Is July the most lethargic cooking month? I don’t mean this in a bad way. I know in our productivity-fixated culture (“so busy, crazy busy”) we balk at praising apathy but what if we leaned into it instead? It’s hot. The days are long. If midsummer demands some laziness, some loosened grip on to-do lists, if de-participation beckons and we can pull it off, I’d like to try it. I could even schedule it one day next week if I move some things around.
Fortunately, there’s almost no reason to make any herculean cooking efforts, not when gardens and farm stands are overflowing with things good enough to eat without intervention, like heavy, sweet cherry tomatoes. If I am going to turn on the oven, however, it will be for this. This uses a pound of tomatoes and it’s one of my favorite summer meals of all time. These aren’t slow-roasted cherry tomatoes, the kind that semi-dehydrate and turn almost into tomato candy. They’re quick-roasted with olive oil and garlic until bubbly and otherworldly. The salty juices concentrate in the oven into a glorious rough sauce for the beans to roll around in and drink up. I finish it with a handful of basil.
While you can, and probably will, eat directly from the baking dish, it makes the most amazing crostini, ladled warm over pieces of toasted bread. You can tinker with the flavors here almost endlessly: add briny things like anchovies, capers, or cured black olives; add prepared pesto instead of fresh basil, finish with parmesan, pecorino, or even burrata. But I promise that if you only make it with tomatoes, garlic, beans, and basil, you will not feel that you’re missing a thing.
Previously
6 months ago: My Favorite Lentil Salad
1 year ago: Frozen Strawberry Daiquiris
2 years ago: Collard Greens with Cornmeal Dumplings
3 years ago: Corn Salad with Chile and Lime
4 years ago: Grilled Zucchini Ribbons with Pesto and White Beans
5 years ago: Grilled Pizza and Confetti Party Cake
6 years ago: Peaches and Cream Bunny Cake
7 years ago: Green Beans and Almond Pesto and Very Blueberry Scones
8 years ago: Sticky Sesame Chicken Wings and Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches
9 years ago: Slow-and-Low Dry Rub Oven Chicken and Grilled Bacon Salad with Arugula and Balsamic
10 years ago: Blackberry Gin Fizz and Bacon Corn Hash
11 years ago: Skirt Steak with Bloody Mary Tomato Salad and Flatbreads with Honey, Thyme, and Sea Salt
12 years ago: Bread and Butter Pickles, Blue Cheese and Red Potato Tart, Zucchini and Ricotta Galette and Porch Swing
13 years ago: Mediterranean Pepper Salad, Cherry Brown Butter Bars and Watermelon Lemonade
14 years ago: Chopped Vegetables, Watermelon, and Feta Salad
15 years ago: Rosanne Cash’s All-American Potato Salad and Ratatouille’s Ratatouille
Roasted Tomatoes with White Beans and Basil
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound (455 grams) very ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
- 6 small garlic cloves, but who is counting, peeled
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper or red pepper flakes to taste
- 1 15-ounce can cannellini or other white bean, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
Note: You might have noticed that almost all of my favorite ways to eat beans come from places where I’ve swapped them in for pasta not out of any grievance with pasta/gluten/carbs, but because most of favorite pasta sauces translate so well to other ingredients. My jumping off point here is the baked cherry tomato sauce in this fusilli pasta adapted from Nancy Harmon Jenkins, though I skip the crumbs and cheese too.
Here are a few other bean dishes inspired by pasta:
A 2009 version of this dish includes cipollini onions, which are wonderful but have to be blanched and peeled and created a hurdle to making this as often as I’d like to.
So many of your summer recipes I briefly glance at before deciding that I need it, like, pronto and this one is no exception. Thanks for the inspiration, this will certainly be gracing our patio table tonight.
Wow you r SO not nice! Why have you followed this blog for almost 14 years, if it’s so offensive to you. I’m sure no one will miss you if you just disappear, OK? Or do you get off on indulging your masochism by continuing this HORRIBLE punishment? I guess you must…get a life…move on
Do you mean for this comment to be in reference to Jess’s, not Kelsey’s?
Just read that excellent NYT article you linked to a half hour ago! I take that as a sign that I need to have these beans for dinner tonight 😊
Wow, this is the entry that is going to get me to stop checking this blog. I’ve been reading your site since 08, and I didn’t think I’d make it through the obsession with shoehorning your child into every post, but I did– I can’t stomach this, though.
Americans obsessed with “productivity” is one of the most singularly damaging things ABOUT American culture. Your glib and casual acceptance of this is just disgusting to me.
You are an ADULT. You can choose not to do something. Be lazy in July. Who cares? Why are you talking about it that way?
Depressing as hell.
I’m just curious what it is you’re trying to accomplish. I would assume that you, too, are adult–and adults can choose to not be rude or mean when there’s no reason to.
Here, I am intentionally being rude: I’m quite sure Deb’s blog will be just fine without you checking in, and so will the rest of us.
Deb, your recipes are fantastic, and your family is adorable. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who loves your anecdotes, and I really appreciate that you’re willing to share them and your cooking talents with the rest of us.
See above for “depressing as hell.” Jess, byeeeeee.
LOL someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed
One nice thing about being an adult is that you learn that if you don’t have something nice to say, you shouldn’t say anything.
Yeah right, because criticism is bad….?
Wow…
There’s a difference between polite, constructive criticism and spewing vitriol. Someone peed in Jess’ Wheaties, and Jess wants everyone else to know it.
But the saying doesn’t go, “then give some constructive criticism”.
It goes “then don’t say anything at all.”
That’s stupid.
But I agree that Jess could have written more politely.
By the way, I’ve read this site for years, and always enjoyed Deb’s prose, and the baby pictures. But I think it must be allowed to Also post your opinion on “too much family photos” or whatever, if that is your opinion.
Just in a way that hurts/attacks/belittles no one.
I would guess that Deb sees it the same way.
❤️
One of the most damaging things about American culture is people like you Jess. Stop reading if it bothers you so much. Get your amazing and free recipes elsewhere. No need to make such unnecessary remarks at all.
