The Martin Cooking

Spinach and White Bean Gratin with Bacon

This is an easy, weeknight gratin with cannellini beans, spinach, Parmesan and bacon. It's not as rich as other gratins because it doesn't have a cream sauce but instead relies on Parmesan cheese and a small amount of mashed-up beans to help thicken it.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1/3 cup jarred roasted red peppers, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• coarse salt and fresh black pepper
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 cans (14 ounces each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups baby spinach, stems removed
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil or rosemary
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided, plus more for serving
• 3 slices bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled

Instructions

1.     Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8 x 8 casserole dish.
2.     In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium low heat. Add the onion, red pepper and garlic, season well with salt and pepper, cook about 5 minutes, stirring often until onion is tender.
3.     Add the broth, all the beans but 1/2 cup and the spinach, bring to a simmer and cook about 5 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Mash up the 1/2 cup beans with a fork and mix them in too.
4.     Remove from heat, mix in the basil and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan.
5.     Pour into the casserole pan and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over top. Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle the bacon over top and serve with additional Parmesan cheese.