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Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas, cannellini or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, halved and very thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon fine salt, divided
- 3 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
- 1 jar (6 to 7 ounces) tomato paste
- 5 ounces baby spinach (optional)
- ⅔ cup water
- 4 ounces (1 packed cup) freshly grated low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese
- torn fresh basil leaves, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Roughly mash about ½ cup of the drained beans with a fork in a bowl and set aside (optional step).
- In a medium, oven-safe skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the sliced onion and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook until the onions are tender, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes (if using). Cook until the garlic turns golden at the edges, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the tomato paste, scraping down the browned bits. Cook for 30 seconds, adjusting heat to prevent burning the garlic.
- If using spinach, add half first, stirring until bright green and wilted, about 20 seconds, then add the remaining spinach and repeat.
- Add the beans (including the mashed ones), water, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir to combine, scraping the browned bits into the mixture. Bring to a simmer on the stovetop.
- Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top and bake until melted, about 7 to 9 minutes.
Notes
This dish can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
For added heat, adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to taste.
Feel free to substitute spinach with other greens like kale or Swiss chard.
- Prep Time: 12 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 860mg
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 44g
- Fiber: 11g
- Protein: 14g
- Cholesterol: 15mg