You thought she was serious? I thought she was aiming for somewhere between cute and funny, but it was only 105 degrees in Oklahoma today, andd evidently I still have a sense of humor.
Make sure that you allow yourself to slowly get to temperature, but yes, in a dry heat, the evaporation will actually concentrate your sense of humor to best effect. Unfortunately, in humid conditions, this will merely cause the sense of humor to become soggy and flaccid.
Apparently Jess has never used the “Jump To Recipe” button on the blog, which most blogs have. But then that might be too productive.
Mine only has “jump to comments”. I would love to be able to jump to the recipe on days that I’m pressed for time and just want to get cooking! This looks like another great recipe!
This sounds like a great recipe, and I like the story too. I don’t know how a reader could be so upset. (and so mean!). Thank you Deb, for sharing. I love your recipes and your writing too – it is the first place I check for cooking inspiration
Agreed!!
If you weren’t so determined to be offended, it seems to me that Deb likely agrees with you about the excesses of obsession with productivity. Hence the tongue-in-cheek tone and the link to a NYT article that similarly critiques that particular American tendency. In any case, the vitriol is uncalled for. This is consistently one of the few genuinely nice communities on the Internet, and I for one come back here and read every post, regardless of whether I intend to make the recipe, because I enjoy Deb’s writing and perspective. But you do you.
Jess, I hope you find your happiness elsewhere.
Deb, I hope you can ignore the haters and keep sharing your wonderful recipes, your delightful tongue-in-cheek humor, and PLEASE continue to share photos of your adorable children because I love to see them!
Yikes! Deb offers free recipes, free ideas, free help that apparently you’ve been enjoying for 14 years, but still feel a need to be nasty about something you don’t even have to pay for. If you don’t like the content, just don’t read it. No need to be so mean-spirited and personal.
What a mean-spirited and completely unnecessary comment. As others have said: you don’t have to keep coming back (for 12 years!!) if you don’t want to. And as the saying goes, you are not an airplane. No need to announce your departure. Enjoy your time somewhere else, hopefully with less kvetching about things that do you no harm.
“I can’t stomach this”, she says vehemently as if Deb shared an unpopular opinion about the SC ban or something, lol
Your reading comprehension is lacking. Deb agrees–this entire post is about doing less.
deb now rarely talk about her children on this blog? (personally i really enjoy updates on jacob and anna but i understand that privacy is important especially since they are getting older)
Wow, Jess. Reading a blog you can’t stomach for 14 years? That is weird and slightly creepy. Yes, you should definitely stop checking this site, as Deb has hundreds of thousands of readers that enjoy and utilize her recipes.
Be an ADULT, try spreading some positivity. Don’t flex your anger on a beloved food blogger. Sad.
Get a grip Jess. You know you can just unfollow.
Finish your w(h)ine Jess. I hope you have better days ahead. Bon Voyage.
Uh super bizarre comment from Jess. I am very confused. Also just made this for dinner and it was delicious and really hit the spot for me as I work my way through a summer cold.
OK, so just to make sure I have this correct…you’ve been following Deb since 2008, but you’ve hated her blog the whole time. Uh huh, ok, right, so . . . why tf are you still here?
Deb has never changed in her style as a casual, open, welcoming cook who has a family. That’s who she is. If that’s not for you, you have the omnipotent power to never come to the site again. But bringing negativity just for the sake of being a troll, and trying to be edgy? Not a good look for you, sweetie. Maybe try a nap or a time out?
In the meantime, the rest of us will continue to enjoy the recipes and stories that Deb brings to us. If a recipe or a particular anecdote isn’t to our liking, we simply skim by and come back another day.
Hope things get better for you, as you clearly need it.
You know you can just scroll down to the recipe, right? I enjoy Deb’s writing but if I’m in a hurry I do that, and it might make you less angry.
Oh dear, someone is having a bad day. I love how we all get outraged and protective of Deb and she as gracious as always is silent. 😊lots of trolls online ( see cowards) I am always amazed and pleased that 99% of the time everyone is happy to be here. Those who aren’t are respectfully requested to go bye, bye.
This is the weirdest take.
Wow! I just found the crab at the bottom of the bucket. I see you are part of the “me” culture who is so focused on self/self love that you’re as miserable as can be. So miserable in fact that you want others to feel the same. Here’s a tip, leave your patents basement, find some of that productivity she’s talking about in the post, be other focused instead of self focused, and in time you’ll find you’ll stop looking for every little thing to be offended about. Because hey, you will actually have a life worth living.
Wow – this looks so delicious! Ignore the cranky mean-spirited nay-sayers (the heat does that to folks too 😉).
This looks delicious! But I really don’t want to turn my oven on in this heat. Is it possible to make these on the stove top?
I’ve not made this with beans but I have ‘roasted’ tomatoes on the grill in tin-foil. I would think you could – maybe with a lid?
Brilliant. I’ll try this in foil on the grill if my tomatoes are ready when it’s too hot to turn the oven on. Thanks Caryhill.
It’s more niche, but I have a Tovala that my mom bought that I try to get use out of and that made this dish nicely. The cheaper non-fad equivalent would be doing this in a toaster oven.
Welp, that’s gonna be dinner tonight! LOVE the easy, make-it-with-no-notice recipes.
Ooh this is replacing whatever I had planned for tomorrow night. I’m thinking about it with a flurry of chopped herbs and maybe some feta?
Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t say that I love your blog, think your kids are adorable and appreciate you sharing your creativity, talent and generosity of spirit with us so freely. Smitten Kitchen is the public library of the internet. You graciously provide free and excellent resources with zero expectation that we’ll spend any money. Keep shining, sweet girl.
Agreed- it’s too hot to cook. And this is just what I need when it’s too hot or I don’t feel like cooking. Thanks!
