the summer and fall, I roast many of my homegrown tomatoes and freeze them in 2 cups containers. To roast the tomatoes, I follow the recipe for Tomato Confit, minus the olive oil drizzle. If you don’t have any frozen tomatoes, substitute with crushed, canned Fire Roasted Tomatoes or buy some fresh tomatoes and roast them.
Roasted garlic and infused garlic oil – I always keep a jar of roasted garlic and oil in my refrigerator. If you don’t have either of these, you can make a quick batch. Pour 3 to 4 Tbsp olive oil in a small skillet and add several cloves of garlic, peeled and gently smashed. Heat over medium heat for about 20 to 30 minutes. The olive oil should sizzle a little bit around the garlic cloves. If the cloves start to brown before 15 minutes, reduce the heat. Cook until the garlic cloves are soft and lightly brown. Use some of the oil and garlic cloves in this sauce and save the unused oil and cloves for another dish.
Honey – Honey helps to counter the acidity of tomatoes. If your final sauce is too acidic for your taste, add a bit honey as instructed. Just don’t use too much. It will make the sauce too sweet.
Fresh herbs – You can use any combination you choose. Basil, tarragon, and marjoram can be used depending on how you plan to use the sauce. Marjoram is nice if you would like to use this sauce as a pizza sauce.
Meat Option – If you want a little meat in the meal, then add an Italian sausage. Remove the sausage from its casing, crumble into a skillet and cook through. Add to the tomato sauce before adding the beans.
Other uses for the Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce – A sauce for pasta, pizza, or bruschetta.
Other uses for leftover beans – A big pot of beans can go a long way. One pound of dried beans provides Bobby and me with 2 to 3 meals. I usually freeze at least two cups for a meal later on. Below are some recipes that use a partial batch of cooked dried beans.
I made this and I thought it was really good.
Then, I went to my bookmarked recipes file to notate it as such, I saw the title had “garlic sauce” in it. I’m like, “Wait. What?” I looked at the recipe again. I never did any ingredient after the tomato paste. Oh dear. I even bought fresh thyme and chives just for this recipe. But I got distracted or something and I never went past the tomato paste.
Not really helpful comment about the dish, but I thought funny story. Now I have to make this again really soon while I still have fresh thyme and chives.
It was really good, though, just the way I made it.
This was excellent! Great recipe and instructions and notes.
I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your wonderful feedback. Cheers!
This sounds delicious! I’ve never had royal corona beans, but I think I’d be worth seeking them out, or using another white bean. I think I might opt for the Italian sausage, too.
Thanks Jeff. You can never go wrong with a little added in Italian sausage. 🙂
Looks very inviting
This is such an inviting dish! Would it be all right if I use white beans aka canellini ? From what I have seen they are smaller than corona ones.
thanks Darlin. Yes, canellini were be a nice substitute.
I’ll have to source this bean or use another large one. This is much more nutritious than pasta.
Thanks Evelyne.
I’m excited toMake this recipe. I have one question- can you make the tomato sauce a day or two I’m advance? Thanks so
Much!
Corona Beans with Roasted Tomato Garlic Sauce looks awesome. Will try it and let you know the results. Thanks!
Annie
Thanks Annie. Look forward to your feedback. Cheers, MJ
I simply love everything about this recipe. I’ve not been able to find corona beans, so will have to order some in. Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
Thanks Lea Ann. They aren’t easy, but I keep my name on the wait list and Rancho Gordo and when they come in, I get a notice. Might have to wait several weeks, but it’s worth it.
Your corona beans look like a bowl of pasta! What a great idea adding a flavorful tomato sauce to the beans. I bet it tastes delicious!
Thanks Jan. The beans do make a great replacement for pasta and healthier as well.
You had me at garlic and the tomatoes are like the cherry on cake. I am salivating looking at this gorgeous dish.
Thanks Taruna. I agree, how can you go wrong with garlic and tomatoes? 🙂
MJ, I do not know how you did it but these beans look like eye candy to us. Love the flavors in this recipe and the photography is just gorgeous.
Thanks Bobbi. You are so kind! Cheers!
Beans and tomato sauce are always amazing together, but this one looks particularly appetizing and moreish. I would love mine with lots of Parmesan please :-))
Thanks Angie. Oh, you can never have too much cheese. 🙂
oh roasted garlic. how delicious! not so much the tomatoes 🙂
You don’t eat tomatoes? I don’t know what I would do without tomatoes, especially homegrown. Sorry if the problem is more physical that just taste. That’s how I am with avocados. I like them, but they don’t like me.
You and your recipes always make me think and plan ! Love the look and promised taste of this – since my office is two doors away from my kitchen time is not of essence. Can cook dried beans and will have to the roasted tomatoes since no supermarkets here carry them – the prices for US ones are astronomical 🙂 !!! But am interested and shall put it together . . . !!!
Thanks Eha. You are so kind! I bet US prices there are pretty darn high. We sometimes purchase lamb from New Zealand but not anymore. The price has skyrocketed. Everything is going up. Hope you enjoy this recipe.
This is so up my alley! I’m saving this to make with my next batch of beans. I know I have Navy beans on hand and need to check my pantry to see if I have these Corona beans!
Thanks Susan. If you want Coronas, check out Rancho Gordo. That’s where I get mine.
I love corona beans! Such a great idea to combine them with a garlicky tomato sauce. Because I love garlic, too. And tomato. 🙂 Really nice — thanks.
Thanks John. You have some great recipe on your website for these beans. So glad you found them! I hope you enjoy this one.
We’ve been using these beans recently and agree tomatoes are a great pairing. Looking forward to trying this recipe. Thanks for all your great recipes and food writing.
Thank you Corey. I’m so glad you are enjoying my recipes. I hope you enjoy this one as well. Cheers, MJ