Gigante Beans All'amatriciana Recipe

Soak the beans

Rinse the gigante beans under cold water, removing any debris. Place beans in a large bowl and cover with 8 cups cold water. Soak 8–12 hours or overnight until swollen and tender. Drain and rinse before cooking.

Cook the beans

Transfer drained beans to a large pot and cover with fresh cold water by about 2 inches. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, skim any foam, then reduce heat to maintain a low simmer. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt halfway through cooking. Cook until beans are tender but not falling apart, about 45–70 minutes depending on age of beans. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid, and set beans aside.

Render the guanciale

In a wide, heavy-bottomed sauté pan, warm 2 tsp olive oil over medium heat. Add diced guanciale and cook, stirring occasionally, until fat renders and pieces are crisp and golden, about 6–8 minutes. Remove most of the rendered fat leaving about 1–2 tablespoons in the pan; reserve the crispy pieces on a paper towel.

Sauté aromatics

Add the finely diced onion to the rendered fat and cook over medium-low heat until translucent and soft, 6–8 minutes. Add crushed garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to brown the garlic.

Deglaze and build sauce

Increase heat to medium and pour in 1 tablespoon white wine to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add crushed San Marzano tomatoes and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 12–15 minutes to thicken slightly.

Finish the amatriciana

Season the sauce with freshly ground black pepper and taste for salt (guanciale is salty, so add sparingly). Stir in the reserved crispy guanciale pieces and 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil to round the sauce. Keep warm over the lowest heat.

Add the cooked gigante beans to the pan with the amatriciana sauce, gently stirring to coat. If the sauce seems too thick, add up to 1/2–1 cup of the reserved bean cooking liquid to loosen it and help the beans assimilate the flavors. Simmer together on low for 5–8 minutes so the beans absorb sauce flavors. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

Stir in chopped dandelion greens and simmer 1–2 minutes just until they wilt but retain bright color. If using lemon juice, add 1 teaspoon now to brighten the dish. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Divide the Gigante Beans all'Amatriciana among warm shallow bowls. Sprinkle each portion with a generous 2–3 tablespoons (about 0.5 cup total) finely grated pecorino romano and a final scatter of chopped fresh parsley.

Finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and coarse salt to taste. Serve immediately with crusty bread for sopping the sauce.