From the moment you posted the rainbow picture for slow roasted tomatoes in 2008, my tomato game has forever changed for the better! (this recipe: https://smittenkitchen.com/2008/08/slow-roasted-tomatoes/ ). I’ve followed the slow roast instructions and, when pressed for time, sped it up as you describe here. I’ve made it into soups, sauces, salad toppings, and crostini toppings. The addition of beans is brilliant and I’m looking forward to adding to my repertoire.
Thank you for creating a space for positivity and inspiration, Deb! Love your website, Instagram, TikTok, and cookbooks + the community you’ve created. Keep on shining!
I make this with onions instead of garlic and a generous helping of ground coriander and it’s insane. Can’t wait to try this.
I could do with far more about the children, let alone the introduction to each recipe which is never long enough for me! Oh yes, and of course there are the fabulous, reliable, interesting recipes . . .
More love for your perspective, your lovely family stories, your links and your amazing recipes (SO helpful to have ingredients in weights which I appreciate you go to a special effort to include). Love checking in with your blog and NYC stories ❤️
Nat – you are supremely correct! Deb I love(d) seeing pictures of your kids! As Elizabeth said too – the introductions to each of your recipes are magical. I have your new book on order and I think I have been following your blog since the beginning. Thank you for making all of this available to us!
I love Deb’s anecdotes and little snapshots of her family! My favorite era of SK is 2009-2016 because of all the cute details about your life and kids. I also adore your writing and sense of humor.
First thank you for all the wonderful recipes and ideas.
Second definitely going to make this in the oven come the cooler weather. In the meantime I’ll try using the microwave for the tomatoes. I know they’ll taste better roasted, but we only have ac units in our bedrooms and with every other day being in the 90s, I can’t take the heat (so I’ll stay out of the kitchen).
Grew up with a family recipe where you just chop fresh tomatoes and marinate it at room temp for a little while with the garlic, olive oil, and basil then add freshly cooked tortellini on top. It would be different than the roasted quality above, but it would probably be delicious with beans instead and keep the heat out of the kitchen!
My kitchen also lacks AC, and I often do a fresh tomato thing similar to what’s suggested here. When it’s too hot to cook but I want pasta, I do the following:
1) Chop up a handful of cherry tomatoes or a good beefsteak or two. Toss with a generous sprinkling of salt, pepper, and a tablespoon or so of balsamic vinegar (whatever balsamic you can afford will be fine— I made this a lot when I was broke). Cover and set aside.
2) Make tortellini and drain, reserving some cooking liquid. Return pan to heat with a couple glugs of olive oil and add tomatoes and all their juices. Cook just until they start to sizzle, then add pasta back in and a couple splashes of reserved liquid.
3) Toss and stir until everything has come together and heated through. Should only take a couple minutes. Serve topped with cheese (we use crumbled chèvre or feta, sometimes torn up mozzarella) and ribbons of basil and/or parsley.
Anna, I made your version last night with agnolotti and it was Fantastic. Thank you!
Your amount of garlic is perfect. You measure that with your heart. Def putting this on the rotation for next week and probably the next 6 weeks after that. 😉
This looks seriously delicious. I like my beans a little softer in recipes. If I added them earlier would that work? Or can I bake the whole dish longer after adding them?
Looks amazing, I’ve put this on the menu for my lunch next week! One small question–I can’t figure out where the last remaining tablespoon of olive oil is supposed to go? I see 2 in the pan and then 2 more drizzled over the tomatoes, but the recipe calls for 5 tbsp.
I had the same question. I’m going to add mine with the basil at the end.
Oh, also, another question! I made this yesterday and it was AMAZING. Wondering if there is any reason you specify adding the tomatoes cut side up? Does it just look good or is there another reason? I just tossed a pile of halved tomatoes with all of the olive oil, some salt, and some red pepper flakes and it turned out great :)
If you cook them cut side down the juice runs out and evaporates or worse burns in the bottom of the pan. (I learned this when I made slow roasted tomatoes)
Magdalen – right there at the end, where she mentions eating it with crostini. You drizzle the last tablespoon over the finished dish. Enjoy!
This looks delicious! Excited, as always, for new posts/recipes from you, Deb. Keep shining! :)
Ouch…I know that anybody who is in the public eye has to develop a thick skin, but that comment popping up in such a warm and supportive community as this one has to hurt. It hurts me, and from the comments, others are well. Thankfully, the commenter is an outlier and in a group of one.
I personally love deb’s photos of her family and wish she did more of them. She is a blogger with a life, a family. The blog doesn’t exist in a vacuum and I love that. And I love her willingness to lean into non-productivity on a summer day. I love her thoughtful community of commenters who sometimes make my day with their humor. I don’t love nastiness tho I recognize we’re all capable of it at least occasionally. Jess, if you’re a cook just hit the Jump To Recipe link and skip the rest.
Just made this for a light summer lunch. ITS AMAZING!! Tastes so fresh and delicious. My garlic cloves weren’t really soft when it was time to add the beans so I roughly chopped them, and it came out great.
I just made this and it was so easy and delicious – more than the sum of its parts
As someone with a chronic illness who doesn’t always feel like cooking it will definitely go into my regular meal planning
Thanks!
Hi! Am I reading wacky or is there a tablespoon of oil not being used? 5 in the ingredients and 4 in the dish?
You drizzle it on at the very end, just before eating. It’s in the last sentence there when she mentions the crostini.
This caught my eye on FB and I had to make it ASAP. I doubled the recipe in order to serve it as an appetizer for 6 people. I served it as a bruschetta made with my homemade sourdough bread. Simply delicious and loved by all. We grated a bit of parmesan on top but otherwise followed the recipe.
Thank you for this recipe. I put it on par-baked pizza dough with mozzarella… just divine. And lots of basil from the garden. I will be making this all summer long… very little work involved!
I should say: I par-baked the dough, then spread everything on and baked another 6 minutes, then added the basil.
absolutely stunning; i made it last week and I’m about to go pick up more tomatoes to repeat it tomorrow. i used a bunch of garlic cloves that i’d confit’ed (??) and the confit oil for roasting, and topped it with a smallish burrata ball (per person) and capers. ate all of this over sourdough toast and i can’t stop thinking about it!
