I made this dish using Roma tomatoes I smoked, vacuum-packed and froze at the end of the growing season. It’ll also taste great with standard diced, canned tomatoes, though the intensity of the smoked tomatoes is incredible. Even though hearty, served on its own, the portions may be small for some. Double the portions or, even better, dish it out over some spaghetti squash for a satisfying meal. Even though I don’t put grain products on the site, it’d also be perfect over pasta for those so inclined.
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
4 ounces pancetta – thickly sliced and cut into squares 3 cloves garlic – very finely chopped or crushed 2 cups diced tomatoes – smoked if available 19 ounce can white kidney beans – rinsed and drained ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley – choppedPreparation:
Place a deep frying pan on medium heat and when hot, add the pancetta, stirring occasionally for five minutes or until nearly browned.
Add the garlic, stirring for thirty seconds.
Stir in the tomatoes, beans, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and continue to simmer for ten minutes.
Stir in the parsley and serve.
Curious – Why don’t you use grain products?
Thanks for the question, Adeline. There are many reasons and at least a few ways to answer. Many people have issues with grain allergies such as gluten and there simply aren’t many resources available for cooking real, tasty food without it. Kev’s Kitchen recipes are all sugar and grain free. Even when obvious allergic reactions aren’t a concern, there’s plenty of research suggesting that the human body doesn’t handle grain well. Here’s a detailed, yet easy to read article on the trouble with eating grain. Because of this and other reasons, the Paleo Diet has gained many followers. I tend to practice a version known as the Slow-Carb Diet. The difficulty for me is, with a love of many foods and many great chefs around, it’s sometimes difficult to summon the willpower to only eat the bad stuff one day a week. Now, stop reading my babble and get cooking!