Italian Baked Beans

Italian Baked Beans made with white beans, turkey bacon, rosemary, crushed tomatoes, Italian dry red wine and Asiago and Pecorino Romano cheeses.

Summer is a time for grilling and barbecues. One popular menu item can usually be found at most gatherings…baked beans. I never particularly cared for the pork and bean variety so I generally never made them myself.

However, my mother in law makes a great version using chorizo that’s fantastic too! That is until I was reading the June issue of Food Network Magazine and saw a recipe from Jeff Mauro for Tuscan Stovetop Baked Beans.

They looked delicious and had many of the flavors I love like garlic, tomatoes, rosemary, wine, cheese and lemon. He even added some balsamic drizzle over the top and they looked amazing! But as I started to look at the recipe to duplicate it, I decided to make a few changes.

Since I didn’t have pancetta or white wine in the house, I used turkey bacon and used up an open bottle of Chianti. I started out cooking them on the stove, but they were still a little too loose for my liking, so I thickened them up a bit and cooked these Italian Baked Beans in the oven. 

Ingredients Needed

For this recipe you’ll need the following ingredients: 

• 1/2 pound turkey bacon; small dice
• 1 tablespoon EVOO
• 1/3 cup small diced red onions
• 2 stalks celery; small dice
• 1 large carrot; peeled and small dice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 3 cloves garlic; minced
• 3/4 cup dry red Italian wine
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated Asiago cheese
• 4- (15-ounce)cans small white beans; rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water

These Italian Baked Beans were INCREDIBLE! Now as you’re looking at the ingredient list, you’re probably thinking there are A LOT of ingredients, but most of them you should already have in your pantry . ~Enjoy!

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Italian Baked Beans

Italian Baked Beans made with white beans, turkey bacon, rosemary, crushed tomatoes, Italian dry red wine and Asiago and Pecorino Romano cheeses. 

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Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: baked beans, beans

Servings: 16

Author: Carrie's Experimental Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound turkey bacon, small dice
• 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/3 cup small diced red onions
• 2 stalks celery, small dice
• 1 large carrot, peeled and small dice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup dry red Italian wine
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated Asiago cheese
• 4- (15-ounce)cans small white beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch 
• 2 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; then add in the bacon. Stir until crisp about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
• In the same pan, add the onion, celery, and carrots and allow to soften for about 5-7 minutes; then add in the garlic, rosemary and the cooked bacon and cook for another minute.
• Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping the bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow the wine to simmer down until reduced by half; then add in the tomatoes, lemon zest, chicken broth, both cheeses and beans. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat allowing some of the liquid to absorb.
• Combine the cornstarch and water together and gradually add it to the beans until they have thickened (you may not need all of it); then transfer to a 2 quart oven safe baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until the beans are hot and bubbly.

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*Originally shared July 2013/Updated December 2021