I made this last night and ate it with a gin and tonic in the garden at dusk. It’s delicious and simple and everything you need in the summer.
This was fantastic! I did not have any white beans, so used garbanzo beans. I grated some parmesan over the top after it came out of the oven.
Deb – please make a vegetarian cookbook!!! I love your bean, pasta and veggie recipes!!!
This is usually my happy place. One of the places I go AFTER checking out the bad, depressing news of the day, etc. Good recipes, good writing, nice pictures….happy. Reasons to go on living in spite of the bad stuff. Yay for that! And also for easy recipes like this for people who like to read more than they like to cook! I tend to make more of the easy sounding ones than any others. Things that I never would have thought of on my own, but are easy to change up a little and inspire the imagination. And also are usually reasonably healthy. I sure have become a better cook because of it, so thank you!
I made this last night and it was delicious. The thing I love about your recipes is that they leave room for substitutions if you don’t have everything on hand. I don’t know why I’ve never thought of combining the tomatoes and beans, as I slow roast my garden Roma tomatoes every year and freeze them. I didn’t have cherry tomatoes this time, so used Romas that I already had, and it turned out great. I will say that if you have extra time, “slow” roasting the tomatoes at around 250 degrees for a couple of hours brings out a sweeter and more intense tomato flavor. I did put a couple of leftover parmesan chicken breasts on top after everything was finished cooking and warmed the whole thing up for about 20 minutes. Fantastic!
Thank you, Deb, as always and for everything. I have been using your recipes and enjoying your writing and humor since the beginning, and I feel like most people know when you are kidding. We commenters are mostly a really big fan club, so I find myself taking it personally when the occasional cranky pants says mean things about you! So to Jess and her ilk, go ahead and opt out, but please just leave quietly.
Made this for lunch today. Very good and satisfying.
I made this, and it is so very delicious! My mom can’t get enough of it. I do have one question, though. The recipe calls for 5 tablespoons of olive oil, but the instructions only referenced 4. Does the last tablespoon just go on top?
My bad, and yes, it’s at the end, just to finish.
Recipe calls for 5 TB olive oil but I don’t see where the 5th one is added- ? With beans
Aaaah! I completely forgot. I add it at the end, right with the basil. Will fix.
Made this tonight with less than perfectly ripe grape tomatoes and 19oz of white beans and it was to die for. Thank you!
Perfect recipe. So delish & simple. I used a can of Goya low-sodium small white beans. I love how the size of the beans, really petite, work in the recipe. If anybody is intimidated by cannellini/great northern/navy beans, take a tip from me – give small white beans a try. Habichuelas Blancas! :o)
Here’s a tip, everbody: Instead of using a fork to “lightly mash” the tomatoes and garlic cloves (squish…splat…OUCH!!!), use a regular long-handled, stainless steel, slotted turner. Does the job quickly and SAFELY. Still loving this recipe – thanks again, Deb! :o)
So for everyone deciding weather to make this or not…a few simple ingredients results in most outstanding dish. My husband and I are swooning over beans and tomatoes! But, just do do what Deb says, the salt, the oil, the balance…it’s perfect. If using Supermarket tomatoes, use “burst” (or whatever they are called in your area) these are grape or cherry on vine in a plastic shell and are dependable for sweetness. I happened to have made my own canellini beans from Rancho Gordo (Marcella beans) but I really don’t think that aided at all in the perfection of this dish. Just grab a good can (Goya) and proceed and swoon. (Don’t forget grilled semolina bread!)
whether of course, not weather. shameful
Made this tonight and it was delicious!
One small warning…. When mashing the tomatoes with a fork, be very cautious of the squirting HOT juice! Burned my wrist pretty well on this step, lol. The end product was worth it though!
Oh no! I did mean to mention this. For me, it was mostly the kitchen wall that suffered.
This was utterly delicious. Perfect, easy, quick, and the freshest and most satisfying supper I could imagine. It was fate–I accidentally opened a can of white beans instead of chickpeas, groaned, went to your website to see if you had any white bean recipes, and this one was RIGHT IN FRONT.
Thank you for all you do. I’ve been reading and cooking from this blog for over a decade and this is my first comment…so just know that many of us silent lurkers are silently thanking you and deeply grateful for all you have brought to our lives.
I was in a cooking rut bc it’s been so hard to balance work and kids and all the things. And this recipe totally saved me — thank you!! Served with baguette (warmed for two minutes in the still hot oven after the tomatoes and beans came out) and a bit of quickly sautéed sole (cooked right after the beans were added). Fast, supremely easy, and delicious.
I made this a few days ago, following the recipe faithfully. the only deviation was to add a small spritz of fresh lemon after everything was assembled. Truly satisfying and very tasty! Love your recipes!
I too have no problem with pasta but I love how you’ve taken so many recipes and adapted them for beans. I often do the same with farro.
Yum! I just made this, added some onion and fresh thyme and rosemary. Removed garlic, onion, and herbs after roasting was done, rubbed roasted garlic on griddled bread, topped with freshly grated hard goat cheese. Really fabulous! Will keep in my rotation for sure. Thank you!
That was simply amazing, while so simple. The quality of the cherry tomatoes and the quantity of fresh basil are vital. I doubled the recipe and we polished it off.
I did not have a can of beans of any kind so substituted a can of lentils. Everything else from the recipe was the same. It was amazing and my family loved it! I served it with lemon roasted salmon.
Delicious! I made it with chopped red vine tomatoes since they needed to be used up, and it was great. Served over olive bread and with a glass of rose — perfect summer dinner!
How is such a simple recipe so good?! Added Parmesan cheese before serving. Ate it along side your zucchini fritters.
How does this dish hold up being made a day ahead?
Fantastically. It rewarms well.
Can you sub chopped tomatoes?
Thank you for tonight’s dinner! I just picked a bunch of tomatoes from the garden and don’t have enough cherries so will throw in some other smallish tomatoes. And I have a bunch of crostini left over from a party this weekend. Perfect and not much effort!
