White Beans with Rosemary and Garlic
A few months back, while Cate and I were visiting Max in L.A., he whipped up a pot of white beans with garlic and rosemary that was so memorable, I’ve been meaning to recreate it ever since. He’d received some Rancho Gordo beans from his girlfriend over the holidays, which he was anxious to put to use. He made the recipe up on the fly, so when I asked him for instructions, I basically got this…”I soaked the beans for 24 hours and then cooked them with tons of rosemary and garlic.” So I soaked the beans overnight and, wanting a little more guidance, consulted Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food (which I’ve been using a ton while cooped up at home) and came across a similar version of White Beans with Rosemary and Garlic. We’re a big group now with everyone camping out at home (the bright spot in this Corona Virus quarantine situation), so I doubled the recipe below. I do think Max’s was a tad tastier than mine…probably those Rancho Gordo beans.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup dried white beans (cannellini, white runner, Great Northern, navy, and so on)
Salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon coarsely chopped rosemary leaves (I used more like 2 tablespoons since Max said “tons”)
Preparation
Soak beans overnight in 4 cups of water
Drain and transfer to a heavy pot. Add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and skim off any foam. Simmer gently for 2 hours or more, until the beans are tender. Add more water if necessary during the cooking.
Season to taste with salt.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan or skillet, warm olive oil over low heat. Add garlic and rosemary leaves. Cook just until the garlic is soft, about 2 minutes. Stir into the beans, taste for salt, and adjust as needed. Let the dish sit for a few minutes before serving to allow the flavors to marry.
