Slow-Cooker Butter Beans With Pecorino and Pancetta
Published March 7, 2023
- Total Time
- 7 hours and 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 8ounces dried gigante, butter (lima) or other large beans, soaked overnight and drained
- 3cups chicken broth
- 1tablespoon olive oil
- 6garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
- 1teaspoon black pepper, plus more for seasoning
- 4ounces pancetta, guanciale or thick-cut bacon, cut into ½- to 1-inch batons
- Juice of ½ lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
- ½cup (about 1¾ ounces) grated pecorino, plus more for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
452 calories; 20 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 43 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 26 grams protein; 658 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Stir together the beans, broth, olive oil, garlic and 1 teaspoon of the pepper in a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until the beans are tender, about 7 hours.
- Step 2
Put the pancetta in a skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the pork has rendered most of its fat and is deep golden brown and crunchy in spots, about 10 minutes. (You may need to lower the heat to medium-low and/or add a spoonful of water to keep the pork from scorching as the fat renders.)
- Step 3
Add the pork and its fat, the lemon juice and the pecorino into the beans in the slow cooker. Stir vigorously until the pecorino has completely melted and the sauce has become smooth and emulsified, lightly coating the back of a spoon. Taste and add more pepper if you like. Pass more pecorino and pepper at the table.
- Beans should reach a simmer and cook until tender to be safe to eat. If your slow cooker does not reach a simmer on the low setting, increase the heat level to high, and ensure the beans cook at a simmer for at least 15 minutes at some point in the cooking process.
Private Notes
Comments
Canned cannellini beans work, taste delicious, and are ready in minutes.
To those who'd prefer not to use meat products: sub sun-dried tomatoes, chopped into a small dice and stir in some white miso. I do this all the time with carbonara, tastes great and you get the umami like you would using bacon or pancetta.
Add some leftover Parmesean rind to the cooking broth. remove when beans are done. So good!
Made this recipe exactly as written except I cooked on low for three hours and high for two, since my crockpot doesn't get warm enough on low. Before adding in the cooked pancetta, pecorino, and lemon juice, I scooped out about 6 ounces of liquid because there was way too much. But honestly, what a revelation. It was absolutely delicious. Don't skip the lemon juice...it brings everything together.
I soaked a lb of dry generic Lima beans overnight after which all of the outer shells separated from the bean. Unsightly but tasty soup using only 5 c total broth in Instant Pot for 12 min. Subbed in sun dried tomatoes for the meat. Thickened a bit as it sat. I prefer Sarah’s Creamy White beans with pecorino recipe that starts with canned beans.
I doubled the recipe but otherwise followed it to the letter. The result was hard bean soup. I had to make a whole second dinner to feed the kids.
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