Absolute perfection! How could a few ingredients turn into a masterpiece? A shake of hot pepper flakes and the addition of Kalamata olives put it over the top!
Thank you to everyone for their suggestions especially the goat cheese! My new favorite vegetarian dinner\ appetizer!
Have a kiddo who would not touch a cherry tomato until this was tonight’s dinner. Doubled recipe for 4 of us, used great northern beans, added cubed fresh mozzarella right before serving, and served with Deb’s garlic bread. No leftovers! 🥹
How did I forget to serve this with garlic bread? Brilliant! I’m going to do it next time. :)
More recipes like this, PLEASE!! So delicious and so simple! Made it tonight and I literally scraped every bit of juice out of the pan and would happily eat it for dinner tomorrow! I used pinto beans because that’s what I had and it was great. Also, portion wise, I will be doubling in the future for a main course for my family of four (kids are 2 and 4, so they don’t eat tons). One recipe didn’t end up being quite enough (that’s not a critique, just a helpful note for anyone else wondering about portion size ;-).
Absolutely amazing as is! I ate leftovers with some arugula, Parmesan, and crusty sour dough bread and it was perfect
I just made this, exactly as written (maybe an extra garlic clove or two, but as you said, who’s counting!), and served it with a crusty baguette – it was so incredibly delicious! The tomatoes were perfectly sweet and the garlic mashed so nicely into the juices. Freshly picked basil from my garden sealed the deal. This will be on regular rotation this summer. Thank you for this recipe!
So good and so easy, we’ll start including this in our regular rotation. Our joke is that this is so tasty it barely serves two ;-)
We might double it and serve with crostini as an app for smaller get togethers. It really is delicious and I can’t imagine it would last long.
Recipe calls for five Tbl but I followed the two & two in directions and it worked just fine.
Thanks Deb, this is another winner.
Made this just as directed and ate it atop a baguette shmeared with labne. Yum! Will definitely be making this regularly this summer.
This was so delicious! I made a few tweaks. First, I used added fresh rosemary to the tomatoes, instead of basil. Second, I used dried white beans that I cooked with onions, carrots, and celery. I drained them and removed the vegetables but didn’t rinse the beans. Third, I cooked it low and slow at 300 for a couple of hours after I added the beans. I will definitely make this again.
OH MY LORD!!! THIS is what the dreadfully hot days of summer are all about. Fantastic recipe. Can’t wait to make it. Thank you. Cherry tomatoes are the best. I don’t know why I haven’t thought of this before, but I’m glad YOU did. I’m so glad to pop over to my blog feed to see this. I’ll be visiting more often.
Just made this last night for lunch today; so tasty and easy! Perfect July recipe.
Made this for dinner last night and agree with all the other comments – perfect low-effort summer meal! Worth turning the oven on even in 90 degree heat.
I used garbanzo beans because I mis-remembered what was in my pantry and turned out great! Added a little grated parmesan cheese on top as well – yummmm!
That sounds good too.
I just made this and love it!! Had some cherry tomatoes starting age- worked perfectly. Didn’t have white beans so substituted pinto, dried basil for fresh, powdered garlic for fresh. Seasoned with Mrs dash table blend, salt and pepper.
It’s delicious!! Thanks for sharing.
Feeling guilty and lazy for all the sandwiches in the past 100+ degree South Mississippi heat. Got a big basket of beautiful grape tomatoes at the dreaded Walmart and one of their bake-at-home breads. Bingo Bango Bongo I feel a the Meatless Monday goddess. Thank you.
(Followed recipe to a T)
Simple & perfect! Ate over sourdough crostini with a dollop of ricotta.
WARNING: the “be careful if they spray” caution should *not* be taken lightly. I’m not a novice chef and just got burns on my chest and face from the tomato spray. I don’t think the mashing hot tomatoes stage is worth it, no matter how carefully attempted, recommend avoiding and just roasting 5-10 mins longer so they soften more.
Thank you for the most amazing brunch. On a rare weekday when neither kid had summer camp and my husband didn’t have a morning full of zoom meetings, I served this to my family of 4 at the crack of 11 this morning at our table in the backyard. We spooned it over toasted slices of crusty Italian bread and topped each with a fried egg for an extra hearty meal. And as if that weren’t enough we followed it with your delectable apricot breakfast crisp with Greek yogurt. Because for special brunches we like to indulge in “dessert breakfast” following a savory breakfast :)
Your blog is very special to me. I’ve been reading since almost the beginning. I loved the heyday of blogging and used to have several favorites with yours at the top. Over the years I’ve seen other blogs I used to read change so much that they are no longer attractive to to me. Too busy, too full of adds and clickbait, and not enough good writing. But yours seems to simultaneously not change and keep getting better, and I so appreciate that. I enjoy your writing as well as the interesting links you post (like the productivity one here). I had my first baby, a son, just a few months after you and then my daughter just a few months after you had yours, coincidentally. So I love seeing the kid pictures and especially reading about your travels with them. It gives me courage to attempt similar exploits with mine.
Most of all, your blog and your two books are the first place I look when I want to make something in particular, or use up a certain ingredient. I always think, I bet Deb has a recipe for that. When my husband asks where a new recipe came from I always say, “you know, my favorite blogger”. So thanks for everything. Can’t wait for the new book!
I’m making this for tonight’s dinner as is. I would not dream of changing the recipe. It’s perfect. My plan is to serve this with a thick piece of stripped bass cooked in a small amount of butter and garlic. Thank you.
We loved this. I followed the recipe but on my gas grill. (I’ve never watched the temperature gauge on my grill SO CLOSELY). The beans get a little bit of yummy fond on them! We finished with basil pesto and capers. Delicious meatless meal, Deb. Thanks!
Fast, easy, and very delicious. I’d cooked up a pot of Rancho Gordo Marcella beans and used those instead of canned. So good! Thanks Deb!
Absolutely delicious! I had to dollop spoonfuls of burrata on top, of course. Ate atop ciabatta I baked yesterday. Now trying to convince myself that eating all those beans in one day might not be the smartest thing to do…
I made several changes and it was amazing…
Didn’t have beans, so omitted those and served it over pasta instead. Didn’t have fresh garlic, used jarred minced. Added red pepper flakes.
10/10. I think this will now replace our store-bought “Marinara”
This is one of those wonderful recipes that can be used so many ways. I had it tonight with toasted sour dough for dipping into the sauce. Do NOT skimp on the olive oil, it’s essential. I can see it topped with poached eggs, or served over pasta, or on top of sauteed chicken breasts, or as a pizza topping. Yes, you have to turn the oven on but only for a little while. As someone else suggested, I’m sure you could roast the tomatoes in a well-sealed aluminum foil pouch on the grill. Thank you, Deb, for yet another so-simple but so-delicious recipe!
I made this last night and immediately texted the recipe to all my favorite people because it is so. freaking. delicious. and easy!! I added feta cheese during the baking and inhaled it on sourdough toast. Can’t wait to try it again w kalamata olives or anchovies— this will definitely become a go-to dish. Leftovers microwaved for lunch were yummy and satisfying too.
Because this recipe is so simple, I doubted it — but shouldn’t have. It is delicious. I used Gordo beans that I pressure-cooked, and added a dollop of olive tapenade I had on hand. It was a great addition. This recipe will get made frequently! 4 helpings? Not around here!
This is a pleasant dish and I enjoyed it. I’ve been trying to incorporate more beans into my diet since I like them and need the protein, and I don’t know much to do with white beans, so this was nice. I used the Tovala/toaster oven since I was braising pork belly in my oven plus didn’t want to push it to high heat in this weather anyway.
Flavor was good, but was lacking a… something. On suggestion by Deb, I’ll play with this a little since it has awesome potential. I’m thinking some chili crisp topper might really make this pop.
Deb, Have you seen mini San Marziano tomatoes in any of the places where you shop for vegetables? I have at one of the places I go to. I bet they would be wonderful in any of your recipes for cherry tomatoes. Clara
Although it’s not terribly hot most of the time in San Francisco ,my apartment galley kitchen does get overheated. Run do walk to the nearest kitchen store( order online) a Breville smart toaster oven! Bake, roast and toast without the heat.
Perfect for this recipe. I bake cookies, cakes, roast chicken and fish , make granola and more. Dinner party? You now have to ovens. I can’t wait to make this recipe! This time of year, easy and fast recipes are my favorite
YUM … and on my list! Roast tomatoes of any kind are so versatile … I love the tomato/feta, tomato cream cheese, tomato ricotta and then dump some pasta so as a bean lover, I can totally go with this! (LOVE Pizza beans BTW :) )
I am a make from dry beans person 95% of the time and love Rancho Gordo beans. Kind of interesting as the RG newsletter has been on a “make a pot of beans for the week and do various things with them”. This fits right in! Thanks for the inspiration.
I am adding Castelvetrano olives to my mix!
Absolutely love this recipe. It has simplified my roasted tomato recipe and has added a new dimension with the addition of the cannellini beans and the second roasting. I took it a step further by adding some grated Pecorino Romano and some pesto after removing the pan from the oven, but while the tomatoes and beans were still warm. My husband said that this would be a great start for Pasta Fagioli. The second time that I made it (within 2 days), I added an additional can of chickpeas to the cannellini beans (as I only had one can of each and wanted extra beans). Thank you for this wonderful recipe, Deb!
I forgot to get basil at the market this morning so I put a dollop of pesto on my serving. This is sooo good and perfect for summer. Thank you for sharing it.
This was good with some oven toasted whole grain bread. Don’t be like me and put the basil in with the beans although, i didn’t notice the difference until I came back to look at the comments. Also didn’t add the last TB of oil there was plenty of liquid.
Delicious!!! So easy! Even reluctant tomato eaters enjoyed it! Would 100% make again. Another serious win for SK.
I was waiting until I had enough tomatoes to harvest to made this and fortunately didn’t have to wait long. I’m afraid I took a few minor liberties: I used a mix of varieties, of varying sizes, including Tigerella, Summerlast, Maskotka and Mortgage Lifter. I also used oak smoked rapeseed oil and stirred through a little buffalo mozzarella at the end. Basil also from the garden. It was really delicious and so simple to make – perfect in the unusually extreme temperatures we are having in England at the moment. I will be making it again soon. Thank you!
This was wonderful! I made it along with several other tasty Smitten Kitchen salad-type dishes for a picnic yesterday, and this was the star, and also the easiest dish of the bunch! It can definitely sit at room temperature for 4+ hours and be perfect – I tasted it hot, and it was good, but I actually liked it better after it cooled a bit and the beans really soaked up all of the good flavor. I definitely just tossed the tomatoes in the pan, not worrying about whether they were face up, and it was totally fine, and I smashed the garlic a bit. And I finished with some flakey sea salt, because everything is better with flakey sea salt. I recommend making a double batch; you will be happy to have extras!
Oh, and I forgot to mention – it reheats very nicely the next day! Not bad cold, but we liked it best slightly warmed up to at least room temp. I would not hesitate to make this a day ahead.
I can’t wait to make this when it’s warm and tomatoes are worth eating again. The basic theory of using pasta sauces on beans inspired me tonight though and I did a butternut mash (a la butternut ravioli) and topped it with white beans in a browned butter sage sauce and Parmesan. Highly recommend if you need an autumn variation!
This was delicious! I used the cheap grape tomatoes from the grocery store and they still turned out sweet and delicious. With such small tomatoes, no mashing was necessary. I served it with sauteed zucchini and garlic bread, which was a great combo (but by the time I made all three of those things, this was no longer a lazy dinner). I also think this would be good mixed with pasta.
So simple and delicious! Cooked in the outdoor toaster oven which is key in Phoenix to avoid heating up the house. Thank you for your blog and wonderful recipes!
I made this tonight. We scooped it onto pieces of toasted rustic bread rubbed with a garlic clove and drizzled with a little more olive oil, and it made for a wonderful summer evening dinner. And so easy too. Thank you!
Winner-winner-tomatoes-and-beans-dinner! YUM! We served on some toasted baguette and gobbled it all up! So delicious and complex despite so few ingredients and such a quick meal!
I think this was probably one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth.
I love eating tomatoes, it’s both delicious and easy to prepare and has a beautiful effect on the skin
This was so good!! I served it over grilling cheese (which I very much recommend!) and it was quick and delicious. Will definitely make again
Deb, thanks for this yummy-looking recipe. I am planning on making it ASAP. Unfortunately, our basil is not doing well this year so would you be able to suggest 1) when in the recipe I should add jarred pesto (at the end as I would fresh basil?) and 2) what would be the best amount of jarred pesto for this recipe so it doesn’t take over the flavors? Many thanks!
YUM. Slipping this in on the tail-end of July so I can qualify for lazy cooking month!
Also—I have made the tomatoes and onions many times with frozen, pre-peeled pearl onions. Don’t tell! It’s maybe 10% less good but still amazing.
It’s all about the tomatoes (and basil), but I recommend one ‘change,’ which is to use regular EVOO when cooking, but use your best olive oil for the drizzling on top of the dish. One of my special olive oils is fruity, and it’s great for drizzling. Also, a little bit of grated pecorino is never amiss.
This turned out great both times I made it so far! Thanks Deb for the constant inspiration. Biggest change I made was doubling the amount of beans in the recipe with no appreciable downsides. I probably seasoned more heavily but measuring isn’t my strong suit so….
I made this with fresh sliced heirloom tomatoes and everything else. Holy nightshades, Batman, dis is da bomb! The next day, I toasted 4 slices of average French-style crusty bread, then nestled the toasts in the leftovers and baked for 7 minutes at 350, just to re-warm. Then I gobbled it all up. The sun was just brighter and the sky bluer that day.
This was delicious! I made it as written except for the basil (which I didn’t have). I added fresh rosemary with the beans, and topped it with fresh thyme leaves with it came out of the oven.
My garden is overflowing with cherry ‘maters and basil and I am making this as we speak. Thank you Deb! :)
I have made this twice in the last two weeks. It is so good and such an easy week night meal. Tonight I added large dinner sausages to the dish before placing in the oven. Delicious. Thank you.
This is one of my new favorite summer-into-fall recipes. Made base recipe exactly as described but added a tin of anchovies and a tablespoon of capers with the beans. I did skip the tomato-mashing step and instead stirred and mashed everything a little after it came out of the oven and had cooled for 7-8 minutes. Was delicious—briny and rich without being heavy. Served slightly warmer than room temp with lightly toasted crusty bread and crackers.
Enjoyed this! I’m not much of a cook and am terrible at adding enough salt the first time. I also didn’t have any basil and I think both (salt and basil) are really integral to this simple, tasty dish. I liked the beans and might do garbanzos or navy beans next time.
I saw this recipe shared in the Rancho Gordo bean club group and made it the same night. Cherry tomatoes are awesome right now and the husband and kid both loved this recipe served over toasted focaccia. I have not quite figured out how to squash the tomatoes without them splattering on me….
Deb, you don’t know me, but I’d like you to know that you and I are “food soulmates.” I tell my husband this on a regular basis, which causes him only slight alarm. We get each other, you and I. Your recipes speak to me on a deep level and when you published this one I felt the bond grow deeper.
Absolutely delicious and took about 5 minutes to prep! Perfect for a quick dinner.
Made this recipe tonight as appetizer and served on small Naan bread. Only had navy beans in pantry. Very delicious , we both loved it! Ill make this again as its pretty easy and healthy. Thank you!
Such simple ingredients but so full of flavor! The only addition I made was some crumbled feta. Perfect late August meal scooped onto flatbread.
This sounds delicious! Would it be ok to use chopped heirloom tomatoes? Have some that need using!
I’m sure it will be delicious.
Thank you Deb! Appreciate the vote of confidence!
This sounds perfect! I have some heirlooms that need cooking. Ok to sub?
I just came here to comment on the recipe, which as usual, was great. My teenage daughter is trying out being a pescatarian so when we are eating, say, a tomahawk steak like I made last night, I try to make something with at least beans or whatever on the side. I made this and served it with the steak, a baguette, and salad. All three kids liked it, my very meat eating boyfriend liked it so much he actually asked for the recipe to make it for his kids, and I am currently eating the leftovers straight out of the fridge on a day old piece of baguette. It’s just as good now.
just threw the tomatoes in the oven because I needed to feel like I was doing something with this massive bowl of tiny tomatoes. I broke my ankle & am feeling sorry for myself but this produce!! It needs attention. So maybe just doing small things slowly will help me through this time :) Thanks for your MANY beautiful recipes!
Just made this for dinner and loved it! Too bad summers almost over, I`ll be using those ripe tomatoes as long as possible for this delicious dish. Thanks so much!!
We made this with runny eggs and toasty bread for a lazy Sunday morning and it was summer perfection. Thank you for a quick and delicious recipe !
Could you freeze this?
I made this tonight as a side with chicken. I added zucchini and used giant white beans. It was so good!
This is so amazingly good when you use hood quality ingredients. So simple yet it has to be one of my favorite things to eat with some nice crusty bread for crunch and to soak up those delicious juices! Yum!
Ah Deb, you’re my hero and saviour once again! Just when my cooking motivation is at an absolute low and I nearly succumbed to take out, I found this gem of a recipe. Dinner is saved tonight!
Ah Deb, you’re my hero and saviour once again! Just when my motivation to cook is at it’s absolute lowest and I almost succumbed to ordering take out, I found this gem of a recipe. Dinner is saved tonight!
Just made this and…newsflash! you don’t need to halve the cherry tomatoes. I was rushing, took a chance, and put them in whole. I followed the rest of the recipe exactly and it came out perfectly. Such a time saver to just put the tomatoes in whole!
Such a deliciously savory summer dish, I’m so glad I tried it!
How would this be room temp or cold, to bring to a picnic?
Deb, I just want to thank you for this recipe and all the others like it…especially lately…that are simple, easy, and endlessly riffable for variety or in order to use what you may have on hand. I love the way they are just a little beyond what a homecook might think of themselves, yet very doable and delicious ways to to make ingredients really shine. They are wonderful blueprints. I really appreciate the way you give so many helpful suggestions on how to change up a recipe to make it work for yourself.
People have a whole lot of reasons not to want to cook things that are too elaborate or exotic. Or time consuming. These recipes make it hard to notice the difference. Given the entertaining detailed write-ups and care in presenting your
recipes, I actually feel like you’ve taught me how to cook. I used to follow recipes religiously, afraid of making mistakes. That takes time and trouble I don’t always feel like taking. All of a sudden I find that more and more, I know what to do what to do when I don’t bother with all of that, yet what I make turns out decently anyway. I waste lots less food that way too!
These were delicious! We used them as the sauce over zucchini angel hair zoodles, the two of us finished the whole bowl!
Wow! I’ve made this twice in one week. Unheard-of for me.
This is one of those rare occasions when the sum is greater than the parts! So delicious for such few ingredients.
I used my trusty potato masher instead of a fork and had no problem with flying hot stuff!! I also cooked on parchment on a sheet tray…and the clean up was minor, fyi.
Thanks for sharing this fantastic recipe, Deb!
Go-to summer recipe right here! This dish ranks very highly on the low-effort, high-reward scale. Double it!
Delicious! Made last night and worth turning on the oven for a short period. Added rinsed capers when the beans went in, a little grated cheese at the end, and french fried onions on top at serving. Excellent on toast or by the spoonful. Yummo.
In trying to eat less meat, I gave this a try. My tomatoes were not all that ripe, I didn’t have fresh basil (I used some dried basil and fresh parsley) but did add grated Parmesan. OMG. Even with all the shortcomings in my ingredients, this was amazing. Really. I can’t wait to try it again with better tomatoes and fresh basil!
Why are all of your recipes so perfect?! Whyyyy?? How??
I made it with simple roasted eggplant and now wish I also made some pasta to go with it.
Yum! I didn’t have crusty bread (next time!) so had the first serving over some mixed greens and then more just in the bowl. Delicious!
I’ve made this recipe many times – it’s a favorite with my husband and with the members of our monthly wine club. Once I used so many garlic cloves that someone said, “what is the whitish stuff? Potatoes?” I laughed and said, “garlic!”
I”ve made it with and without basil, and it’s great either way! My husband loves making toast with crusty bread to have with the beans and tomatoes, but any bread goes well. I usually use a mix of different kinds of cherry and/or grape tomatoes, which makes it look really pretty. So good, so easy.
Made this last night with a higher proportion of tomatoes to beans and it was absolutely delicious – way beyond expectations for how simple the ingredients and prep are! I served it over brown rice with grated Parmesan. This will be on repeat.
Your cookbooks and this website have transformed meal time for us, and I love your writing so much I sometimes just come here to read and relax. Thank you Deb, for your humour and inspiration.
Made this last night and it was great! I mashed up the white beans at the end then use toasted crusty bread strips as my utensil. It’s so good and I can’t wait to eat the leftovers later today. I’m team red cherry tomatoes and will leave the sungolds to everyone else.
Oh yes!!! Excellent lunch today. All I had for beans were the pink ones. They were fine in this recipe. Because I was short on time I started the cooking of tomatoes on the stove.
My meat loving husband has recently been converted to a vegetarian and he LOVES this meal. I made some Socca Bread as the side to scoop up the sauce with, it’s absolutely delicious with the fresh tomatoes from the farmer. Thank you for turning such simplicity into such a delicious meal!
Deb, I made this tonight and we loved it. I followed your directions but added some seared pancetta with the beans and used up some fresh mozzarella by topping the beans with the cheese for the last 5 minutes.
This will be a summer staple for use with my garden tomatoes.
Very yummy!! I added a small yellow squash to the tomatoes in the beginning because I had one on hand and realized I accidentally only bought 10 ounces of tomatoes. Oops! Turned out great though!!
With respect for Deb’s note about how the beans in this recipe are supposed to replace the pasta, this is really good over pasta! Pasta and beans are not mutually exclusive. I put the leftovers in a frittata the next day and that was really good too. Next time i might try leaving out the basil and putting in fresh sage with the beans, and squeezing lemon over it at the end. The inspiration would be moosewood’s ‘tuscan’ white beans with sage,’ which is made with canned tomatoes on the stove. :)
So I made your roasted tomatoes and beans. I fried up some bacon bits to sit aside first, then sauteed some fresh onion in the grease and added the onion to the roasting tomatoes and garlic the first time around and threw in some basil leaves when the beans were added. When all done I added the bacon bits and grated on some parmesan. So easy and so delicious. Next time will make some cornbread to go with them…even a noncook could handle this…
WOW! So simple, so good. SO GOOD! You’re the best.
I didn’t read the directions closely enough and threw whole tomatoes, beans and garlic in the oven with olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes. On toasted baguette slices, it reminded me of pizza! No need to slice tomatoes, IMHO, and beans weren’t harmed by roasting longer. This is definitely a new summer staple.
I’ve made this several times and it is delicious! I double the tomatoes and use my biggest cookie sheet to roast them. I also use 19 oz can of beans. Simple ingredients that add up to amazing flavours! Very good on rice too if you are GF.
This is so good! I combined this recipe with the zucchini element from https://smittenkitchen.com/2018/07/grilled-zucchini-ribbons-with-pesto-and-white-beans/
and it was a simple and delicious winner
This is such a lovely dish. I often make it as an appetizer when my friends come over. I also love it for lunch. With toasted baguette, it’s divine